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Sri Ramana Maharshi
Welcome
I propose to use this blog primarily to air my occasional musings on any matters relating to the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. There will also be occasional contributions about Arunachala, the sacred mountain where Sri Ramana spent all of his adult life.
Articles and interviews on these topics can also be found on my site: www.davidgodman.org.
Articles and interviews on these topics can also be found on my site: www.davidgodman.org.
2,142 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 801 – 1000 of 2142 Newer› Newest»Inquiring into the Nature of the Self:
continues.....
On a deeper level, when one says I, one is referring to the mental faculties of thought, emotion and will. Yet the same analysis applies. These are my thoughts, my feelings -- they come and they go. I know them. I am the knower and they are the known. No one says, 'I am this shirt', or 'I am this house'. Likewise, it is a mistake to superimpose one's body, one's thoughts, or one's feelings, upon the 'I'.
Then, what is the 'I'? Advaita avers that upon awakening from sleep, the first thought which arises is the 'I' thought. One thinks, 'I slept well last night' or 'I am still tired', or 'I am going to the bathroom'. First comes the 'I' and then the drama of one's life follows. Further, there is not a single thought, anytime, which does not first invoke this 'I'. One has never, and will never, have a thought or experience without this 'I' being present. It is the support to which every thought clings. Every thought, either relates directly to the 'I' or indirectly refers to it in connection with other individuals, objects, things, events, opinions, and so on. The 'I' is the basis for everything else - the entire myriad of universe of second and third persons, the universe of 'him', 'her' and 'it'. Absolutely everything is rooted in one's 'I'.
Before anything can come into existence, there must be someone to whom it appears. All appearances and disappearances presuppose a change against some changeless back ground. The 'I' is that backcloth. One is not the event that happens, but rather the 'I'; to whom things happen. Who am I? It is enough to know what you are not. The 'I' is not an object to be known. Truly, all one can say is that 'I am not this, not that'. The occurrences and images of the world come and go but the underlying 'I' persists. If one can point to something, one cannot meaningfully say, I am (only) that'. If one can point to it, one is more than that. You are not 'something else' and without you, nothing can be perceived or even imagined.
contd.....
Inquiring into the Nature of the Self:
continues....
All of a person's existence is encompassed by three states; those of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. If one inquires into these three states one discovers that the waking state teaches one that: i) I exist; ii) there is an external world revealed by an external light that is experienced through sense organs; iii) what is experienced is taken as real; iv) there is a reality. The dream state teaches one that: i) I exist; ii) one can create a world by one's own inner light; iii) world one experiences may be a dream, or to put it differently, the Self does not necessarily act and is unattached even though it may appear otherwise (one dreams one is in Paris when in fact one has gone nowhere); iv) the waking state may have no more reality than the dream state. Finally the deep sleep state teaches one that: i) I exist; ii) one may exist quite happily without any desires, imperfections, limitations or even a world; iii) the Self is beyond desires; even the feeling, 'I am the body' does not arise. It shows that the Self, unafflicted by desires, is fearless, blissful and has not connection to anything, or anyone else.
Throughout these three states of existence, the Self (I) persists. Everyone has the same intuition that it is the identical 'I' that appears in all the three states. Further, the three states alternate and differ from one another, but the Self, which underlies them, remains unaffected and detached throughout. Surely this reveals that the Self is beyond the changing modes of existence. It is the underlying invisible substrate. It is not the content of any experience but is that which allows all experiences to happen.
concluded.
I AM THOU:
Meditations on the Truth of India:
Ramachandra Gandhi.
(Aradhana, 2012, Mountain Path.)
Is our Heart on the Right Side?
The austerely advatin teaching of Sri Ramana Maharshi is enlivened by what looks like a quaint insistence on His part that Atman's seat in the human body is on the right side of the chest, corresponding almost exactly to the biological heart on the left. Of course Sri Ramana makes it clear again and again that this anatomical identification of Atman is only for the benefit of those who are unable to be rid of the false identification of themselves with their body and mind, body for short; that in truth Atman had no physical location at all. And yet, reading through all of the Master's conversation and writings, one gets the impression that this relegation of His doctrine of the spiritual heart on the right side to secondary importance is also a concession to those who, imperfect advaitins, shun physical analogies even as they fear of the world. Again and again, the Master reverts to the doctrine of the heart on the right side, refers to an obscure Ayurveda text and also to the Sita Upanishad in support of it, and also sometimes impatiently dismisses requests for authoritative support of His novel doctrine on the ground that His experience confirms it and that He is not in need for any external authority for His doctrine.
Phenomenologically it is on the right side of the center of the chest that Sri Ramana's Koham (Who am I?) sadhana yields a powerful current of awareness as is testified by a number of sadhakas, and indeed the metaphor of the heart on the right side is profound one. The biological heart on the left side is the seat of all our anxieties and partial fleeting arrogant pleasures connected with dehatmabuddhi, the I-am-the-body orientation of an ajnani.
Ruthlessly accurately pictorially corrective of this delusion, this tragic investment of all worth in the biological heart, is the heart on the right side of which the Master speaks, the heart which is bilogically non existent and yet the power of which is felt in sadhana and even the contemplation of the very idea of which at least weakens considerably the hold of dehatmabuddhi.
continued.....
I AM THOU:
Ramachandra Gandhi:
continues....
There appears in thought and imagination the idea of an alternative center of our being, a non-corporeal reality mysteriously lodged within our body which rivals
in power and benevolence the fickle pump on the left, a very simple and secure foundation for faith. Needless to say, in those rare cases where the biological heart is on the right, the spiritual heart will have to be and will be able to be imagined as being on the left side, although Sri Ramana has not said so. But in our reflection of His teachings we can continue to think of the spiritual heart as on the right without qualification. But is there any other kind of support for Sri Ramana's doctrine besides the corrective role of it and the authority of His declaration?
Ramana Maharshi often used to say that everybody knew that he or she was most fundamentally centered on the right side of the chest, because whenever we wish to point to ourselves we touch the right side of our chest with our forefinger. Why do we do this?
There is of course the convention of pointing to the people with our forefinger when we wish to refer them ostensively, and the ritual of pointing to oneself by touching our chest with our forefinger or pointing the forefinger to the direction of our chest is an obvious imitation of ostensive reference to others, but this cannot be the whole story.
That this cannot be the whole story is shown by the fact that when I point to myself in this way and ask you if you really mean me, which is the standard occasion of employment of this ritual. I simply do not need physically to point to myself at all, I could merely utter words, 'Who, me?' and omit the pointing gesture an still be perfectly understood. It cannot even be the case that apparent ostensive pointing to oneself takes place when speaking is for some contingent reason difficult, as when you are too far way to hear me or when I have lost my voice or do not wish to be heard etc.,
I apparently ostensively point to myself, point my forefinger towards the right side of my chest, normally when you are well within hearing distance from me, and when my vocal chords are quite unimpaired and I wish to underscore in a special way the force of my clearly uttered words 'Who, me?' i.e by way of pointing towards my chest.
continued.....
I AM THOU:
Ramachandra Gandhi:
continues.....
What is then the real communicative thrust of this ritual of the inverted forefinger? It wordlessly expresses the words, 'Who, me?' as follows:
" I am pretending that my forefinger is the forefinger of a third person who is answering the fourth person's question about you, the second person, the question 'Who does he mean?' and the third person physically points to me in answer to this question, indicating that you mean me. Do you?' And this explication is put across to you not in some uncheckable irredeemably private occult way, but by means of the visible, although imaginative, employment of all the paraphernalia of multiple endorsement which the hinted third and fourth persons of the rituals represent.Thus far the ritual is a
tribute to the power of ostensive reference, the hold of deha bhava, the physical orientation of our ordinary consciousness. And yet it is precisely dehatmavada, the I am the body illusion, which the ritual repudiates at a deeper level. For as a manifest fantasy of ostensive self reference, the inverted forefinger dramatizes the impossibility of such self reference, something which should not me impossible if I were a body. What a pity Wittgenstein never met Ramana@!
Suppose by atma vichara, by sravana, manana and nididhyasana and by the grace of Guru, I reach intellectually the conclusion that I alone am real, that all else which appears to be not-I really, I, myself, the appearance of not-I being illusion and not reality. Suppose further that this conclusion although strong is nevertheless quite definitely this side of atma siddhi, so that at most I regard the conclusion as only the intellectually and somewhat insecurely understood statement of my guru that I alone am Reality. Would I not in imagination then turn my guru and address to him the words, 'Who me?' Would I not be driven in imagination even physically to point out to myself as I utter those words?
contd.,
I AM THOU:
Ramachandra Gandhi:
Continues....
Indeed there remains always about self consciousness this wondering about itself, not wondering that it is this or that, but wondering just that it is, whether or not one is deliberately engaged in atmavichara. This self wonder, this combination of amazement and certainty that one is, is just what is more grossly also involved in what occurs communicatively when I physically point to myself and ask you, 'Who, me?' in connection with some possibly quite trivial matter relating to you and me and our world.
The foundation of all human communication is addressing, the vocative identification of one another by human beings, i.e., their identification of one another
not as beings of this or that kind, possessing this or that characteristic, but as themselves, nirguna centers of self consciousness. It is in consequence of vocative identification, of addressing one another, and subsequent to it, that we go on to communicate to another in a variety of things about ourselves and the world, but in vocative identification we essentially merely stir one another to a nirguna conception of ourselves.
We dd not of course easily always or even much or at all notice this, but in a variety of situations, and not merely through philosophical analysis, this is brought home to us in the thick of our worldly communicative life, as the essential truth of ourselves and as the essential message of that life when all that has to be said is said and there remains a bare nirguna indication of ourselves as that, that we are. Love, aloneness, joy and peace also bring this insight.
At a deep level, therefore, we may regard everyone who addresses us as a guru, like the innumerable gurus of Dattatreya, drawing our attention to the nirguna absolutist mode of self consciousness. And because our wonder at our own real status remains always, we would wish to ask anyone at all who in addressing us necessarily restores us to our Atmic status the rhetorical question 'Who, me?', and we might cause these words to be accompanied by the magic ritual of pointing with our forefinger to our heart on the right side of our chest.
contd...
Things walk away in their own time, I guess. Effort has nothing to do with it. Like it or not, they simply walk away.
Last night, at about 8:40, I gathered up my stuff in the office and headed for home. It was nothing unusual. Down the stairs, out the door, into the rainy parking lot, over to the car, out of the parking lot, onto the highway, attentive to the puddles that had accumulated in the rain. Another 20-25-minute drive, much the same as it had been for 20-plus years.
About three-fifths of the way home, I identified the sense that something was out of kilter in the car, some absence or incompleteness. I was not chanting. I had completely forgotten.
For 20 years, my ride home was a time for chanting, but last night ... I plain old forgot. Not that it changed the road in front of the headlights, not that it changed the rain or the windshield wipers, not that it was some grave error or failure of virtue ... but it was ... what? -- peculiar perhaps. Twenty-plus years -- poof!
It's the same for everyone, I imagine. Easy-peasy. No effort required.
Things walk away in their own time.
genkaku
hey jude,
"For 20 years, my ride home was a time for chanting, but last night ... I plain old forgot. Not that it changed the road in front of the headlights, not that it changed the rain or the windshield wipers, not that it was some grave error or failure of virtue ... but it was ... what? -- peculiar perhaps. Twenty-plus years -- poof'"
It is because for all those 20 years,it has been a part time, isolated activity-and had not been internalized.Just 25 minutes of the day alloted to 'Chanting' and this did not seem to have any connection of what one has been doing for the rest of the 23 Hrs 35 minutes.
Yes,all part time activities will fall off.Good that this did fall off after 20 years and did not continue for the rest of one's life!
Namaskar.
If you are living close by, please go and meet him and report back.
regards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=atqj_fHJJUw
537 MOHALLA GARHI,
BAHADARPUR
HOSHIARPUR 146001
PUNJAB INDIA
http://www.meditation.dk/meditator_sag_%20bharadwaj.htm
this is beautiful also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiRnRaJtPOo
Ravi, You may have misunderstood, the story is related by genkaku.
The thrust being when a certain ritual has run its course it will drop off on its own accord.
Ravi, You may have misunderstood, the story is related by genkaku.
The thrust being when a certain ritual has run its course it will drop off on its own accord.
hey jude,
If the ritual had fallen off on its own,it will be dropped but not forgotten.We may recall how the japa stopped for poonjaji.
Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"After attaining samadhi, I once went to the Ganges to perform tarpan. But as I took water
in the palm of my hand, it trickled down through my fingers. Weeping, I said to Haladhari,
'Cousin, what is this?' Haladhari replied, 'It is called galitahasta in the holy books.' After the
vision of God, such duties as the performance of tarpan drop away"
This is a classic example of how it drops away;not that it is forgotten but one is unable to pursue it!
Here is another such a striking example in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Hazra was sitting on the northeast verandah counting the beads of his rosary. The Master
went and sat in front of him, taking the rosary in his own hands.
MASTER (to Hazra): "You see, I cannot use the rosary. No, perhaps I can. Yes, I can with
my left hand. But I cannot repeat the name of God with it."
With these words Sri Ramakrishna tried to perform a little japa. But hardly had he begun
when he went into samadhi. He sat in that state a long time, still holding the rosary in his
hand. The devotees looked at him with wonder in their eyes. Hazra also watched the Master
without uttering a word".
It is not as if one forgets to do it;it just does not stick!It is transcended.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have not heard about genkaku.You may write about him.
Namaskar.
Ravi, Thanks, Punjaji is a very good example.
I AM THOU:
Ramachandra Gandhi:
continues.....
Thus the act of pointing to the right side of our chest with our forefinger, to which Sri Ramana draws our attention to remind us of the fact that we do really take ourselves to be centered there, is indeed full of mystery, is the oldest ritual of human communicative Veda. It is the ancient ritual of ascharyam of Atman-Brahman, its eternal wonder at being all that is, one and only reality. Interestingly advaitin uttara-mimamsa teaching becomes involved in this magic, purva-mimamsa ritual, witnessing to the unity of Vedanta.
Our self wonder is never a doubting, except in a mysteriously fallen condition. It is a play and it is a play that Atman-Brahman unfurls itself as an apparent plurality of subjects and objects, subjects pointing to one another and the world or aspects and items of the world in ascharyam and, as it were, deeply always to say, 'He, me, you, this, that and that other, are all one, all me,' - sarvam khalu idam brahma.
It has been recorded that in a dream or vision a devotee received sparsa diksha from Sri Ramana, which consisted in the Master pressing with his forefinger the right side of the devotee's chest. (Wittgenstein was struck by Luther's remark that faith is under the right nipple!) Could it not be that in touching ourselves with our forefinger on the right side of our chest in mock ostensive reference to ourselves, we imagine ourselves to be the recipients of such diksha. Do we not indeed in and through that ritual proclaim, howsoever disguisedly, that we are dikshita, even that we are all self realized Atman Brahman? All are Jnanis, and each human being who speaks to another is a secret guru initiating the other into advaita sadhana. But for an unshakable realization of that we need the grace of Sri Ramana Maharshi, who not much longer than sixty years ago, physically pressed upon us the truth of ourselves. May we all at least in dream receive His sparsa diksha, be touched on the right sides of our chest by Him.
Concluded.
India is systematically ditching its wonderful ancient culture and values,and replacing it with all the superficial western ways with the eye's focus on short term expediency to the exclusion of all else,,,but at best so far they can only come up with a shoddy imitation,which makes it look like a sad parody.,,they rather have all these walmarts,instead of stamping out the practice of hundreds of millions using the country as an open toilet.,,or burning their garbage in the open instead of using landfills.,,or doing more for basic public health,,,or allocating resourses in such a way that lifts a huge chunk of the population out of crushing desperate conditions,,,,,or winding back the religious economy,which fabulously serves temple functionaries,but is an impost on all those paying big darshan fees to commune with their deity,,,or really practice ahimsa by showing more compassion to animals,,,or provide drinkable water,,,or simply just tone down the in built hubris borne of one's station in life.and the contempt felt and displayed towards the lesser fortunate........but then walmart might have the solution and remedy to all these ills,,,,,,but more likely the farce and parody will continue as long as the multinationals can fatten their major share holders courtesy of the so called local middle class,with their insatiable propensity for ostentatious lurid and garish consumption,while most of their countryfolk barely able to fill their belly.....happy days
To Anonymous,
Why this rant here? As Bhagavan would say, "vantha velaiya gavani". The world's problems can be solved later.
Gokul
Anonymous,
You say:
India is systematically ditching its wonderful ancient culture and values,and replacing it with all the superficial western ways...
[Generally Speaking...]
1)So were we taught in schools.But why we are ranked as one of the most corrupt countries year after year.
2)Another word commonly and rightly used on India is 'Fatalistic'.How this translates is
A)WRONG use of Astrology, Vaastu etc
B)Poojas and rituals EXCLUSIVELY for wish fulfilling
C)Wrong understanding of KARMA
D)Misunderstanding Fear and incapability as Bhakthi and Surrender
In the end we have become Good for neither This nor That.What remains is Superstition.
That is why Swami Vivekananda said eat Meat and play Football.
Swami also said What India needs is Krishna of the Mahabharatha Yuddha and not Krishna of the Gopis
In Bhagawan lingo what India needs is not Advaita Ramana but Kitchen Worker Ramana.
This is one of the messages in the book 'Living by the Words of Bhagawan' when Bhagawan put Annamalai Swamy tirelessly to work for the firt ten years rather than allow him to sit in Hall to do Meditation.
What Bhagawan probably meant by 'vantha velaiya gavani'(I dont know Tamil) but going by Gokul's translation is:
Every beggar wants to donate a Million.
Anonymous if you really care complaining is just not enough:
Action:
http://aamaadmiparty.org/
If you cannot the least you can do is to donate money to them.
A Special Darshan:
Sharada Bhanu:
(Advent, 2006, Mountain Path.)
Even though the avatara of Rama was finite, Hanuman is immortal, a Chranjeevi. 'I am not really going way,' Rama told his devotee, 'Am I not enshrined in your heart for ever?'
'That is why I live.' replied Hanuman. Rama smiled and said, 'I shall return in time to come and in another avatara. You will have my darshan then.'
'Yes, Lord, but I would have it in this form as yourself whom I know, and with Sita Devi,' implored Hanuman. And because the lord loves to satisfy the yearnings in the hearts of devotees, he agreed.
Later in his avatara as Krishna, the Lord had not forgotten his words, to his bhakta, and judged it to be time for his old promise to be fulfilled. He decided he would also use the occasion to administer a small lesson to two people very close to him: his brother Balarama, who prided himself on his physical strength and his wife Satyabama who was vain and self important.
'Brother, I ask a small favor from you,' he said to Balarama. 'There is a monkey praying on the banks of the Yamuna. He is a faithful servant and an old friend to whom I owe a great deal. Could you fetch him here for me?'
'Why do you need to see this monkey,' asked Balarama, yawning.
'He needs to see me. I promised I would meet him quite a long time ago. Would you see to this brother?'
'I'll send some of my personal guards', said Balarama.
'Brother do you think they will be able to do this job? Don't you think you should go yourself? This is no ordinary monkey. He is the bravest of the brave, very wise, and the most faithful....'
'Come Krishna, a monkey is just a monkey. And let's not be ridiculous either. I should think seasoned Yadava warriors would be able to haul one monkey here, right? Just instruct them where he is to be found and they will do the rest.'
Krishna gave the directions and a small army of Yadava warriors departed. They came back some days later, in bad shape. Their clothes were torn and bespattered, their weapons missing, bodies bruised and faces crestfallen. It took them a while, to speak and their tale was somewhat garbled.
'Huge monkey; wouldn't come; said he didn't know any Krishna; we tried force, he got angry; threw the boulders large as a house; ran for our lives.'
Krishna sighed. He went up to Balarama and said plaintively, 'Brother, your guard has returned and without the monkey.'
'What happened?',asked Balarama. 'Couldn't they find him?'
'Oh they found him all right; they couldn't persuade him to come. They are complaining that he threw boulders.'
Balarama swelled with rage. 'Incompetent idiots! I'll kill them. Threw boulders! The fools. Trained warriors unable to handle a monkey! I will pound them to pulp.'
'Yes, brother, but would it not be a waste of precious time? While we discipline our slack fighters, the monkey may simply leave.'
'I'll go myself', said Balarama shortly.
'I think that would be wise', said Krishna smiling sweetly, 'This really is no ordinary monkey', Balarama snorted.
He arrived at the banks of the Yamuna, under a serene night sky, to find an average sized monkey deep in prayer beside a temple.
'Here you, wake up, Krishna wants to see you.' he said prodding the monkey.
The monkey opened a cold eye. 'Krishna? Which Krishna? What Krishna? Never heard of him. How dare you disturb me? Who are you?'
" I am the son of Vasudeva, the brother of Krishna, Balarama the prince of....'
The prince got no further.
continued......
Gokul.... it's a bit of a rant but sometimes it's needed to clear the air.
Zee thanks for your feedback. Ramana was always extraordinary but in the kitchen days he inspired alot of the workers, how delighted they were to be in his company.
But I am reminded of a story about a guy who invents a mala (Buddhist "prayer" beads) with 109 beads on it.
Basically, he is trying to "improve" Buddhism.
Traditionally, a mala has 108 beads. And so, the gist of the story is that by adding another bead,
when people are chanting mantras or whatever, an extra one will automatically slip in
and the person will attain enlightenment that much sooner!
It's a funny idea, but points out that trying to change things that don't really need to be changed,
to make them new and improved,
often doesn't amount to much
Friends,
Here is amn excerpt from 'Day by Day with Bhagavan':
11-8-46
This morning, the young man Natarajan of Tanjore arrived.
He brought from Janaki Ammal a walking stick with a silver
knob and a pair of wooden slippers with silver gilt for Bhagavan.
Bhagavan said, “I shall touch them and give them back. Let her
have them in her puja.” So saying, he inspected them and gave
them back to the attendant. Later, I asked N. and found out that
the allusion in the seventh stanza of his Vetkai is to
the following incident: It seems one morning during his last
visit he came into the dining hall late for his lunch, and that all
except Bhagavan had risen. It seems then Bhagavan also rose
and came and stood by N.’s side and when he tried to get up
Bhagavan told him ‘vanda velayai paar’ (attend to the
business for which you have come) and walked on. N. now
read out before Bhagavan his poem 'kuyilodu kooral’ which
he had not read out on his previous visit".
Sri Bhagavan said the same words to another when he pointed out to another who was falling asleep in the Meditation hall.
What is 'attending to one's business'?It has both aspects-temporal and eternal.One has to stay focussed on what one is engaged in and also one should not lose sight of the fundamental purpose of all strivings.
What anonymous has said also has a certain validity,as also what Zee and Gokul have posted.
'vanda velaiyai par' is not a straitjacketed cliche.It means to be alive to the need of the moment and not get distracted.That need of the moment may even be a seemingly insignificant act like eating or sleeping!At the same time ,all these activities are subservient to the fundamental purpose of vetkai ot thirst for spiritual unfoldment.
Namaskar.
A SPECIAL DARSHAN:
continues.....
The prince got no further. The monkey emitted a tremendous roar of rage, stood up and suddenly he grew larger and larger till he seemed the size of a hill. In a voice of thunder the monkey said, 'Insolent rogue! How dare you call yourself by a name like that! Bala-rama! Do you fancy you are stronger than the one Rama, the divine hero who conquered Lanka and slew Ravana?'
The next thing Balarama knew was that he was sailing through the air, describing a neat arc before he splashed into the river, feet foremost. When he crawled out the monkey was so frightening a figure, his huge head towering against the tree tops that Balarama found himself unable to so much stand without shaking, let alone grope for his weapons which were somewhere scattered over the sea and shore. When the monkey thumbed his chest and stepped towards him, Balarama's courage failed and he fled.
Krishna listened with deep sympathy when Balarama returned with his sad story.
'Monkey threw you? Terrible. I hope you aren't hurt. So sorry to have given you all this trouble. But I still need to see this monkey. Shall we handle it differently? Supposing you go up to Hanuman and tell him.. What? Yes. He is Hanuman. Surely it was obvious? I didn't tell you? I must have forgotten. But I did mention that this was no ordinary monkey, didn't I? Now just tell Hanuman that Rama wants to see him. I think he'll come. Will you just try that?
The nervous Balarama made his way to Hanuman once again. Prostrating himself humbly, he spoke rather quickly. 'Great son of Vayu, we crave your presence in Dwaraka. Sri Rama wishes to see you.'
Hanuman exclaimed with wonder, 'Sri Rama! See me! Why couldn't you have said that earlier? A messenger from my Lord Rama and I have insulted you? In the name of Sri Rama, pardon me.'
So saying he picked up Balarama, put him on his shoulders and immediately made his way to Dwaraka.
In the meantime, Krishna approached Satyabama and told her of the divine guest he was expecting. 'I have promised great Hanuman that I will give him darshan as Rama with Sita by my side', he explained to Satyabama. 'He will be here in minutes. He has waited many ages already and he should not be asked to wait any longer. So go now and come back as Sita - quickly.'
'Sita!' Satyabama could hardly contain her delighted pride. To be so singled out among Krishna's wives was a rare honor! I can't wait till Rukmnini hears this. Now we'll see who is the chief queen,' she thought.
She dashed into the inner apartments wondering what to wear.
continued.....
A Special Darshan:
continues.....
'Sita, daugher of Janaka - queen of Ayodhya - Girls! My silks and my jewells!' Dressed in garments still with gold gold work and dripping with jewels, she returned to Krishnna who have her a blank stare.
'Sita This! You must be crazy. Think Hanuman will recognize you? No chance. Go change and back as Sita as quick as you can. He's already at the gate. I can't keep him waiting.'
Satyabama ran back into her chamber, confused.
'Where did I go wrong? How else Siva would look? Oh, I have got it; exiled to the forest, captive in Lanka, prisoner at the Ashokavana; girls my cottons! The rustic look! Yes, that old rag will do; no jewels; my hair loose; the disheveled air; yes that is it.
She looked quite a sight when she returned to Krishna who was pacing up and down impatiently in his chamber. Her husband took one look
at her and clutched his hair.
'Sita! Are you crazy? Your own mother wouldn't recognize you, let alone Hanuman.
Satyabama simply burst into tears. And Krishna clicked his tongue. 'I cannot wait any longer. And then to the maids, 'Quickly, Tell Rukmini to come as Sita.'
Krishna's most gracious queen heard the message and her eyes dilated with joy, 'Hanuman! The most ardent devotee of her Lord! The Chiranjeevi who had been waiting from one avatar to another for a glimpse of the Lord's face!'
She ran out of the apartment dressed exactly as she was. The sobbing, furious Satyabama, looked at her as she raced into Krishna's
chamber. Rukmini's face was alive with joy, her whole being seemed to breathe a divine radiance.
'Lord.... Hanuman, this greatest of devotees..let us see him at once,'
She exclaimed.
Krishna stretched his hand to her with a smile and suddenly Satyabama understood that being Sita was not a matter of clothes. Yet, this was how spouse of Rama would have looked.... a creature suffused with joy and concern and love....
Hanuman was ushered into the darbar hall where he found a pair, the others knew as Krishna and Rukmini but one that he had no trouble recognizing to be Rama and Sita. On seeing his rapt joy, wild antics and tears of ecstasy, even hearts that were barren and shriveled expanded in the presence of such bhakti. The Lord had kept his promise and two people had learnt a lesson.
concluded.
LINEAGE:
(Editorial from Mountain Path, Aradhana, 2004 issue.)
In the early years when Sri Bhagavan stayed at Virupaksha Cave, a Sastri from Sringeri Math, came to Him and said that he would initiate Sri Bhagavan, since it appeared He had not received diksha (initiation) from any recognized authority.
Sri Bhagavan said: 'He saw me, spoke to me for a long time, and before going to the town for meals, drew near me and with folded arms and great respect said, 'Swami, I have a request to make. Please hear me.' When I asked him what it was he said, 'Swami, as you are born a Brahmin, should you not take sannyasa in the regular way? It is an ancient practice. You know all that. What is there for me to tell you? I am anxious to include you in the line of our Gurus. Hence, if you give me the permission, I will come here with all the requisite articles from my Mutt and give you the initiation.....You may think over this well and give me a reply. I am going down the Hill to take my meals and will come back by 3 pm. All the members of our Mutt have heard of your greatness and I have come here to see you at their request. Please do this favor.'
A little while after he left, an old Brahmin came there with a bundle. His face appeared familiar. It could be seen from the outside of the bundle that there were some books in it. As soon as he came, he placed the bundle opposite to me and like an old acquaintance, 'Swami, I have just come. I have not had a bath. There is no one to
look after this bundle. I am therefore leaving it with you.' So saying he left the place. As soon as he went away, why, I do not know, but I felt liked opening that bundle and seeing the books. As soon as I opened it, I saw a Sanskrit book in Nagari characters, with the title 'Arunachala Mahatmyam'. I did not know before that the Arunachala Mahatmyam is in Sanskrit also. I was therefore surprised and as I opened the book I found the sloka describing greatness of this place in the words of Iswara:
'Those who live within 24 miles of this place, i.e. this Arunachala Hill, well get Sayujyam, i.e. absorption into Me, freed from all bonds, even if they do not take any diksha. This is my order.'
'As soon as I saw that sloka, I felt I could give a fitting reply to the Sastri, by quoting that sloka...I showed this sloka as soon as he came that evening. As he was a learned man, he did not say anything further, but with great reverence and trepidity saluted me
and went away, and it seems, reported everything to Narasimha Bharati...(who) felt very sorry for what his disciples had done, and told them to stop all further efforts in that direction. (Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, Suri Nagamma, No. 66, 13th Jan. 1949.)
continued.....
LINEAGE:
continues.....
In the years that followed there have been many who claimed a special dispensation from Sri Bhagavan and that they have received from Him a special diksha, which gives them right to claim lineage. We are on sticky ground here because Sri Bhagavan does work in mysterious ways that He does not directly instruct many of His devotees in silence and secret. In actuality, each of us is privy to His knowledge and blessing without any intermediary if we are open and receptive to the teachings. Each of us legitimately can claim lineage from Sri Bhagavan although He Himself was not part of of any succession but stood alone, and in that sense of linear continuity He neither received nor gave initiation. But that is not the point, because though we each have the right to receive His Grace, it is entirely different when it comes to assuming authority to disseminate the teachings. It is here we need to be very clear and separate the claims of wannabe gurus from the genuine devotees who are grateful recipients of grace. There have been many senior devotees of Sri Bhagavan, who, in their own right, had both the ability and authority to teach in His name. Muruganar, Sadhu Natanananda and Kunju Swami are some of those who immediately spring to mind. None of them to my knowledge ever claimed preeminence and the prerogative to teach. They knew two things. One, there would be many who would bow to their superior knowledge and set them up as an independent source, but secondly, they also knew that to abrogate for themselves the privilege would run contrary to Sri Bhagavan's mission or purpose. Not one of those who were genuine and close to Sri Bhagavan took upon themselves the role of a guru. They resisted the temptation, perhaps also aware of the danger of an inflation of the ego that is something to beware of when an ineligible person is treated as a guru. They did not see their own relatively higher knowledge compared to others around them, warranted an special claim. Moreover, they knew that Sri Bhagavan is always with them so where was the necessity to claim a singular right? Especially if one really understood the teachings, who exactly are the others that one can teach?
It is said that Bhagavan is a manifestation of Dakshinamurti, the aspect of Siva the peerless teacher who taught in silence. If we investigate the legends in the Puranas, we unearth the story of four sons of Brahma who were dissatisfied with the breathtaking powers and onerous duties bestowed on them by their father Brahma, the Creator. They left their allotted
tasks and went in search of a preceptor who could satisfy their hunger to understand. Eventually they came across Dakshinamurti, the supreme preceptor, at Arunachala. There he demonstrated the highest teachings in silence.
continued.....
LINEAGE:
continues.....
There is a metaphoric element of truth in myths which we can learn from. We are all sons of Brahma; we are all creating our own worlds and we are generally dissatisfied. Whatever teachings we imbibe there are invariably vital elements missing. Sri Bhagavan said according to the capacity of the seeker, their vessel will be filled. What if our receptivity to understand is limitless? What if nothing apparently can satisfy us? We are bewildered and usually settle, reluctantly, for the second best because there seems to be no alternative. What if suddenly come across that which we know would satisfy us? Would we not pay whatever price necessary to fulfill the yearning?
Lineage in the ordinary sense of the word implies an organization. It implies a giver and a receiver. Religions have lineages. Be it the Sankaracharya's of the various Mutts established by Adi Sankara to sustain the dharma, the Pope in
Rome, or the Tibetan Rimpoches. Sri Bhagavan is not a religion. He is the spirit of the teachings. He does not represent them, he exemplifies them. In this respect Sri Bhagavan is the lineage. He manifests the possibility of transmission of the teachings. He is the first and the last. Sri Bhagavan through His own life established the possibility that we too are eligible for enlightenment. He did not live in our physical world to maintain the formality of the sanatana dharma. He came to elucidate the teachings obscured by prejudice and selfishness by a unique deed of genius. He went right to the root of all thought. He showed us not only the possibility but also the certainty that we too can be free. He was then, when physically alive, and now, continues to be accessible to all comers whose only qualification is the desire to understand. But really it is even more basic than that; to think of Sri Bhagavan automatically entitles us to a relationship with Him. The traditional saying is: birth in Tiruvarur, to have darshan of Chidambaram, to die in Varanasi grants us liberation but to even think of Arunachala has the same efficacy.
The subtle penetrative influence of Sri Bhagavan is that strong. He exists as a guru for His devotees. What attracts us to Sri Bhagavan defines His function. He teaches exactly what we need in that moment according to our level. His function is to fulfill our needs. And then He takes us beyond. While we see ourselves separate from Sri Bhagavan, His external function is necessary.
contd.....
LINEAGE:
continues.....
'It is said that the guru can make his disciple realize the Self by transferring some of his power to him. Is this true?'
'Yes. The Guru does not bring about Self Realization, but simply removes the obstacles to it. The Self is always realized. So long as you seek Self Realization, the guru is necessary. Guru is the Self. (Talks No. 282).
This is what lineage is truly all about. It is an abhishekam, an anointment into a new way of life. It is the cleansing of our propensities by the gift of discrimination so we can see that most of what we imagined or desired is worthless. It is a transmission. It is the gift of the key to unravel the maze of thought that obscures the light. We see if but for an instant, the full clarity of the light independent of all our imaginings. We know for certain not only thought, which is the intermediary, but our direct experience.
Sri Bhagavan said that at the end of His life when asked not to leave His body: 'Where can I go?' That being the case it indicates to us in the strongest language possible that He is still very much with us. He said all along, He was not the body. Now it is up to us to verify it on the strength of His words, and if we have faith in Sri Bhagavan, then what more do we need than the ability to listen plus our resilience and dependence upon this rock on which we build our lives? Since we each are recipients of Sri Bhagavan's grace, we are all in the lineage and avatars of our Self. If this sense of the world, there is lineage. When we qualify ourselves to be holders of the teachings, do we require a trumpet? Is not silence in the spirit of Sri Bhagavan the obvious rejoinder?
If we are ignorant and in dire need of salvation where is Sri Bhagavan? He is before us. He is behind us. And He is our very 'I'. He is so close that we don't need to search for Him. If we too are enlightened, who is Sri Bhagavan and more crucially who are we? We can only be one with Him. Where then is the necessity of lineage?
concluded.
Pramada:
(Mountain Path, Deepam, 2007)
Sanskrit: inattention; forgetfulness;
non vigilance.
Sri Bhagavan says we are forgetful (pramada) of our true nature. (Vide Talks No. 95). Indeed pramada is death, the scriptures assert (Vivekachudamani, v. 321-329.) because even a slight lapse from watchfulness makes one forget his true natural state, and instantly the mind becomes extroverted helplessly and enters into the world of objects, leaping from one thing to another even as a ball that slips out of one's hand and rolls down a flight of stairs quickly. Mind, being a product of prakriti (nature), naturally gravitates towards the matter and its manifestations. The sense organs invariably lure the mind towards the latter, as the Upanishads declare, the Creator 'injured' the senses at the outset by making them outward looking all the time. (Katha Up. 2.1.1.) The functioning of the senses created with such a 'deliberate manufacturing defect' helps us to transact with the outer world. Thus pramada is natural phenomenon because of the very constitution of the mind and the senses but the wise man does not let the mind or the senses linger outside for than the minimal duration necessary for transactional life (vyavahara). Whenever the external demands are fulfilled, he immediately withdraws the senses from the outer objects and brings with great alertness the mind back to the Self.
There is another reason why pramada is inevitable in a seeker's life. Mind thrives on excitement and survives because of its fascination for features. At the physical level, it loves sensations while at the level of thoughts, it rivets upon emotions or feelings and is attached to ideas at the level of the intellect. The enticing food for all these is available only in the external world of objects and never in Brahman or the Self which is devoid of all attributes! Hence the mind can have no taste for the featureless Self. Is there then alternative to the natural inclination of the mind to stray from its Source?
continued.....
Pramada -
(Mountain Path, Deepam, 2007)
continues......
There are two antidotes to the poison of pramada. Firstly, the mind must be educated to see clearly that the external world can never give it lasting happiness, ananda, though constant discrimination and reflection of on the defects of the world (partipaksha bhavana). Secondly, repeated practice of meditation on the Self gives the mind a positive and deep experience of abiding peace. By dipping into this ever available fountain of peace within, the mind eventually develops a taste for abiding as the Self and pramada will cease to be a demon that derails our Sadhana.
Bhagavan gave us a tool which is a remedy for our ignorant state, caused pramada, namely Atma Vichara. How do we remember this tool and pay attention when it is
applied? Firstly, we should discriminate between self observation and self remembrance. Self observation is dualistic. There is an observer and the observed. The observer is aware of his thoughts if he closely scrutinizes them he sees they bubble up from a casual source which his mind cannot grasp. They come and go. Their transient nature indicates they have no permanent reality. They are dependent on the observer for their existence. It is similar to the vain person who peers into a mirror and thinks the object of attention is himself. It is not, it is just an inert image. Who is it who is aware of the mirror, the image and the act of gazing? Can words say?
Self remembrance is a higher a step in the quest to know oneself, such as the remembrance of the import of tat tvam asi but still there is an element of duality. There is an entity that remembers and forgets. "I am performing Atma Vichara", 'I forgot to do Atma Vichara", and "I am one pointedly concentrating on the guru" all involve a doer, however noble the action.
continued......
Pramada:
continues.....
Whenever there is a thought, there will be inevitably forgetfulness or veiling. Instead of trying to 'catch' ourselves as if we were an object of thought, we should remain still and attentive. Sri Bhagavan has stated clearly that Pure Consciousness cannot be grasped by thinking mind.It is not an object of awareness. What is it in me that is thinking, seeing, hearing? The intention of self inquiry is to bring us to that point where we who are perceiving, wonder, who is asking this question? Keeping the attention of the mind focused on that feeling of 'I' is Self Inquiry.
It requires strength of mind to maintain our attention on this sense of 'I' and that is why we are advised to purify our minds by right behavior, right diet, and right thinking. All these are aids to strengthen the mind's ability to focus its attention on the 'I', the gateway to the source of its existence. (Self Inquiry, Qn.20)
There is a difference between acquired knowledge and the application of that knowledge. One may read the instructions on how to
drive a motor car and mentally repeat them by rote interminably, but unless one sits behind thew wheel and drives the car, the information already available lacks purpose. Our attention is necessary
to apply the knowledge and with experience one acquires an understanding of the dynamics. We concentrate our attention on the task unless the function becomes natural and we can drive automatically. It does not mean we stop paying attention but that the occupation becomes natural and effortless.
Attention is of two kinds: concentration and diffuse awareness. By the latter one means the ability to take in a wide range of activity. To focus one's attention on the diverse strands and see their inter-connectedness.It is in inclusive
while concentration is exclusive.
contd...
Pramada -
continues....
To begin any new task requires
concentration. Once we have acquired the knack we can step up into another level of consciousness. For example, the peripheral vision widens as we live at a higher rate of ability. We see and notice more details. The same applies to intensity - we see deeper and further. Prayer, Yogic mental exercises, ritual devotions, reading scriptures or uplifting texts, all help to refine and deepen our attention and remind us of our purpose.
What is our purpose? It is to reunite ourselves with that which resides in all our hearts, the one true 'thing' that is not dependent on anything for its existence, as it is ever present and is self illuminating. It is called, the Self, 'I-I', or Heart.
How do we focus our attention of this mysterious 'thing' we cannot locate in time and space? Let us allow for the moment that this 'thing' has a name and form, then where does it reside and how do we contact with it? Those who have intellectually understood advaita
will say that you are already That,
so such talks about achieving 'union' with is Reality is ignorance. True, but that does not help us who think we are in ignorance. Unless we start with what we think we are and acknowledge our forgetfulness, (pramada), we will remain deluded.
The one self evident clue we each have is that our sense of identity remains the same whatever the circumstances. We should be careful here and discriminate this sense of 'I' with the sensation of identification, our minds and emotions create between our bodies and the external world. We consciously accept various thoughts and emotions much like clothes. They become so familiar we never take them off. Our faces become
rigid repetitive grooves of action and reaction. In short, we who think we are. This is pramada.
Returning to the driving analogy,
we should not be so fixated that we are blinkered nor so casual in our attention that the mind flies off on tangents. We do not forget that
we are driving and yet are aware of the changing road and scenery, and adjust accordingly. It calls for fluidiity of attention. It requires us to be alert to the moment. It is a skill that, with practice, will slowly absorb us into the pure sense of 'I'.
concluded.
*****
Abhyasa:
A Holistic View - Reconciling Diverse Paths:
Sans: Spiritual Practice, Repeated exercise, consistent replication of the same effort.
When queried as to 'What is the nature of abhyasa' Bhagavan replied 'Constant search for 'I', the souce of the ego. Find out Who am I? The Pure 'I' is the reality, the Absolute Existence Consciousness Bliss. When That is forgotten, all miseries crop up. When That is held fast, miseries do not affect the person. (Talks 17).
Sadhu Natanananda also raised the same question and Bhagavan explained, 'The seeker....realizes his nature by distinguishing the eternal from the transient, and never swerves from his natural state. This is known as practice of knowleldge (Jnanabhyasa). This is the inquiry leading to realization.' (Spiritual Instruction, Ch.2. Q 1.).
Elsewhere He said, 'Abhyasa consists in withdrawal within the Self every time you are disturbed by thought. (Talks 485).
All these sound so simple that one initially feels disappointed that the teaching lacks an inspirational grandeur. This is because the human mind in its habitual predilection for complex techniques, finds delight in grandiose schemes that are intellectually stimulating rather than in the direct teachings which are profound and unerringly accurate in addressing the root issues of human suffering. Truth is ever simple and does not need embellishment. So too, Bhagavan's teachings are almost always simple, direct and practice oriented. They bypass elaborate theoretical constructs, which only dazzle the intellect. The purpose here is not to entertain the intellect but to go beyond it by folding it up at its very source, namely the Self. (Ulladu Narpadu 22).
Sri Sankara aptly defines samadhana, one of the six fold virtues required for seeker, as 'The constant absorption of the tranquil mind in Brahman, the Supreme Reality, and not lulling the outgoing intellect by its dalliance with exciting entertainment.' (Viveka Chudamani 26).
Bhagavan encouragingly said anyone
can practice this direct path of Self attention, for the Self - being what It is -- is self evident to all. All one needed was sincerity. However, he does concede that it is easier for ripe souls endowed with sufficient Vairagya to surmount the mind's tendency to be pulled into identifying with the myriad manifestations of the non-Self. (Spiritual Instruction, Ch.2 Qns 2 and 3.)
For those who lack the taste for dwelling on the Self, He graciously accommodates all the traditional techniques of upasana like puja, stuti, japa, and dhyana, which make
the mind increasingly pure and thus prepare it to take up the Vichara Marga. The Mundaka Upanishad exhorts, 'Making the Pranava as the bow, the ego mind as the arrow and the Self as the target, a seeker must focus his entire attention upon hitting the target and becoming one with it through unrelenting practice. (Mundaka 2.2.4.)
contd.
Abhyasa:
continues.....
All spiritual sadhana can be summed up in two giant steps, namely, conquest of mind (mano nigraha, which is yoga) and its subsequent transcendence by Self abidance, through Knowledge (mano nasa, which is jnana), For as said by Swami Chinmayananda, Maya is but 'mind at play'. When Arjuna bewails the universal human plight that control of the mind is harder than controlling the wind, Lord Krishna, in His compassion, reveals to him the secret of complete mastery over the mind, namely, Abhyasa and Vairgaya. (BG 6,35). Sri Sankara defines in this context, abhyasa as 'the constant repetition, on the mental plane, of an idea regarding one and the same object-of-thought.(Sankara, BG Bhashya). Abhyasa consists in dwelling on the glory and nature of the Self (Svarupa Lakshanam), culminating in the practice of Self attention. Vairagya consists in recognizing the limitations of the non-Self, and by seeding its insubstantiality, thereby grow out of one's infatuation with the world. Vairagya is characterized by indifference towards the world, not hatred. (Sadhana Panchakam, Verse 4). For hatred binds one powerfully to the very object of hate. Being a negative attachment, it further feeds the ego and is harmful to sadhana. While discrimination (Viveka) plays a key role in engendering Vairagya, it is the yearning for liberation, (mumukshutvam) that fuels abhyasa.
The word Abhyasa derives from the root 'abhyas' meaning 'any exercise having the nature of repetition'. Thus deha-abhyasa means physical exercise, repeated over a a period of time, to strengthen the body. Sastra abhyasa means a consistent study of scriptures for a length of time to gain mastery over it. 'Abhyasa Yoga' recommended in Bhagavad Gita (12.9) is defined by Sri Sanakra as the 'practice of repeatedly fixing the mind on a single object by withdrawing it from everything else, leading to the absorption of the mind in its lakshya.' The river of mind flows in both channels, towards good is that which is guided by the channel of discrimination and culminates in Liberation. (Patanjali Yoga Sutra, 4.25. The one flowing towards evil perpetuates self ignorance and ends in transmigratory existence.
contd......
Abhyasa:
continues...
Yoga darsana, the philosophy of yoga, reveals to us that it is the samskaaras that drive us from birth to birth. We are often buffeted with pains and may sincerely believe that we are fed up with the worldly life with all its pursuit of pleasures, but the fact is, so long at the least samskara remains deeply buried in the subconscious psyche, we are not. Our compulsive urge to return and plunge 'one more last time' into the domain of sensory and emotional gratification
is far deeper than we realize. Beside it, our temporary fits of disgust and penitence, along with pious resolutions, count little.
This Catch 22 kind of human predicament was summed by in witty but matter of fact manner by Oscar Wilde, 'I can resist anything except temptation!' It is true, no doubt, that our intellectual appreciation of powerful Vedantic insights is itself is a quantum leap in our evolution and an essential pre-requisite, but it does not catalyze a qualitative transformation of the mind. Unless it is accompanied by abhyasa on a regular basis, taming the mind turns out to be chimerical. Scriptures and sages never tire of driving home the indispensability abhyasa at the level of practical sadhana.
Vairagya is not a grim, kill-joy self denial, let alone neurotic self torture. We should realize that we are hardly renouncing anything that we really need or want for our well being. Instead, we are freeing ourselves from all migratory needs. When Christ said, 'My yoke is easy, my burden is light', he perhaps hinted that the ordinary life of sense attachment is much more painful than the disciplines and practices (abhyasa) which will set us free. In the abhyasa of yoga, Patanjali, begins fittingly with the practice of ethical disciplines that inculcate universal values, (yama, niyama). This is followed by physical and mental sound conditioning (asana, pranayama), for a 'sound mind in sound body' is valuable aid. Breath control practices are only promote good health but also heal the miknd of its unconscious psychological wounds. It does so by cleaning the psychic channels through which the vital force circulates and maintains a harmonious flow (nadi shuddhi). Pranayama helps us to step back from the mind, develop a distance from it and thus weakens our inattentive identification.
continued.....
Abhyasa:
continues....
In the second stage (raja yoga), where we directly face the mind, traditional Vedantic insight is a valuable support. We are taught that all worldly issues have only fleeting relevance (being mithya) while Self Knowledge is liberating for ever. Withdrawal from all unnecessary external purusuits and endeavors (pratyahara) helps us conserve mental energy because attention is recognized as the pivot tool and cannot be frittered away on trivia. We should repeatedly focus our attention on the eternal. For devotee then, the focus of his attention of the mind (dharana) takes the form of his personal deity (ishta devata) either on Lord's divine form or the Name or the glories of and attributes of the godhead. He is gradually filled with divine remembrance in and through his daily life, 'practicing the presence of God' even in menial chores as did Brother Lawrence or Holy Mother Sarada Devi. When such intense god-consciousness permeates the seeker's life, meditation (dhyana) becomes effortless. This leads to the final stage, the celebrated samadhi practice of Ashtanga Yoga, a natural culmination of dhyana. What kind of
abhyasa can possibly there in samadhi, where all activities have ceased? Patanjali says, 'Practice consists in the effort at maintaining the steadiness of modification-less mind in the form of an unbroken flow of tranquility.' (ibid. 1.13. tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasa.)
continued.....
Friends,
An excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Wednesday, January 2, 1884
Rakhal, Latu, Harish, Ramlal, and M. had been staying with Sri Ramakrishna at the temple
garden. About three o'clock in the afternoon M. found the Master on the west porch of his
room engaged in conversation with a Tantrik devotee. The Tantrik was wearing an ochre
cloth. Sri Ramakrishna asked M. to sit by his side. Perhaps the Master intended to instruct
him through his talk with the Tantrik devotee. Mahima Chakravarty had sent the latter to
the Master.
MASTER (to the Tantrik): "It is a part of the Tantrik discipline to drink wine from a human
skull. This wine is called 'karana'. Isn't that so?"
TANTRIK: "Yes, sir."
MASTER: "But I cannot touch wine at all."
TANTRlK: "You have spontaneous Divine Bliss. One who enjoys that Bliss wants nothing
else."
MASTER: "I don't care for japa and austerity. But I have constant remembrance and
consciousness of God.
"Tell me, when they speak of the six centres, what do they mean?"
TAN'TRIK: "These are like different holy places. In each of the centres dwell Siva and
Sakti. One cannot see them with the physical eyes. One cannot take them out by cutting
open the body."
M. listened silently to the conversation. Looking at him, the Master asked the Tantrik
devotee, "Can a man attain perfection without the help of a vija mantra, a sacred word from
the guru?"
TANTRIK: "Yes, he can if he has faith-faith in the words of the guru."
The Master turned to M. and said, drawing his attention, "Faith!"
After the Tantrik devotee had taken his leave, Jaygopal Sen, a member of the Brahmo
Samaj, arrived. The Master talked with him.
MASTER (to Jaygopal): "One should not harbour malice toward any person or any
opinion. The believers in the formless God and the worshippers of God with form are all,
without exception, going toward God alone. The jnani, the yogi, the bhakta-all, without
exception, are seeking Him alone. The follower of the path of knowledge calls Him
'Brahman'. The yogi calls Him 'Atman' or 'Paramatman'. The bhakta calls Him 'Bhagavan'.
Further, it is said that there is the Eternal Lord and His Eternal Servant."
JAYGOPAL: "How can we know that all paths are true?"
MASTER: "A man can reach God if he follows one path rjghtly. Then he can learn about
all the other paths. It is like reaching the roof by some means or other. Then one is able
to climb down by the wooden or stone stairs, by a bamboo pole, or even by a rope.
"A devotee can know everything when God's grace descends on him. If you but realize
Him, you will be able to know all about Him. You should somehow meet the master of a
house and become acquainted with him; then he himself will tell you how many houses he
owns and all about his gardens and government seurities."
Namaskar.
Abhyasa:
continues.....
For a Jnana margi, abhyasa takes the traditional Vedantic route of sravana, manana, and nididhyasana. For a devotee of Bhagavan,treading the Vichara marga, as taught by Him, abhyasa is in the form of holding onto the Self, riveting all one's attention, to the Light of Consciousness shining as 'I-I', leaving behind all concepts born of the mind. (Guru Vachaka Kovai, Ed. David Godman, Verse 141.) Sadhana varies according to the temperament of the seekers, but as one advances, all paths (karma, bhakti, yoga and jnana etc., ) progressively shed their demarcations and fuse into a seamless whole. (Upadesa Undiyar, Verse 10).
Our spiritual energy is like a muscle; it grows stronger in proportion to its use. In all our spiritual sadhana thereforer, thje little daily effort is important.
Swami Vivekananda said, 'An ounce of daily practice is better than tons of theories.' Our habitual patterns of folly (viparita bhavana) lodged in the deeper layers of consciousness can be broken only by a diligent effort (abhyasa) and rarely, of at all, through a one-time exposure to higher truths, however subtle. Intellectual understanding of Vedantic nuances is more like a 'practice of rigorous science' but aligning the mind to live in conformity with such understanding is a 'far more tricky art' and a challenge, as it involves the radical transformation of the very personality. Educating the intellect is a cold, clinical, 'objective' experiment' and touches only the outer crust of our personality. But by living that Knowledge (Jnana), fusing it in the mind's crucible, the cerebral knowledge is transmuted into spontaneous wisdom. The former needs only intellectual sharpness but any 'subjective alchemy' requires abhyasa and vairagya. It is the litmus test that every seeker, who is a potential saint, must pass.
contd.,
Abhyasa:
continues.....
It serves no purpose to tell committed seekers that Truth is a pathless land, except perhaps to provoke the listener's mind and trigger an insight. For every seeker is traversing slowly a path, wittingly or otherwise. When he or she eventually realizes the Truth of the one who seeks, he would know that Truth was beside him all along, guiding and supporting him; that Truth alone manifested as the path. That Grace illumined his path in the beginning, middle and all the way till the end. (Lead kindly Light...one step enough for me.) that Truth alone ever is and the division of path and the goal was but a temporary artifice, a necessary scaffolding that is automatically dismantled once the purpose is fulfilled. Each mind has its own temperament and will gravitate to that path that suits it best. Great masters have profound compassion and a unifying vision which can encompass all paths, as they understand that the mind of each seeker is fluid and, like water, must find its own level. It requires a spiritual genius to synthesize the various notes of a symphony and recognize the value of every member of the divine orchestra (including even a dissonant note). for rigidity is stagnation, arising from a comparmentalized perspective. It is puerile to condemn any valuable aid or methodology in sadhana, just because it is negated in the realm of the absolute.
The Vedas proclaimed, 'Let noble thoughts come from all sides'. The historian Will Durrant pointed out that to reject a rich legacy without a commensurate profit is merely being churlish without reason, in revolt against a perennial tradition that offers an unimaginable embarrassment of riches to choose from.
Sage Ashtavakra declares inspirationally, 'If a man truly believes he is Brahman (understanding deeply all its implications) and hence ever free, and conducts oneself or lives as if he were already free, then he indeed becomes free ere long! (Ashtavakra Gita, Verse.1.11). Such indeed is the power of conviction and the power of abhyasa. (Nisargadatta Maharaj has been a classical example, in recent times, of such attainment). For such a conduct itself is an abhyasa of an intense kind. Buddha's very last words of advice in earthly life were, 'Strive after liberation with diligent practice.' Sri Ramakrishna said delightfully, 'Your self effort is akin to unfurling the sails, to catch the wind of Grace that is ever blowing gently.'
To paraphrase Sri Ramana's benign assurances, 'All your difficulties are only imagined. The thought of obstacle is itself the obstacle. For the obstacle does not lie outside. Simply drop all thought. Remain as you are, without allowing the ego to rise. Focus on the Self. Do not ever lose heart. Practice is necessary, there is Grace!'
concluded.
Does anyone know where all this informations of the blog below come from ?
http://chi-ting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/trouble-at-nunnery.html
On the Unreality of the World:
Alan Jacobs:
Mountain Path - Oct.Dec. 2009)
The Garland of Guru's Sayings ( Guru Vachaka Kovai), is a comprehensive collection of the Maharshi's sayings, composed and strung together by the great Tamizh Poet Muruganar. In Part I, 'An
Analysis of the Truth', there is a verse of striking and particular interest. It is Verse 69:
The world perceived by the poor jiva
Lapsed from its own Being true,
Buried in darkness, and believing
That it is but the body, alas,
The world thus seen is non existent;
Yes, it is indeed unreal.
(Prof. K. Swaminathan)
The thrust of this verse and those like it is underlined by the often quoted passage in Letters From Sri Ramanasramam, 24th August 1946:
Bhagavan: In the sadhak stage (the stage of being a spiritual seeker) you have got to say that the world is an illusion. There is no other way. When a man forgets he is Brahman, who is Real, permanent and omnipresent, and deludes himself into thinking that he is a body in the universe, which is filled with bodies, that are transitory, and labors under the delusion, you have got to remind him that the world is unreal and a delusion. Why? Because his vision which has forgotten its own Self, is dwelling in the external material universe. It will not turn inwards into introspection, unless you impress on him that this entire external universe is unreal. When once he realizes his own Self, he will come to look upon the whole universe mas Brahman. (See also Padamalai, ed.by David Godman, the chapter The Reality of the World Appearance.')
Like very many sadhakas I found it difficult to be totally convinced tat the world we perceive should be regarded as 'unreal'. I realized from reading Western Idealist Philosophy that the concepts of space, time, and causality are inherent in the organ of cognition,
and from Advaita, that the Self of Pure Consciousness falling on the 'ego' creates a mirrorization, on the screen of consciousness. On this reflection or world stage of space, time and causality, actions and pictures are projected. I also understood that quantum physics
has confirmed that what we see, feel, smell, touch and taste is not what it appears to be, but composed of subtle energies in constant flux and movement.
continued.....
On the Unreality of the World:
Alan Jacobs: continues.....
I studied many defintions of Maya found in the Hindu literature, but, it was not until I read the Advaita Bodha Deepika, a short work, highly spoken of by Sri Bhagavan, that I followed the complete logic of this point of view.
I summarize my findings from this book as follows, largely based and inspired by Chapter One of this marvelous treatise, entitled "On
Superimposition".
1. All is Absolute, pure, infinite Consciousness, non dual, Supreme Intelligence, the Self Existent Self or Brahman.
2. Maya or Illusion, the powers of veiling and projection are inherent powers in Brahman.
3. These powers manifest an apparent, but unreal Universe, Unreal because, it was NOT before manifestation and WILL NOT BE, after dissolution. Therefore, it is likened to a dream in the Supreme Intelligence or Mind of Brahman. It does not exist apart from Brahman. It could therefore be termed, a confusion between the Real and the Unreal, or neither Real nor Unreal, or both Real and Unreal. In the Vedanta metaphysics, the term Real is applied to the Immutable or Unchanging. The apparent world is constantly changing, in a state of flux, becoming and decaying, so it cannot be termed Real in this sense, where Brahman is immutable, unchanging, and eternal.
4. The ignorant 'Jiva' (the ajnani) or individual soul is reborn and dies continuously through many life times, until Self Realization. It carries forward from each life the seeds of many latent tendencies from previous lives, although its True Nature is also the Absolute Pure Consciousness of Atman Brahman. But because of the implicit Maya, projection and veiling, inherent in the Self of Pure Consciousness or Brahman, it identifies with its insentient body and creates a Universe from its latent tendencies (vasanas) through the mind (the organ of cognition, the brain and sensorial adjuncts).
The mind is a wondrous power in the Self. The world it sees, composed of latent tendencies, and thoughts is therefore of the nature of a dream, even hallucination, and may be termed 'unreal'.
5. The latent tendencies inherent in each Jiva at the time of each life are selected by Isvara, an
adjunct of Brahman, for its spiritual development. So all is benign, it is essentially based on
Love. This is stated in an answer to a question by Paul Brunton quoted in the book Conscious Immortality. Ch. 10.
contd.,
****
On the Unreality of the World:
Alan Jacobs:
continues....
6. The mind-body complex, personal individuality, other sentient beings, and the universe of multiplicity, are therefore a superimposition on the Self which is now living from reflected Consciousness, mirrored by egoism and the latent vasanas.
7. Through Grace, the jiva receives the teachings of Advaita from a Jnani, and when fit, through assimilation of this Knowledge and mental purification through right intellectual discrimination, spiritual practice and devotion, he or she is shown the way to awaken from from the dream of suffering and transient joy (samsara). The means are through Self enquiry into the Source of the ego, the Self and the illusory nature of the Universe; and unconditional surrender of the mind to the Self (the lotus feet of our immortal Sadguru, Sri Bhagavan, in the Heart).
8. At the same time one lives one's life as if it was real, knowing it to be unreal, and accepting all that happens as ultimately for the best.
9. When there is an awakening from the dream of life, the transmigration of the jiva is over. The immortal Self of infinite Consciousness realized directly and one lives from the state of 'sahaja') until the mind-body falls off in death, and one absorbed into the Brahman, -- the Infinite Consciousness, no longer a separate individual identified with its body-mind. All is the Self, and the world is seen to be real because its substratum is now known to be Brahman.
From this summary I began to see that just as our sleeping dreams at night, draw on experiences formed in the waking state to create them, there must be some material inborn in us, to create the dream of life. From the Adviata Bodha Deepika, it becomes clear that the vasanas or latent tendencies accumulated in previous life, are carried on into the next life and provide the material for the subsequent life dream to proceed, like a film in the cinematograph, projected onto the silver screen.
This is confirmed by Sri Bhagavan in an important passage of Talks No. 616, where He says: When the vasanas are projected from the heart, they are associated with the light of the Self and the person is said to think. The vasanas which lie embedded in an atomic condition, grow in size in their passage from the heart to the brain. The brain is the screen on which the images of the vasanas are thrown and it is also the place of their functional distribution. The brain is the seat of the mind, and the mind works through it.
Of course, this 'movie' is predetermined, by Isvara, from the vasanas, sankalpas, and vrittis, of past lives to create a film pre ordained for our spiritual development. This was told to Paul Brunton by Sri Bhagavan, as I previously quoted, and recorded in the book Conscious Immortality. So it eventually became clear to me why this life is composed from- 'We are such staff that dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep,' as Shakespeare in his esoteric masterpiece The Tempest (iv.i) had written.
I hope this short essay into a difficult metaphysical question may be helpful to seekers baffled by the problem of Maya and the world illusion.
Concluded.
****
Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Saivism:
John Grimes:
Advaita Vedanta philosophy is often spoken of as the crown of Upanishdadic thought based on Sri Sankara's commentaries that rendered mystical Upnishadic thought logically self consistent and rationally intelligible. Likewise, Kashmir Saivism is known as the most prominent philosophical system of the Tantric tradition led by Abhinavagupta extracting Tantric thought from a jungle of mystic, symbolic, and mysterious ideas presenting it in a rational, cogent and coherent manner. Many believe that India's two greatest philosophers were Sri Sankara and Abhinavgupta.
Both of these philosophical systems claim to be exponents of Advaita or Absolute Nonduality. Kashmir Saivism declares that there is
nothing that is not Siva (Siva bhokta, Siva bhojya and Siva karta, Sivah karma, Sivah maranatamakah) (Siva is the Subject of enjoyment, Siva is the object of enjoyment, Siva is the Doer, Siva is Action and Siva is the cause of action.
Advaita Vedanta declares that there is nothing that is not Brahman - sarvam khaluvidam Brahma.) Further
similarities coincide in that they both accept: a self luminous Self (Atman); that Reality is Consciousness (Chit); that the nature of Absolute is indeterminable and indescribable; that the world is an appearance (abhasa); that ignorance (ajnana) is the cause of bondage and that wisdom (Jnana) is the means of Self Realization; and there are jivan muktas or individuals -liberated while living in a body.
All these similarities are astonishing and, on the surface, would appear that the two schools of philosophy expound a similar doctrine. However, there is one important aspect in which they radically disagree. Advaita Vedanta views the world illusion as a superimposition (adhyasa) upon Brahman, while Kashmir Saivism holds that the world is a spontaneous self projection (svaprakasatva) of Siva. In other words, according to Advaita, the world is a thought to be neither real, nor unreal (sadasatvilakshana), a mere appearance, while Kashmir Saivism considers the world as a real projection of Siva.
continued.....
****
Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Saivism:
continues......
In the third, revised and enlarged edition of his book, Kashmir Saivism: The Central Philosophy of Tantrism, Kamalakar Mishra, presented a new chapter (chapter 11) comparing and contrasting Advaita Vedanta with Kashmir Saivism. His contention is that Kashmir Saivism has something significant to say to Advaita Vedanta to improve upon its philosophy and Advaita has something to say to Kashmir Saivism that will render it more complete.
The dilemma, that all philosophical systems must reconcile is, 'how to explain the seeming dichotomy between the absolute non duality and multiplicity.' Is multiplicity an illusion as Advaita claims or is multiplicity the spontaneous self projection of Siva and thus real?
It is crucial that one understands the distinction between the absolutely real (paramartika) and the empirically real (vyavaharika) points of view. This distinction pervades the entire system and what is true is from one point of view is not so from another. Without being entirely clear with regard to this distinction, it is likely that one will accuse the Advatin of inconsistencies and contradictions.
From the empirical point of view,
Advaita admits of numerous distinctions. Metaphysically, there is the problem of One and the many. Individuals are different from one another and there exists a seeming
plurality of things. Epistemologically, there is the subject-object as well as the problem of truth and error. Ethically, there is the problem of bondage and freedom. However, from the Advaitin's Absolute point of view, there is only Brahman / Atman -- One and non dual (ekam eva advitam). (Ch. Up. VI.ii.1)
The pluralism that is experienced at the empirical level, and with which philosophical enquiry commences, is not the final truth. Advaita avers that anything that is experienced is real, in some sense or other. Therefore, epistemology is realistic and posits that every cognition points to an objective referent -- whether veridical or
erroneous. The question becomes: Exactly HOW real are the things that are experienced in the empirical world? Sri Sankara avers that the things of the world are real only so long as the empirical order lasts for a given individual. 'The division of real and unreal depends upon knowledge or experience: That is real whose knowledge does not miscarry; the unreal on the contrary, is the object of a knowledge that fails or goes astray. (Bhagavad Gita Bhashya of Sankara, II.16). Also Brahma Sutra Bhashya II.i.2. and III. ii.4).
contd.,
Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Saivism:
continues.....
As a consequence of this, if the resulting knowledge is not later contradicted, it follows that the real is that which lasts or is eternal. According to Sankara, the real is that which lasts, which suffers no contradictions, which is eternal and unsublatable. Things of the world may be said to be real until they suffer sublation. Thus, they are called what is other than real or the unreal - sadasatvilakshana - illusory, mithya. Since they are cognized, they are not unreal (asat). Since
they are sublated, they are not real (sat). By this criterion Brahman alone is absolutely real. Brahman alone is never subject to contradiction. All else is considered real by courtesy only.
Mishra states, 'The basic criticism of the Advaita Vedanta position from the side of Kashmir Saivism is that the presupposition about action/activity with which the Advitin starts is one sided.' He says that four consequences follow from this presupposition. 1) Since action is a sign of imperfection, and since Brahman is perfect, there can be no action in Brahman. 2) Brahman being inactive, there can be no srshti-kriya in it and hence creation cannot be taken as the work of Brahman. 3) If creation is not the act of Brahman then how to
explain the creation of the world? 4) If the world is not an active creation of Brahman, then how to explain the sentences of Upanishads which clearly and explicitly created the world?
contd.,
****
Words, Words, Words...... Words about religion, cult. Words about words written, spoken, heard. Words defending words spoken, heard, written. Words fighting for space among other words. Words fighting to be heard. Words defining a person, nation, religion. Words twisted to suite our desires, hidden ambitions, lust, civilisation...
Words used to blow up simple, small, straight, innocent statements of Bhagavan. Words to describe his look, grace, compassion. Words used in desperation to "understand" what he is saying. Words trying to "simplify" what he told.
Words to describe his Silence......
Advaita and Kashmir Saivism:
continues....
The primary objection Advaitins has to such questions is that they claim their doctrine has not been correctly understood and that such objections are mere 'straw dogs', imaginary fantasies, that the opposition has conveniently set up and then attacked. Advaitins do not hold that action is NOT A SIGN OF IMPERFECTION. From their absolute perspective, action is non existent. Advaitin declares that nothing has ever been created. Finally, Advaitins contend that not all statements in the Sruti need be taken literally.
Sri Bhagavan Ramana replied, when asked how creation came about, 'Various accounts are given in books. But is there creation? Only if there is creation do we have to explain how it came about. (Day By
Day, 17.02.1946 afternoon.). There are diverse creation theories each seeking to explain or explain away creation. All such theories are mental, mere intellectual explanations. The Upanishads say about the Reality, "yato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha -- 'whence words return along with the mind, not attaining it." Each theory about creation may be considered true from the standpoint of an individual's thought, but there is no creation in the state of Realization. When one sees the world, one does not see the Self. When one sees the Self, the world is not seen.
Mishra points out that if the Advaitin proceeds from their presupposition that Brahman does not act, then by logical demand, they must come to the position that the world is a mere superimposition. He then goes on to say that such a position implies duality, -- on the one hand there is an actionless Brahman and on the other there is ignorance or Maya superimposing the world-appearance on Brahman. Mishra presents a view that is held by all Kashmiri
Saivites that avidya or Maya in an INDEPENDENT reality different from Brahman.
But is this really the Advaitin's position? A projection upon a substratum, a snake upon the rope, has no existence apart from the substratum.(rope). Never is the snake other than the rope; never is the superimposed other than the substratum. Silver is not apart from the oyster shell. The mirage is not a part from the desert. Likewise, the world of phenomena is not other than the Self. Is there now, was there ever, will there be, a snake in the rope? Water in a mirage? To equate an unreal experience as a second to Brahman, is misunderstanding. There is no rope, there is no snake, there is no real world-as-world for the Mukta.
Mishra says that if the non duality of Brahman is to be saved, the world-appearance must be taken as THE SELF PROJECTION OF BRAHMAN and NOT AS A SUPERIMPOSITION ON BRAHMAN. But for the Advaitin, there is no world appearance that must be saved. Need one save the objects that appear in dream? Need one save the water in the mirage or the snake in the rope? Advaita's position is that there is nothing to be projected, nothing to be transformed and to suggest such does violence to Advaita's position.
In order to realize that one is really Brahman, one must accept the world as unreal. Why? Sri Bhagavan said: 'For the simple reason that unless you give up the idea that the world is real you mind will always be after it. If you take the appearance to be real, you will never know the real itself, although it is the real alone which exists. The point is illustrated by the analogy of the snake and the rope. While you imagine that the rope is a snake you cannot see the rope as a rope. The non existent snake becomes real to you, while the real rope seems wholly non existent as such. (Maharshi's Gospel, Book 2, Chapter III, 'The Jnani and the World.
continued....
****
Advaita and Kashmir Saivism:
continues....
Mishra says that the Advaitin may reply that moolaavidya is the power of (Sakti) of Iswara and that the world appearance is a self projection of Iswara through this maya sakti. But then Saivite asks, how does Brahman become Isvara? He replies that Brahman cannot become Iswara because there is no kriya sakti in Brahman. Thus duality will remain. There will now be Brahman and Iswara. Thus the question still remains for the Advaitin how the formless (nirguna) become that of saguna (with form)?'
In every philosophical debate, the proponent of a particular position, wants to play his own turf, that is, to get the opponent to accept his presupposition. However, when the opponent refuses to accept the proponent's presupposition, and instead offers his own, then any conclusions which are formulated will change. The Siddhanta, the final position of Advaita Vedanta, is that nothing has ever happened. An example offered is that of the experiences and objects encountered in one's dreams. Upon waking, no one will say that they really performed the actions or encountered any objects that were experienced while dreaming. It is true that, while dreaming, the dreamer believes the experiences and objects to be real, but upon waking the dreamer says that it was all an illusion, an appearance with no existential reality.
Mishra contends that Advaita Vedanta can contribute three important metaphysical points to Kashmir Saivism for its completion. 10 Kashmir Saivism should explicitly and clearly accept the distinction between the two levels of of reality, paramartika and vyavaharika; 2) Kashmir Saivism should formulate a clear theory of ignorance - avidya, in order to explain how the illusory "becomes" real; 3) Kashmir Saivism should accept the distinction between the real (permanent) nature and the accidental nature of reality - Siva - what in the Advaita tradition is called the distinction between the
Swarupa Lakshnam and the tatastha lakshanam of Brahman.
Every form of Advaita or Absolute Non Duality, has to accept two levels in one and the same reality (the absolute and relative). Without this distinction there is no way to relate the seeming plurality with the One. Plurality has to be accepted as the apparent /illusory appearance of the One that is Real. When Kashmir Saivism claims that plurality is a self projection of Siva, and is real, then logical difficulties arise. It a table as table is real and Siva has self projected Himself as the table, the concept of real has real consequences. This necessarily implies that Siva may never 'get back to being Siva.' It is only when the table is concealment, a temporary covering (abhasa) of the Real, that the underlying reality is not competing with another reality.
continued...
Arunachala Siva.
Shrini, Thanks for your heart felt comment, so true.
Shrini/Friends,
An excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
The Master continued: "There is nothing in mere scholarship. The object of study is to find
means of knowing God and realizing Him. A holy man had a book. When asked what it
contained, he opened it and showed that on all the pages were written the words 'Om
Rama', and nothing else.
"What is the significance of the Gita? It is what you find by repeating the word ten times. It
is then reversed into 'tagi', which means a person who has renounced everything for God.
And the lesson of. the Gita is: 'O man, renounce everything and seek God alone.' Whether a
man is a monk or a householder, he has to shake off all attachment from his mind.
"Chaitanyadeva set out on a pilgrimage to southern India. One day he saw a man reading
the Gita. Another man, seated at a distance, was listening and weeping. His eyes were
swimming in tears. Chaitanyadeva asked him, 'Do you understand all this?' The man said,
'No, revered sir, I don't understand a word of the text.' 'Then why are you crying?' asked
Chaitanya. The devotee said: 'I see Arjuna's chariot before me. I see Lord Krishna and
Arjuna seated in front of it, talking. I see this and I weep.'
Namaskar.
Friends,
You may like to check out this song -Bina prem dheraj nahi from the film 'swami vivekananda'(1998) by G V Iyer.Please check:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef_Z7Dwu9ss
The Film is in Hindi and is hardly passable.Yet the song with the lyrics by Gulzar sung by the inimitable Jesudas and set to music by the supremely gifted salil chowdhury is quite stirring.
Film makers have no clue when it comes to filming Great ones and end up in clumsy portrayal.The Hindi language also lacks the smooth and sweet flow of Bengali and the band of fops sitting around the central characters of Sri Ramakrishna and Naren detract from the setting.
G V Iyer should have known that Sri Ramakrishna's eyes in Samadhi seemingly look at the tip of his nose and not get lost behind the eyelids.
Watch out for the comment that appears towards the end of the song-someone has voiced out like our friend Shrini here!
I will any day recommend the wonderful Bengali movie-Bireswar vivekananda in Black and white;Our friend s brought it to my attention and this is quite a sensitive and authentic portrayal.
Please check:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYjhmBoSQlA
In this 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda,it augurs well to recall the spirited and inspiring life of Swamiji,and this film will prod one to do this.
What a Great soul!
Namaskar.
salutations to all:
had a good laugh seeing Shrini use nearly seven dozens of words to express the futility of words! :-))) oh yes, isn't there that bliss beyond all words, peace that passeth all understanding? perhaps yes! perhaps no!! so long as there are thoughts, i guess, words simply have to be! until then, language does seem indispensable. a poignant illustration of how wonderful can language be, and not mere meandering, can be discovered in the beauty of mathematics (very very unlike the speculations of philosophy!!) :-)
Shrini,
be reasonable! no one wants to do as Ramana asks.
"As thoughts arise they should be destroyed then and there in the very place of their origin, through inquiry."
Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Saivism:
continues.....
Mishra points out that although the word abhasa means something illusory, Abhinavagupta calls this illusion real (satya). It is pointed out that Abhinavagupta never meant to suggest that objects in the world, table-qua-table, etc., are real. The posited that appearances as appearances are real
-- that is, they are projections of
Consciousness that are experienced.
He also defined abhasa as real in the sense that all physical appearances are active self projections/self creations of Consciousness, and not mere superimposition. Finally, Abhinavagupta gave abhasa an aesthetic value in that those individuals who experience objects derive pleasure and joy from the experience.
Mishra points out that there are instances where Abhinavagupta has argued, like Gaudapada or Sri Ramana Maharshi, that there is really no bondage, no liberation, no birth, no death -- from the point of view of Siva. However, this aspect of Kashmir Saivism, is rarely mentioned due to the fear that people, upon hearing it, would misunderstand and thereby do no sadhana let alone help others in the seeming world.
Mishra also speaks of the Advaitin's doctrine of svarupa lakshana and the tatastha lakshana.
According to Advaita, knowledge may be viewed in two aspects: the empirical and the metaphysical. Metaphysically, the fundamental
essence of knowledge (svarupa jnana) is Pure Consciousness beyond the relative duality of the knower and the known. It is self luminous (svayam jyoti) and self existence (svayam siddha). It IS the non relational, non dual Reality. It is not an aspect of, nor an attribute of pure Consciousness. Empirical or relative knowledge on the other hand, is an expression of Pure Consciousness through a mental mode (antahkarana vritti) of a cognizer. This empirical knowledge takes various relational forms according to the nature of the object, i.e. internal cognitions (subjective) that are psychological and external sense perceptions (objective) which are psycho-physical.
Mishra points out that the creation, in Kashmir Saivism is the very nature of Siva. If creation is the svarupa of Siva (like Consciousness and Bliss), then it is necessarily follows that Siva cannot be free from creation, cannot be without creation, as it is Siva' very nature. Yet, the very nature of Siva demands He is free to create or not create and even to be without creation if He chooses. Further if creation is the svarupa of Siva, then Siva would not be absolute non duality but would be unity in difference (visishtadvaita). These problems can be overcome by elucidating a doctrine like Advaita's svarupa lakshana and tatastha lakshana.
Kamalakar Mishra's Kashmir Saivism: The Central Philosophy of Tantrism, is a very well written and extremely thought provoking book. In this work, Mishra has expounded and explored the central themses (history, epistemology, Siva-Sakti, Sakti, creation, abhasavada, problem of evil, concept of pratyabhijna, (self recognition), bondage, liberation, means to moksha, the left handed doctrine or kaula sadhana and sexual sublimation) found in Kashmir Saivism. This latest edition contains a chapter, Kashmir Saivism vis-a-vis Advaita Vedanta, and it is this chapter that provoked this paper. In this chapter Mishra has shown how the two philosophical schools of Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Saivism are really not so far apart and if one finds what is implicit in some of their doctrines and renders them explicit, such an endeavor will prove extremely rewarding.
concluded.
Seeing the Light:
Ananda Wood.
Mountain Path, Advent, 2007)
Is the mind a computer? In a way it is.
As attention turns from one thing to another, changing pictures come and go. This is a surface show of mind, a bit like computer screen. Beneath the surface, our minds store data, and process it for display, like a computer does. The results are shown in changing pictures and appearances, seen at the surface of each mind.
Thus we may think of mind as complex process of activity: recording, organizing and displaying information. Most of the activity is hidden, but it produces the appearances we see. The hidden part is called 'unconscious.'
This way of looking at the mind is quite ancient. Today's computers are a recent offshoot, from a very much older approach to the question of intelligence. In India, that approach was much developed by Buddhist schools of thought. They point out that the mind is changing and impermanent. It is part of an objective world whose objects change and pass away. This is an objective view. It is meant to cultivate detachment: from one's mind and personality, and from their biased views of world.
But mind can also be approached subjectively. Instead of outwardly, describing it, as an objective process in the world, we can enquire back into the Consciousness that it expresses, in our direct experience.
In each picture or appearance, Consciousness is present. Without its light nothing can appear. The pictures come and go. But they are illuminated by a consciousness in each of them. As they change and vary it remains. As a persisting background that continues through the changes and variations of all picturing. In short, it is a screen on which all pictures must appear.
However, this is not a screen that transmits or reflects light. As Consciousness it IS light. What kind of light is it? How can it be rightly known, beneath all pictures that we see?
These questions are investigated in what Sri Ramana Maharshi calls Atma Vichara or self enquiry. He points out that consciousness cannot be found by any theoretical arguments in the pictures that cover it. To know it rightly, one has to be oneself beneath the covering. There is consciousness is one's own self/ It is known by BEING IT oneself. It is one's real self, where knowing and being are the same.
That truth of self is known immediately; not through our minds and bodies, but beneath the pictures that they see. Seen indirectly, through physical and mental perception, it is obscured by false assumptions that are ingrained in our pictures of ourselves and of the world.
contd.,
*****
SEEING LIGHT:
continues.....
In particular, we habitually assume that consciousness is a personal activity which perceives objects, thinks thoughts and feels emotions.
This is a changing activity, carried out by our bodies and minds. It produces the changing pictures that come and go in our experience.
But consciousness is not this personal activity that fabricates out changing pictures.
This activity can't be expressed by itself. Nor can its made up pictures. In order to appear, all activities and pictures must be lit by consciousness. It is the light that carries on, ever present through all pictures and activities.
Thus consciousness is not a picture, nor an object in our pictures, not a physical or mental activity. Instead, it is what lights all pictures, objects and activities. It is pure light, which knows, unmixed with changing things that come and go before its changeless light.
And yet, in the pictures that we see, the light of consciousness seems mixed, with changing qualities and names and forms. How does this happen? How are the changing pictures drawn, on the unchanging screen of consciousness that lights them up from underneath?
What draws the pictures that is called 'life'. The screen of light beneath is not a lifeless object. It is the living source of all experience. As underlying consciousness, it is inherently expressed in all the pictures that we say. They are inspired by it, from within.
That's what makes them come alive.
Thus, all our physical and mental pictures show nothing else but consciousness. It is the unformed light of which all forms are made.
And it's the living meaning that is expressed by all names. Sri Ramana Maharshi put is very simply in Reality in Forty Verses, Verse 1.
Names and forms are picturing.
The one who sees, the light
and the pictured covering;
all of these are one reality.,
and that alone.
concluded.
In India today, Vivekananda is revered as a saint. In the west he is virtually unknown.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21045281
SEEING LIGHT:
continues...
In particular, we habitually assume that consciousness is a personal activity, which perceives objects, thinks thoughts, and feels emotions. This is a changing activity, carried out by our bodies and our minds. It produces the changing pictures that come and go
in our experience.
But consciousness is not this personal activity, that fabricates our changing pictures.
This activity cannot be experienced by itself. Nor can its made-up pictures. In order to appear, all activities and pictures must bed lit by consciousness. It is the light that carries on, ever present, through all pictures, and activities.
Thus Consciousness is not a picture, nor an object in our pictures, not a physical or mental activity. Instead, it is what lights all pictures, objects and activities. It is pure light, which knows all our experiences. It is that which knows, unmixed with changing things, that come and go before its changeless light.
And yet, in the pictures that we see, the light of consciousness seems mixed, with changing qualities and names and forms. How does this happen? How are the changing pictures drawn, or the unchanging screen of consciousness that lights them is from underneath?
What draws the picture is called 'life'. The screen of light beneath is not a lifeless object. It is the living source of all experience. As underlying consciousness, it is inherently expressed in all the pictures that we see. They are inspired by it, from within.
That is what makes them come alive.
Thus, all our physical and mental pictures, show nothing else but consciousness. It is the unformed light of which all forms are made. And it is the living meaning that is expressed by all names. It is both that which knows and the reality that is known. Sri Ramana Maharshi puts it very simply in Reality in Forty Verses, Stanza 1.
Names and forms are picturing.
The One who sees, the Light
and the pictured covering:
all of these are one reality,
and that alone.
concluded.
Arunachala Siva.
This site looks at Swami Vivekananda from a different angle .
http://vivekanandayb.blogspot.in/
The Quest - Sadhana:
Lucia Osborne:
Chapter XIV:
(From Mountain Path, Jayanti 2003.
(I have been giving this article of Lucia Osborne, continuously once in every month, as and when latest Mountain Path is made available.)
Sadhana has become easier and simpler in this age of dissolution and darkness, Kali Yuga, particularly so after Ramana Maharshi shed His body. People young and old are coming. The place is vibrating with His Presence. Ramana-Arunachala-Siva are one. The Biblical saying, 'Blessed are those who have seen and believe but more blessed are those who have not seen and believe' applies here. Those who are not advanced or simple enough to be awakened to the presence of the living inner Guru Ramana turn to Arunachala, the physical form of Siva, the holy Hill and center from which emanates the Grace and guidance of Sri Ramana invisible and all permeating.
The power of Arunachala is so great and yet so subtle that people are drawn to it without compulsion from near and far as if by some invisible magnet. It is HOME. In our embodied existence, we have forgotten our divine right. Arunachala is a mighty signpost to shake us up and arouse us from our delusion and self complacency, from the enticement of comfort and pleasure hunting, a sign post that points beyond our earthly entanglement towards Infinite which is our origin. Not many are there whom the call has reached and even fewer who have awakened to the living inner Guru in their own heart, always present, the surest of guides, their own Self, and so some turn to devious ways. Perhaps in this age, people are reached through their imperfections. Those who are sincere and steady will ultimately find the right path and true Guru.
Sri Ramana Maharshi's teaching is direct and simple. His greatest impact is in Silence, now as before, even more so now if we turn to Him and invoke His guidance and help. 'I am not this body,', He kept on reminding us. 'I am in the inner most heart of all beings,' always with us waiting......
Question: Does my realization help others?
Bhagavan: Yes, certainly. It is the best help possible. But really there are no others to help, for a Realized Being sees only the Self, just as goldsmith, estimating the gold in various jewels, sees only the gold, Separate forms and being exist only so long as you identify yourself with the body. When you transcend this identification others disappear along with your body consciousness. (Talks No. 13).
Question: Isn't necessary that saints should mix with people and be helpful to them?
Bhagavan: The Self alone is the Reality. The world and the rest of it are not. The Realized Man does not see the world as different from himself.
Question: Then does a man's realization lead to the uplift of mankind without their being aware of it?
Bhagavan: Yes, The help is imperceptible but is still there. A Realized Man helps the whole of mankind although they do not know it.
Question: Wouldn't be better if he mixed with others?
Bhagavan: There are no others to mix with. The Self is the One and only Reality. (Talks No. 20).
'The Sage attends to the inner and not to the outer; he puts away the objective and holds to the subjective. The Sage conveys instruction without words, Who is there that can make muddy water clear? But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself. All things in nature work silently. Tao is eternally inactive. And yet it leaves nothing undone.....' (Lao Tzu)
'In the beginning was Allah and nothing beside Him and now He is as He was, (The Koran).
I know that I exist, then who am I?'. It struck like lightning.
continued......
The Quest - Sadhana -
continues....
One may hear the same words repeatedly and understand them intellectually and suddenly, they strike one, I repeat, like a lightning flash of living Truth. So now Sadhana has become as simple as that: the limited, vulnerable, insecure, I am, reaches out to its own perfect, infinite, sublime Self, I AM - I AM, to realize ultimately that there was never any separation. This cannot be repeated too often. The wonder of it.
concluded.
shankar,
I glanced through the Blog that says:
"Entire net is full of stories about the great preachings of Swami Vivekananda. Craze makes people to ignore facts and truths. People believe what they want to believe, rather than what is factual and truth. I invite your questions on SWAMI VIVEKANANDA. You will get a reply which is based on some common sense and hardwork."
I am reminded of the story of samuel Johnson and the Dictionary;a Lady accosted samuel Johnson enquiring why the dictionary he helped compile contained 'Dirty words'.Samuel Johnson Replied'Lady,You have been looking out for them'.
If 'common sense' and 'Hardwork' simply means looking for such a 'perspective',we will certainly find it.
I was mightily amused at this 'common sense' guy writing on Swami Vivekananda spending USD300 on a expensive suit and azhasingha perumal having to marshal all his resources to support the swami with that money;as if wearing a suit is a fanciful indulgence by the Swami that he could have very well avoided,he being a 'swami'.
The intention of this writer is clear;it is not that of someone who is wanting to understand the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda in an unbiased manner.
His only aim is to debunk the 'Belief' system of others and he has gone to great lengths and invested 'time' which he deems as 'Hardwork'.
One hopes that this 'Hardwork' will continue in the true sense and despite himself,he may chance to come upon something that may make him pause,reflect and suspect that there may be something deeper than 'common sense and Hardwork'.
Namaskar.
Fullness and Stillness:
(Mountain Path, Deepam, 2012)
When we look at Arunachala, what exactly do we see? We notice an imposing Hill, that takes a distinctive character with each new angle of observation. When we gaze a photo of Sri Bhagavan or sit at His Samadhi what is it that we observe? We may see a benign or majestic image or observe a shrine that has a calm presence and seems to throw off a subtle light. In all of these moments, we think of ourselves as different from what we see and experience. There is an apparent sense of separation maintained by space and time. We know we are in the presence of something significant but it is unmanifest. However, we scrutinize it, it eludes our understanding. We cannot put our finger on it. It is mysterious, frustrating and yet, ultimately reassuring.
There is a celebrated mantra in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad:
Om puramadah purnamidam purnat
purnam udacyate
Purnasya puranmadaya purnam
evavasiyate.
Translated literally it says: That (unmanifest) is whole and perfect. This (unmanifest) is whole and perfect, because this whole has come out of that whole. Even on taking out the whole form the whole what remains is still whole.
(Verse v.i.i.)
The word purna is repeated in almost every compound. Purnam has a wide range of meanings in English. Whole, Complete, Perfect. It sums up in one word the nature of Reality which is both unmanifest as well as manifest. We can neither add nor subtract from it. In the presence of Arunachala or Sri Bhagavan, we experience Purna. Even when we appear to be separate we experience Purna. Neither the unmanifest nor the manifest affect the sense of wholeness.
This is all very well but how do we make sense of it in our lives when we witness discord and a sense of incompleteness? How do we reconcile the value of physical proximity tp Arunachala and the Asramam and the fact that many of us cannot be there, due to family or work commitments? It appears we are leading a double life. Are we fooling ourselves"? Is the statement Arunachala and Bhagavan are everywhere a placebo with which we deceive ourselves?
First we need to understand what exactly Arunachala and Bhagavan are. Let us leave aside the physical differences which make each an individual entity. At the most basic level, we are not a bunch of rocks whose geographical coordinates are in South India. WE are not Sri Ramana Maharshi, a south Indian sage who lived at such and such a time. We are investigating what we have in common with both. Our conclusion is that our identification with them is on an unmanifest level where there is no sense difference. In brief, we could say that we are modifications of the same Consciousness. What we seek in them is a continuation of our own wholeness. By gazing at them, we are looking into a pure mirror that reflects wholeness. No wonder we cannot get enough.
continued...
Fullness and Stillness:
continues......
Though we experience fullness in their presence it seems never enough because we move away either in mind or body. We also miss the point. We mistakenly want to take on the attributes of Arunachala or Sri Bhagavan. We sing in praise of them, we identify with them and we are assuaged temporarily but it will never be sufficient. In the background, it seems there is always that sense of incompleteness. Whatever is manifest, changes and when nothing apparently remains the same, how do we secure it so that we can remain the whole, purna? The answer is
obvious, we can't. There is no instrument of our mind which can stick it down till it can't move. And if we do it is inert. There is no fool-proof certificate declaring we have got it. In this world we are continually in a state of flux. When we mistake the manifest for that which is unmanifest we are ignorant and suffer. Instead of living in the moment, we accumulate, be it experiences, facts, places, people, money, power, fame, stamps. The list is potentially endless.
Maya is the concept used in Advaita to explain the inexplicable and subtle change in the changeless which brings about the appearance of the world. Advaita says the manifest appearance is an illusory form of Brahman. That there is no differences, there is no change, it is merely a fantasy. In other words, we have deluded if we think we can own or contain that which is so subtle it is beyond any conception. (Kena Upanishad I-3).
In our world of manifestation is there any form which approximates purna? Is there a lifeline which can remove us from our limited vision or are we doomed to be casual recipients of our fate due to blind chance? Stillness is the closest approximation or attribute we can conceive of that purna. The serene stillness (achala) of that red Hill of tejas (fire, light, heat) we call Arunachala. The motionless bindu, point, from which radiates the perpetual movement of Lord Nataraja's cosmic dance. The still empty center of the wheel as it turns. But we should remember these are all all analogies and not the thing in itself. For if we can conceive of something as rigid it means it is limited.
continued....
****
Fullness and Stillness:
continues....
We come to realize that we are not looking for the target to aim our thoughts, we are the target. Our mind and body are an effect not a cause. We are not doing, rather something is being done to us. By identification with our mind, which is a factory of thought, we are already frozen in time and space. Knowing the coordinates of our location and shapes does not mean we know who we are. In the same way, it does not matter how much we accumulate knowledge, the information, already lifeless unless it is used to point to something beyond itself. We are like the thief in Sri Bhagavan's analogy who turns into a policeman to catch himself. (Can the phenomenal mind be reasonably conceived as transcending the phenomenal plane of existence and ascending to the transcendental plane? The phenomenal mind, according to the Buddhist philosophy, is not one permanent identical reality, but a temporary continuity of momentary units. How can it transcend time? How can it possibly exist by being free from its essential transient nature. If that which sustains its continuity is destroyed, it must as a matter of course cease to exist, and there would be no entity to attain Nirvana and enjoy its peace and tranquility. - Philosophy of Goraknath by Akshay Kumar Banerjee, Coombe Springs Press, 1983.)
How do we turn around and catch ourselves?
We can do so by stillness. Not by reaching for some panacea, nor by possessing an idea or mood but by waiting. When Sri Bhagavan says Summa Iru, Just Be, as upadesa it means not only BE but can also mean WAIT. Wait and see. It implies a pause. The sign of maturity in a sadhaka is the ability to wait and not just grab whatever is in front of him for instant gratification. Do we desperately need the new gadget, car, clothes? Are we so frantic we cannot pause for the last person to join the dinner table? Are we so insecure, we cannot wait until the other person has completed his sentence before speaking? Is that book so important we want it just because of an impulse? Can we not wait that one
extra minute?
This ability to wait gives us the space to allow possibilities to arise. Instead of forcing the issue we wait and see what turns up. We are attentive, curious, and calm. It is a perfect posture of mind.
Arthur Osborne said it perfectly in his poem 'Be still, it is the Wind
that sings.'
continued.....
Friends,
The Ramana Ashram website has now uploaded all the past issues of Mountain Path from 1964 to 2010.
This is in pdf format and is offered by the Ashram as a free download.
The Ashram also brings out a monthly news letter - Saranagathi. This can also be down loaded from their website.
The website for those who may not know is :
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/
Would any of you know whether these downloaded Mountain Path pdf files can be read in a Amazon kindle or alternatively in a Tablet PC or a smart-phone ?
Thank you,
shiv
FULLNESS AND STILLNESS:
continues......
Though a particular time and place can help us to be still there is no
monopoly. Although Arunachala and Sri Bhagavan are associated with Tiruvannamalai, it would be a mistake to think that you can 'find' it nowhere else. By the mysteries of the universe it so happened it easier there geographically but not absolutely essential, for what Arunachala is, and who Sri Bhagavan is, are not dependent on a certain place and time. To do so would limit them. It we hold on to the thread of their image or follow Sri Bhagavan's instruction to find out who we are by asking Who am I? we will be automatically pulled back inside into the Hridayam, the Heart. They are portals, they invite you and then, by that inscrutable power we call grace, they create space for us to see. What we need to do in stillness is to be absorbed in that silence. To receive not to take. To be used not to use.
We are like the scientists who in the depths of an abandoned mine create unsophisticated laboratories free from as much as interference as possible to catch, with the most sensitive instruments, particles of dark energy that pass through the earth. They can detect them in a complete vacuum shorn of all noise, visual and aural. In the same way we patiently wait to in the clean silence of the Heart.
Bhagavan wrote: ....'Since that Reality abides without thought in the Heart, how and by whom can it, called the Heart, be thought of? Know that the only way to meditate on that Absolute Reality is to abide thought-free and continuously in the Heart." (Ulladu Narpadu, Benedictory verse 1).
With all our efforts in developing right ethics, right food, right livelihood, right companions, right thoughts, right emotions, it so happens it is easier to 'catch' the thread, the sense of 'I' which leads us back to the Hridayam, the point where we feel no sense of difference, purna. All we do is a means to that end.
concluded.
The Concept of Kaivalya in Yoga:
(Mountain Path, Jayanti, 2013.)
I.S. MADUGULA.
The notion of kaivlaya (perfection) in Patanjali Yoga Sutras is regarded as being the highest good of the yoga philosophy. The Yogi's kaivalya is comparable to the advaitins concept of mukti or moksha (liberation, self knowledge, enlightehment) in terms of meaning as well as methodology. These two states of self realization denote a distinction, not a difference.
The Yoga Sutra defines kaivalya in the last aphorism of the last chapter. (IV.34). It is a spiritual state in which the power of Pure or Universal Consciousness is established in itself (svarupa pratishtha). The aspirant, at this point, has cleaned himself or herself all mental modifications by recognition and detachment from the unconscious identification with the gunas (his behavioral attributes). In computer language, we may say that the practitioner returns to his default mode, which is absolute freedom, or divine solitude.
Apte's Sanskrit Dictionary describes kaivalya as 'perfect isolation, soleness, exclusiveness;
individuality; detachment of the soul from matter, identification with supreme spirit; final emancipation or beatitude'.
According to Monier Williams, the term means 'absolute unity; abstraction; detachment from all other connections, detachment of the soul from matter or further transmigration, beatitude.' Note that the noun form kaivalya derives from the adjective kevala, meaning, alone, mere, sole, only, isolated. Kaivalya then is absolute or perfect individuality. By practicing kaivlayam, the Yogi transforms his her mortality into
divinity.
Obviously, the yoga implied here is not ordinary loneliness or isolation. It is perfect isolation wherein the human spirit is finally in its own element in a beatific state and where mundane tribulations vanish. The yogi, has, with years of practice, sharpened his body and mind and all his intellectual faculties to a fine degree, taking physical and mental discipline to the ultimate level.
The philosophy of Samkhya Yoga conceives of an eternal dualism of Purusha and Prakriti and the yogi, through various physical and mental practices, unravels his spirit from the shackles of of matter and unites it with God. The premise is that the world is full of sorrow and deprivation to the thinking person, because change, anxiety, and desire are inherent in it. The yogi's aim is to improve his human condition, to free himself of all limitations innate to human existence. (Yoga Sutra II,15).
continued.....
The concept of Kaivalya in Yoga.
continues.......
"The man when freed from all vehicles remain in his own called Swarupa....
"But when the man is not in his form (Swarupa), he functions naturally in the lower vehicles...whether it is buddhis, ahamkaric, or mamasic matter.
"The human consciousness, in whatever lower body it may function, is always a dual consciousness ---- it must be alternately pleasurable or painful. Pleasure and pain are the marks of consciousness functioning in chitta (mind or mental modifications). The Swarupa consciousness alone is above all pains." (Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, tr. by Rama Prasada, Munishiram Manoharlal, New Delhi).
The Yoga Sutra lays down very strict and detailed instructions an how to go from being an ordinary mortal to an accomplished yogi.
Patanjali's second aphorism defines yoga as nirodha ('restraint'), a term derived from the Sanskrit root, yuj, which includes 'trance' or samadhi among its multiple senses. The popular explanation of that yoga is a discipline that 'yokes' or unites the human spirit with the Divine is also covered by the root. The main theme of Patanjali's treatise, as discussed in Chapter 1 (samadhi pada), is nirodha -- 'restraint of mental modifications'. The entire practice consists of nirodha all the way up to the attainment of kaivalya.
The student learns what the mental modifications and their components are and how they affect the cognition of objects. He is told that the two major tools he needs to master are abhyasa (relentless practice) and vairagya) (total detachment). The highest form vairagya will be attained when one will realize his separatness from Prakritic vehicles -- when he can say, 'I am not the body, or desire, or mind or reason or I-ness. Success is proportionate to the effort. But there may be short cut to success 'by feeling the omnipresence of God - Iswara pranidhana, who is also the teacher of ancient and whose symbol is the pranava, Om.
God removes all the obstacles and inculcates an understanding of the Self in the student. The student should continue to practice all the moral virtues and be steadfastly established in them -- pratishtha. He or she will find breath control also very helpful in steadying the mind and training it in desirelessness. Simpler still, he can just meditate any way, that he wishes. (Yoga Sutra I,39). Then, with all its distracting modifications removed the mind becomes clear like a pure crystal and, with further practice, the student progresses through the stages of savitarka, nirvitarka, savichara, nirvichara, and sabija to the ultimate nirbija or samadhi. (seedless absorption). With continued and unmitigated attention to union with Purusha (Ultimate Reality), the purified individual midn 'inclines towards discrimination', and (i.e. between Purusha and his own material nature) 'and gravitates towards absolute independence (kaivalya) (IV, 26), after the last lingering layer of residual mental impressions has been obliterated.
continued.....
The concept of Kaivalya Yoga:
continues.....
It may be noted here that Bhagavan, very often referred to His audiences to the Tamizh work Kaivalya Navaneetam, to underscore the significance of the power of consciousness that is established in itself. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi cites some ten references to it. (Talks # 95, as an example).
The actual eight fold path and its components are enumerated in Chapter 2 of (sadhana pada), which we will now look at from Adi Sankara's point of view.
In a tacit acknowledgement of the popularity of yoga, Sankara discusses its well known steps in a re-interpreted fifteen part programme, in Aparokshanubhuti 100. (The steps are listed in Verses 102-103.) We will briefly summarize the parts here:
Sankara's programme posits Brahman as the ground to be realized with long practice. Patanjali's yama is for Sankara, the restraining of all the senses with the thoughts that 'All this is Brahman[. The continuous focus on a single thought is said to be niyama -- and not as in the case of Patanjali, internal and external purification, contentment and Vedic study. Then there is tyaga or renunciation of the illusory world. Silence is to be pursued next as a means of delving into the Self, where it is a natural commitment. Since we cannot conclusively define even the phenomenal world (does it exist, really, and in what sense?), it is best we adopt an attitude of Silence towards it, as well.
Brahman also is known as space and time, because it can create the whole universe in the blink of an eye. The best asana (yogic posture) is one whee one is most comfortable in deep meditation. One particular posture, the moolabandha, is recommended because it symbolizes the root of everything, Brahman.
The limbs, when held in equipoise, help in all spiritual practice. In order to obtain the true vision of wisdom, one should view the world as Brahman, eliminating all distinctions of the seer, the sight, and the seen. Pranayama (breath control) is really the process of regarding all mental states as nothing but Brahman. For example, exhalation is the negation of the negation of the phenomenal world, inhalation is the thought 'I am Brahman', and retention involves the holding of that thought.
Pratyahara ('withdrawal') is the absorption of the mind in the Supreme Consciousness where one sees the Atman in everything, and which leads one to dharana (one pointed concentration of mind) after continuous practice. To continuously dwell on the independence of the Self is dhyana. This thought, when it becomes steady and unchanging, results in samadhi or pure awareness. (It appears tat since the mind is totally annihilated, i.e. mano nasa has occurred; this state could be the equivalent of Jnana Cf. Talks 275.)
He who has gone through these steps as instructed is the king of Yogis even if he does not exactly follow the Patanjali regimen. After all, the goal of yoga is to realize the identity of one's Atman, the individual Self, and Brahman, the Universal Self through the annihilation of the distracted mind.
continued.....
The Concept of Kaivalya in Yoga.
continues....
Eve though the word 'yoga' is used in the Bhagavad Gita profusely, subsuming the whole gamut of spiritual practices including renunciation, 'yogi' is used somewhat sparingly. Understandably, maximum usage of the word occurs in chapter VI, (Atmasamyam yoga). In Sri Radhakrisnan's translation a yogi is:
i) He who does the work which he ought to do without seeking its fruit is the sannyasin, he is the yogin...(VI,1); II)....no one becomes a yogin who has not renounced his selfish purpose...(VI.2); iii) The ascetic (yogi)..who is unchanging and master of his senses, to whom a clod, a stone, a piece of gold are the same...(VI.8); iv) Let the yogin try constantly to concentrate his mind on the supreme Self), remaining in solitude and alone, self controlled...(VI.10), v) ....supreme happiness comes to the yogin.....who is stainless and has become one with God.(VI.27); The yogin is greater than the ascetic, he is considered to be greater than the man of ritual works...(VI.46)/
In respect of Kaivalya, while it is the end result of successful yoga practice, the advaitin begins his practice with the conviction that all cosciousness is Brahman - prajnana Brahman, and that his own Atman is that Brahman. This seems to be a distinct advantage that the advaitin enjoys over his yogi counterpart. (Sri Bhagavan says in
Talks: Concentration of the mind is in a way common to both knowledge and yoga. Yoga aims at union of the individual with the universal, the Reality. This Reality cannot be new. It must exist even now, and it does exist. Talks 17) )
But Yoga implies a prior division and it means later union of one with another. Who is to be united with whom? You are the seeker, seeking union wit something. That something is apart from you. Your Self is intimate to you. You are aware of the Self. Seek it and be it. That will expand as the Infinite. Then there will be no question of yoga. Talks No. 211.
Although the Bhagavad Gita is supposed to be a predominantly Samkhya work, the ultimate advantage of the Jnani over the other types of seekers is clearly noted, eg. Of these wise one, who is ever in constant union with the
Divine, whose devotion is single minded, is the best. For I am supposedly dear to him and he is dear to me. (VII.7).
continued.....
The Concept of Kaivalya in Yoga:
continues....
This observation should not however be taken to mean that yoga is in anyway inferior to the other efforts of self realization. -- far from it. In philosophical systems which share the ultimate goal, different methods have been devised to meet the needs of a diverse practitioner community with a wide range of abilities.
We indicated above that the desire for total freedom of kaivyalya is innate in all human beings. We are just not happy with the way life treats us, even when it treats us well. According to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan:
'Perfection at the human level is a task to be accomplished by conscious behavior. The image of God operating in us produces a sense of insufficiency. Man has a haunting sense of the vanity, the transience and the precariousness of all human happiness. Those who live on the surface of life may not feel the distress, the laceration of the spirit, and many feel any
the urge to seek their own good. They are purushapasu (human animals)...But those who realize their dignity as human beings are actually aware of the discord and seek a principle of harmony and peace.' (The Bhagavad Gita.).
The Bhagavadgita addresses this urgent need of humanity through a synthesis of the major approaches to self realization, from simple surrender to the most complex yogic practice. We hinted abive the Sutra I.23 (Iswara pranidhanadva) may suggest surrender to the Lord, who is also the guru and the Self, the
object of our spiritual quest. Until we accomplish this goal, no matter what else we achieve or possess, we have to ask, like Sankara, tatah kim, tatah kim, tatah kim, so what?
Again, when you have been there and done it all, what is left? The only logical answer has to go be: You. There are moments of utter solitude -- however few and far between -- when we are on the verge of the realization that we are our own selves. That sense of absolute freedom is kaivalya, and that state of pure awareness is moksha. The trick of course is to learn and to persist and remain in that state.
The concept of kaivalya is a highly charged one. It is a unique, loaded term, denoting the highest stage of evolution which a human being can attain. There is something lofty and noble about it, with myriad connotations of total release, absoluteness and a fullness of existence 'that passeth undrstanding'. It is an air of exclusivity to it, signifying our final destiny.
concluded.
Nama and Rupa:
John Grimes:
Mountain Path, Jan -- March. 2013.
From the ultimate point of view, God has no name, no form. 'Words return along with the mind, not attaining it.' (Taittirya Upanishad 2.4.1.). And yet mysteriously, the Upanishad also says that the 'Name is Brahman.' (Brha.Up. 4.1.2.). Ultimately names and forms may be illusory, but that does not mean they don't serve any purpose.
Contemplate on this: the human body has eyes with rods and cones that are able to perceive certain wave lengths as well as color. It possesses ears, a mouth, a nose and skin that are able to perceive a certain fixed range of sensations. Quantum Physicists inform us that the physical universe is comprised mainly of empty space and matter is comprised of whirling atoms, protons, neutrons,etc., These elements are energy moving at various speeds. It is only because human beings have sense organs that function in certain limited and distinct frequencies, that these energy particles appear as rocks, plants, animals, and myriad physical objects. It is our sense organs and mind that translate this energy into forms. It is rather analogous to a computer that is able to translate a string of zeroes and ones into letters and pictures that we can read on the computer screen.
Our eyes are sensitive to a very narrow band of frequencies within the enormous range of frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. This narrow band of frequencies is referred to as the visible light spectrum. Visible light --- that which is detectable by the human eye -- consists of wavelengths ranging from approximately 780 nanometer down to 390 nanometer. Specific wavelengths within the spectrum correspond to a specific color based upon how humans typically perceive light of that wavelength. The long wavelength end of the spectrum corresponds to light that is perceived by humans to be red and short wavelength end of the spectrum corresponds to the light as being colored. Light is simply a wave with a specific wavelength or a mixture of wavelengths. It has no color in and of itself. An object that is emitting or reflecting light to our eye appears to have a specific color as the result of the eye brain response to the wavelength. Colors can be traced to the physiological and psychological response of the eye-brain system, and not to the light itself.
continued......
Nama and Rupa:
continues.....
Thus, we may contemplate whether the names we employ and the forms we perceive, are fundamental to Reality or are merely the way in which we empirically perceive sense data through our sense organs. Sri Bhagavan said, "The One is Real, the many are mere names and forms."
(Day by Day, 111.01.1946).
Somehow mysteriously the image of the Beloved has become 'visible' to the humans. The sweetness of Its presence presides over, and permeates, all of one's experiences. The formless Beloved appears as the Master, the friend, the lover, the Savior. It meets us wherever our limitations give It a foothold. It discloses Itself in a myriad names and forms. So, what shall we name It. Naming is a very serious business. It is an important and sacred act. Who are you? What is your true name?
Sri Bhagavan said, 'Environment, time and objects are all in me. How can they be independent of me? They may change, but I remain unchanging, always the same. The objects can be differentiated by means of their names and forms, where each one's name is only one and that is 'I'. So also of a locality. As long as I am identified with the body, so long a locality is distinguishable; otherwise not; Am I the body? Does the body announce itself as 'I'? Clearly all these are in me.' (Talks No. 582).
Sri Bhagavan said, 'These names and forms which constitute the world always change and perish. Hence they are called mithya. To limit the Self and regard it as these names and forms is mithya. To regard all as Self is the reality.'
(Day by Day, 12.09.1946.)
In Sanskrit scripture, to give someone a name is one of the sacred rituals or rites of passage (samskara). One's name is the means
whereby which one is able to approach the named. It is a means to reach the goal, for the goal is contained in the means. Consciousness of the name leads to consciousness of the named. As one thinks so one becomes. Like a piece of wood that has been placed in a fire, sooner or later the wood itself will turn into fire. Likewise, a mind that is immersed in God's name will eventually become the Divine. The individual (jiva) becomes the Divine (Siva) through name. "Meditate on the Name as Brahman.(Ch.Up. 7.1.5.).
continued......
Nama and Rupa:
(Mountain Path, Jan.-Mar.2013.)
continues.....
Further, can you think of the word 'tree' without also thinking of its form? There is an intimate connection between the name and form it represents. A God has many names and forms. Some hint at His/Her/Its physical appearance; some hint at His/Her/Its attributes; some hint at His/Her/Its insignia or mount or banner or function or personality or temperament or life history. They are His or Her calling cards, so to speak. The manifest universe is nothing but names and forms --- the unmanifest Truth manifesting itself so that one may relate to it. Each deity's name invokes the salient features of that particular deity. They are suggestions for contemplation. They are calling cards for kinship. They are vehicles for adoration. They are the Divine appearing in the dress of manifestation.
In school we use maps to help children understand their own country, as well as the world. One points to various cities, states, countries, rivers, mountains, and so on to convey knowledge about the physical world. The map is not the country --- though it serves as an aid to help convey the names, size, location, topography, and distinctive landmarks of various places. With time and maturity, the glory of one's country, as well as the physical universe in all its details, may be made known. Further a road map of London is not the actual soil of England, but it will convey to one the knowledge of how to get there.
Names and forms are symbols, a lakshana or identifying mark. They are the means by which one knows anything , everything. The 'visible and knowable signs' by which the invisible is known. All the knowledge, one's contact with the external world, even the inner mental world, every aspect of life, is based on symbols. Language is nothing but symbols. Sri Bhagavan said, 'The mind is wont to move externally. It must be checked and turned within. Its habit is to dwell on names and forms, for all external objects possess names and
forms. Such names and forms are made symbolic mental conceptions
in order to divert the mind from external object and make it dwell within itself. The idols, mantras, yantras, are all means to give food to the mind in its introvert state, so that, it may later become capable of being concentrated, after which the superb state is reached automatically. (Talks # 405).
continued.....
Nama and Rupa:
continues....
Every object in the world, animate or inanimate, is a manifestation of the One Reality. The realization and experiencing of this fundamental truth is the true goal of life. Until a person achieves this unitative Consciousness, one may begin by seeking to see Reality at lest in one object through concentration upon that particular object as the Divine. Bhagavan Ramana said, 'Sankara has also said that this world is Brahman or the Self. What he objected to is one's imagining that the Self is limited by the names and forms that constitute the world. He only said that the world does not exist apart from Brahman.' (Day by Day, 29.5.1946).
Human being have certain limitations. Not everyone can contemplate the Divine in its transcendent form. For directing the mind towards the Divine, and keeping it steady during contemplation thereon, symbols are invaluable aids. The mind must somehow go from the concrete to the
abstract. It may be true that god is omnipresent, but for purposes of worship and relationship, God is conceived as localized in a particular form. There is nothing self contradictory in thinking of the transcendent God as having form, even a multiplicity of forms. When God takes human form, no blemish attaches itself to the Divine as a result of this descent. If, out of love, a mother stoops to pick up her child, she in no way is bowing to the child. It is an act of benediction, not submission. By assuming a name, a form, it is only a mark of God's compassion for the sake of devotees. Water has no color of its own or any particular shape. But it assumes the color and shape of the vessel containing it. Even so, the Absolute may have no form. But the mind that thinks of It is a conditioning medium, it seizes hold and engenders a relationship; it partakes of communion to the best of its ability.
continued.....
*****
R.Subramanian/Friends,
Refreshing article by Professor Grimes on Nama Rupa-seems to Restore the balance in as much as every spiritual upstart these days vouches for the formless state of pure Being, parading 'Just Be' as a Mantra.
Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Yogendra, the editor of a Bengali paper, the Bangavasi, entered the room. The conversation
turned to the Personal God and God without form.
MASTER: "God has form; again, He is formless. How many aspects He has! We cannot
comprehend Him. Why should we say that God is formless only?"
YOGENDRA: "That is the one amazing thing about the Brahmo Samaj. There even a boy
twelve years old sees God as formless. The members of the Adi Samaj do not object very
much to God with form. They are allowed to attend ritualistic worship if it takes place in
respectable families."
MASTER (smiling): "How nicely he has put it! Even a boy sees the formless God!"
ADHAR: "Shivanath Babu does not believe in God's forms."
VIJAY: "That is his mistake. (Pointing to the Master) As he says, the chameleon assumes
different colours-now this colour, now that. Only the man who lives under the tree knows
the animal's true colour.
"While meditating I saw images of gods painted on a canvas. How many gods! How many
different things they said! I said to myself: 'I shall go to the Master. He will explain it all to
me.' "
MASTER: "You saw correctly."
KEDAR: "God assumes forms for the sake of His devotees. Through ecstatic love a
devotee sees God with form. Dhruva had a vision of the Lord. He said: 'Why don't your earrings
move?' The Lord said, 'They will move if you move them.' "
MASTER: "One must accept everything: God with form and God without form. While
meditating in the Kali temple I noticed Ramani, a prostitute. I said, 'Mother, I see that Thou
art in that form too.' Therefore I say one must accept everything. One does not know when
or how God will reveal Himself."
Namaskar.
NAMA AND RUPA:
CONTINUES......
Symbols attempt to bring the Divine
within the grasp of that individual.
From the formless to the form and back again. There is an oft quoted passage Upanishadic passage that says, "Lead me from unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality." The passage is always from the known to the unknown. Spiritual growth is gradual transformation of the worshippe into the likeness of the worshipped. "As are one's thought, faith, insight, so one becomes." (Ch. Up. 3.14.1.).
Bhagavan Ramana said, 'Whatever state one is in, the perceptions partake of that state. The explanation is that in the waking state (jagrat) the gross body perceives gross names and forms. In Swapma (the dream state) the mental body perceives the mental creations in their manifold forms and names.
In sushupti (deep dreamless state), the identification of the body being lost, there are no perceptions. Similarly in the Transcendental state, identity with Brahman places the man in harmony with everything, and there is nothing apart from his Self. (Talks No. 2)'.
concluded.
Bhagavan and Pranayama:
(J. Punithavathi. From Mountain Path,
Deepam, 2013)
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi says that ultimately, there is no body or world. To realize that profound understanding, we can engage in yoga practices. On the physical level, we practice hatha yoga to keep the body fit and to feel good. We should not stop there, but go further.
The word Yoga is defined as union with God. According to Patanjali, the father of Yoga, there are eight rungs of the yoga ladder of which yama, niyama, asana, pranayama are four. The practitioner of yoga gradually climbs to the higher rungs, ending in Samadhi. While yama and niyama refer to observance of rules of physical and mental discipline, the importance of asana and pranayama, can never be over emphasized. However, they are no end in themselves. They are stepping stones and, if properly observed, they lead to higher spiritual experience. Bhagavan says that in the cremation ground, a flaming stick is used to kindle the wood, enveloping the dead body. When the job is over, the stick is thrown into the fire. Similarly, once we climb up to the highest ladder we climb to attain jnana or
god realization, if one's bent is towards devotion. At that point even the mind will disappear.
Asanas and pranayama are meant to keep the body fit, which is our vehicle for the realization. In modern times, because of the effectiveness of the yoga asanas, yoga has gained immense popularity.
But very often its role is misunderstood and it is taken as an end in itself. We should understand that it is only a means to attain God which is the true end.
contd..
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Bhagavan and Pranayama:
continues.....
Caring only for the body by doing asanas and pranyama, is like polishing the shell of the coconut but ignoring the tender water inside (meditation) and the kernel (God). The total purpose of asanas is to make the body resilient for the strenuous practice of meditation. Bhagavan never recommended any method other than Vichara, 'Who am I?'. That is the Brahmastram, His taraka (reason) helping us cross the samsara mantaram. When someone insistently asked Him, He said that pranayama helps a little to control the mind. Though there is a vast field of techniques and disciplines which are taught for meditation, Bhagavan insists that the one true efficacious method to still the mind permanently is Vichara. He said meditation temporarily controls the mind. When you come out of it, even after deep meditation, thought will rush in. In a dam, the water is controlled by a shutter. Even if there is a little gap, water leaks through it. Normal meditation is like the gardener who takes out the weeds one by one; we patiently root out the thoughts one after the other. In Vichara, we go right to the heart to dig out the root cause of all thoughts, 'I-thought.'
Imagine you are bobbing on the surface of the sea. Bhagavan advised us to observe the thoughts and see for whom the thoughts are coming to, or ask 'Who am I?'. Go
deep, deep, deep inside, as if you are touching the bottom of the sea, your breath in abeyance, searching for precious pearls. Try to find out from the thoughts arise.
contd.,
*****
Bhagavan and Pranayama:
continues....
Similarly, thoughts will appear from nowhere, like the small crabs that come out of the wet sand on the beach. They scurry here and there and it is difficult to catch them. We need to develop the ability to be still and alert so that when a powerful thought, which normally overpowers us, arises, we are able to capture it and render it ineffective. It is the identification with thoughts which causes us distress and anxiety. They are the origin of our suffering, Like Lord Nataraja we should stamp the demon of ignorance that creates thought and render it useless.
Pranayama means controlling the breath Throughout the day, we are breathing in and out. If we control the breath, thoughts will also be controlled. If we are not able to, immediately practice self inquiry,
or we can use some hatha yoga practices to help. In any posture,
possible, fold your tongue to the back, close the throat, and close the throat and hold your breath. Contract and tighten the anus and pull it inside. You can do this exercise as much as you can in a day. This makes you calm and your body will be benefited.
Another technique mentioned in
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, would be to exhale, count to eight and think, 'I am not the body'. Controlling the breath, count sixteen and think 'I am That'. I should emphasize these techniques are a primary aid to help us when thoughts overwhelm us and, at a later time, they should be discarded once you can effortlessly engage in self enquiry.
contd.,
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Bhagavan and Pranyama:
continues.....
Bhagavan was asked whether watching the breath was a prerequisite for Who am I?. He said, 'All depends on a man's pakava (his maturity and fitness). (Talks NO. 447.).
Those who do not have the mental strength (another translation of 'mental strength' is preparedness gained through repeated practice) to concentrate or control their mind and direct it on the quest are advised to watch the breathing, since watching will naturally and as a matter of course lead to cessation of thought and bring the mind under control. Breath and mind arise from the same place, and when one of them is controlled, the other is also controlled.
'As a matter of fact, in the quest method, which is more correctly Whence am I? which is what Sri Bhagavan teaches us when He asks us to look within us for the source of 'I', and not merely Who am I?, we are not simply trying eliminate thought by saying 'we are not the body, nor the senses, and so on' to reach what remains as the Ultimate
Reality, but we are trying to find out whence the I thought, the ego, within us arises. The method contains within it, though implicitly, and not expressly, the watching of the breath. When we watch from where the 'I' thought, the root of all thoughts, springs, we are necessarily watching the source of breath also, as the I thought, the root of all thoughts, springs, we are necessarily watching the source of the breath also, as the I thought and breath arise from the same source. (Day by Day, 01.12.1945.)
Thayumanavar, a renowned Tamizh saint and poet, said that we can measure the ocean, make ropes from sands, and tame the mad elephant; but we cannot control the mind. But Sri Bhagavan says it is easier to attain God than in those earlier
days with His tried and true Brahmastaram. It is easy for the Master and difficult for ajnani like us; however, we have no choice but to make the effort and have faith in our Guru's words. We must try!
contd.,
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Bhagavan and Pranayama:
continues....
Devotee: I do not yet understand how it is to be done?
Maharshi: You are practicing breath control. Mechanical breath control will not lead you to the goal, It is only an aid. While doing it mechanically take care to be alert in mind and remember the 'I-thought
and seek its source. Then you will find that where breath sinks, the 'I-thought arises. They sink and rise simultaneously. The 'I-thought must sink along with breath. Then, another luminous and infinite 'I-I' will become manifest, which will be continuous and unbroken. That is the goal. It goes by different names --- God, Self, Kundalini Sakti, Consciousness, Yoga, Bhakti, Jnana etc., (Talks 195).
Once a man becomes a doctor he is always a doctor, whether at home or in the hospital. Likewise, one who practices yoga always remains a yogi. Sometimes we have to study for many years before receiving a diploma but for spirituality we have practice throughout life. A yogi is not a Jnani. ---- he has to practice to attain Jnana.
Here are some examples Bhagavan used to explain our predicament. If a cow is given grass inside its shed, it will not go wandering outside in search of forage. A woman wore a necklace on her neck, and, unknowingly, was searching for it all over the place. Only when someone pointed out did she become aware of it. Ten idiots crossed the river and wanted to make sure that all of them had arrived safely. They each counted the group of ten but excluded themselves, and each time they counted, they found only nine and were distraught that one of them had been missing. When a stranger came and counted every one of the ten, he pointed out their mistake. Once some musicians come to play before Sri Bhagavan. Afterwards, during a discussion, about the merits of the various instruments, Bhagavan said that He himself heard nothing but the harmonium with its steady, monotonous, one pointed rhythm that was like the steady flow of attention in the Self. In the same way, Jesus Christ said that the kingdom of heaven is within each of us.
(contd.)
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Bhagavan and Pranayama:
continues....
There is nothing to teach or learn in meditation but to understand the silence of the present moment. To be in the present is mediation, for if we think of our past or future, we will lose our present. We should always try to be in the present. It is a small effort to sit through a few minutes or hours and meditate. We must be immersed in it always. We can practice dhayana with open eyes. If we practice dhyana with out eyes closed, thoughts will come when we open them. Bhagavan said that is sahaja samadhi. While reading a novel, or watching a movie, we are not disturbed by surroundings, for we are fully absorbed. But sitting for meditation and doing puja, our mind wanders. Why? It is because we are
not fully involved in it. If, as Bhagavan says, we are not the body, observe the body, from outside and understand what the body is doing.
We don't find fault in ourselves, but in others. When we step back and look from outside, we can observe our faults. There are many atoms in a body; but we can't say each one is a body. When everything is put together it is the body. Likewise, everything in the universe is one, and inseparable. We know this from the scriptural and the teachings of spiritual masters, but it is beyond our limited knowledge and experience.
Let us say that your name is Rama. You have been called Rama when you were five years old, when you were ten, fifteen, twenty five, fifty and sixty, always you are Rama. If someone calls your name, you answer. In the mind you don't think about your age. You are the same. In the mind. From this we can understand that we are not the body. From the teachings of scriptures and gurus, we know that there is no body. We do not know how honey tastes until we taste it. It is beyond our knowledge until we deliberately seek it.
contd.,
*****
Bhagavan and Pranayama:
continues....
We do all we can to decorate the body. We are conscious of how we look, whether the dress matches, and what others think of us; head to toe everything should be perfect according to our taste. But the machine within our body is working
non stop twenty four hours a day.
Do we give it any thought? If we see it, it will stop. If the thief knew that he was being watched, he would run away. As a young mother who always keeps constant watch over the new born, keep a watch over your thoughts. A miser guards his treasure carefully from thieves; likewise, we should guard true knowledge from our thoughts. A woman who walks with a water pot on her head, keeps her mind attentive always on the water pot. We should focus on our thoughts like a mother cat circling around the new born kitten. Like a day spent with a charismatic person in whose presence we glow, we should spend a
whole day attending to that which is important, our inner 'I' thought. All turmoil will go and the mind will become quiet.
Like small drops that make a huge ocean, all our small thoughts gather and become heavy like a rock. Right from the start we should brush them away. If we have an enemy, a negative thought against him will spontaneously rise up within us. If we give way to it, hundreds more will gather and that the person will become our permanent enemy. If we brush away the first thought immediately, that person has the possibility to become our friend.
Love is God. Love everyone. In the spiritual path, from the Buddha to Bhagavan Ramana to Gandhi, love is primary. The arithmetic of love is crazy. If you divide it, it will multiply. We should make friends, not break them. For, if we do, then the word 'ego' echoes constantly and everywhere. For a street beggar's ego immediately rises up if he gets one cup of rice more than others. Whenever we hear praise about ourselves, the ego rises at once. It is more dangerous than the cobra. What does the word 'ego' mean? It means Edging God Out of the equation. Let us not deviate from the straight path of one pointed devotion into the jungle of
thought and delusion.
concluded.
***
salutations to all:
several times in this blog and elsewhere there have been discussions on the knotty issue of the nature of the world or its analysis through the avasThAtraya of waking, dream & sleep etc. though there is unlikely to be any substitute for the conviction that can possibly come from experience alone, a bit of intellectual clarity surely does help...
our friend, Arvind, has made an excellent compilation of bhagavAn's sayings on this matter, in addition to placing them in context. those who are interested are requested to take a look at ["http://bhagavan-sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.in/2013/02/just-as-dream-and-magic.html"]
Mr.S and Arvind Sastriji,
Advaita literature and 'Sex without Space':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHw6wfWQ630
-Z
IMAGES:
Katya Osborne:
(Advent, 2004, Mountain Path.)
We spend much of our lives presenting an image to the world. The representation of the person we would prefer to be, or the one we think we are. Sometimes the image is so polished and well worked that it obscures whatever reality lies beneath. The curious thing is that
very few people are fooled by the veneer that has taken such hard work to create; in fact the person most likely to be fooled is the one who is behind the facade. The jolly fellow with a smile for everyone, but inside is filled with anger. He will find it hard to get rid of the anger, as long as it lurks unacknowledged below the surface. The gracious lady who is terrified that the world might see her as someone who has struggled and fought to rise out of an unsavory start in life. More than likely she would be deeply admired if she allowed people to do so. Or even the saintly character who is hiding a bunch of sins. Why try so hard when most of those that he is trying to fool have multiple sins of their own and would probably rather ask for help and understanding from another sinner. Of course, these examples are very simplistic and human beings are, for the most part, pretty complex, but nonetheless the general premise holds true. Many people come to believe that their deception represents the truth, although there are some who, when faced with the evidence, immediately remove smokescreen and get at the real person inside it. This takes a special type of courage that the brand that will recognize a lifelong defect and be prepared to deal with it instead of justifying it, and also be prepared to face those he has been trying to fool and deal with them.
contd.,
*****
IMAGES:
continues.....
The true guru has no artificial persona to be presented to the world,
his reality is palpable and in many ways that it is what we admired and are drawn to in the the first instance. We become devotees and learn from one we trust with our inner welfare. Sadly, some people are so desperate for guidance that they fall in with a teacher who has neither knowledge nor status to teach properly, in other words, a person who presents a face that has fooled the public; or even worse, they find themselves at the mercy of a self-serving 'guru' who wants to equip himself with the glamorous goods of this world and cynically sees his disciples as victims.
How lucky we are to be under the aegis of Sri Bhagavan. He was, as a human being, stripped of all artificiality and in a sense He was child like in His behavior. There is a difference between childlike and childish. As children we can behave quite naturally in a way that would be either affected or unsuitable in an adult.
When my brother Adam was about four years old, he was sucking a sweet when He came running into the Hall to tell Bhagavan something. Bhagavan asked him if he was enjoying his sweet and Adam, without a thought took it out of his mouth and offered to put it into Bhagavan's hand, There was a gasp of shock from the orthodox individuals around, but Bhagavan understood the spirit in which offering was made and smiled at Adam. He said, something, along the lines of 'No, no, you keep it.'
Completely unbothered, Adam popped the sweet back in his mouth and went on with what he wanted to say. The whole episode has the charm of complete childish honesty but would not be attempted by an adult without seeming bizarre or contrived. Equally guileless was the incident when my sister Fernia, a year younger than Adam, came tottering unsteadily into the Hall wearing a cloth which someone had draped on her like a mini sari. She wanted to show Bhagavan her new finery. I am reminded that all of us children, used, as a matter of course, to come and show Bhagavan or tell Him of anything interesting that came into or lives and although this time, Bhagavan smiled sweetly at her, many people laughed. Fernia got very annoyed at this end and ripped off the sari which she left on the floor while she ran out in her knickers.
contd.,
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IMAGES:
Katya Osborne:
Children have not yet developed the desire to seriously impress the world, by being someone other than themselves. They do not wear a mask to behind, all that comes later as we grow up and become discontented with whatever look and personality we have been issued with originally. We don't like the original and so we try to behind some sort of camouflage that we suits us better. Could Who am I? work from the outside in, one wonders?
There is a story about a lazy fellow who came to a village where people were known for their piety. He decided that he would sit under a tree in silence and wait to be fed. It worked so well for him that the days flowed into weeks, months and eventually years passed. He became the village saint and was fed and clothed by the entire community. At last he decided to speak and words of great wisdom fell from his lips. He had spent so much time in self enforced contemplation that he had achieved real understanding! That may be like someone with handwriting that, when analyzed, reveals him to an egoist, or greedy ....or both. He makes an effort to change his writing and then finds that his character has altered to suit the calligraphy. Could that be a I wonder? Is the chanting of mantras or the performing of rituals, something that one hopes will work along those lines? Or perhaps, we just try to find in ourselves the spirit of childhood before our eyes were clouded by ego consciousness; the spirit of truth that we are born with.
When I was a little girl of around eight years of age, I was playing on the Hill when Bhagavan came walking down with a number of people around Him. Looking at Him I was filled with such an overwhelming feeling of love that I burst out with:
"Bhagavan! I love you so much." They were coos of approval from those around and I thought that they were approving of me without knowing how naughty I could be. I did not want praise so I hastily added:
"I love monkeys too." Gasps of shock naturally followed.
contd.,
****
IMAGES;
Katya Osborne:
The wonderful thing about being around Sri Bhagavan was that one knew that He could see into our hearts. Bhagavan knew exactly what I meant and He just laughed and walked on. I had not yet developed the need for a persona and the precise truth was therefore most important. Adults who spoke in such a manner however could rarely be genuine. The impression created by someone trying to achieve childish innocence is, of more often than not, merely embarrassing.
When I was young I noticed that a number of visitors to the Asramam,
to put it kindly, extremely old.
The ones who allowed the ego complete freedom to behave in any outrageous, self indulgent way they chose, and justified this lack of restriction with the excuse of insanity, got no sympathy whatsoever from Sri Bhagavan. He ignored them.
The real 'I' that we were looking for is not clothed in any sort of illusion. Neither that of style, nor that of spurious spirituality. The 'saintly' look can be just as much of a snare as the glitter of worldliness. In fact, spurious sanctity is a particularly prevalent chimera among those who yearn to be spiritual guides in the ambit of a true guru. So many of these people seem to indulge in pious posturing. The image that they create, consciously, or not, is finely calculated to deceive the earnest disciple. Fortunately it is often not even very harmful, except perhaps to the one offering advice, can lead him to developing an enormously inflated ego which is fed by a steady diet of worship. The image of 'spiritual adviser' in this case, has heavily overlaid that of the seeker. The devotees however can often benefit to the degree of their own sincerity, although they obviously cannot learn from this type of a teacher more than he has to give.
contd.,
*****
IMAGES:
Katya Osborne:
continues....
Sri Bhagavan has said ( I paraphrase) that we are not striving to reach a goal, we are already there; we have just got to get rid of the illusions that cloud our minds and then get rid of the mind.
S.S. Cohen quotes Bhagavan as saying, "Yes, "Yes, the Guru does not bring about Self realization, but simply removes the obstacles to it. The Self is always realized." (Reflections on Talks, Ch.9).
We have it all within our grasp at the outset and we assiduously cover it up with false images. The trouble is that a child, although it has a lot of qualities that we may envy, is not an adult and usually cannot appreciate the desirability of abandoning the ego, in favor of Self Realization. In fact, many adults cannot appreciate this either. Very often we inwardly qualify our aspirations with some sort of almost unacknowledged stipulation that allows us to retain certain aspects of our 'individuality' that we cannot imagine being without. Often this caveat actually refers to an 'image' we have created that has taken us even further from the truth. I suppose that the trick is to recognize what is superimposed and then try to strip it away without changing one set of images for another. When I was about ten years old, my idea of heaven was to own a watch, a torch and a fountain pan. Of course when that day eventually came I discovered that I didn't really want them so much after all, but other acquisitions were now much more important and heaven was still out of reach. It is no use just changing our aspirations; we have to abandon the unreal image in favor of the truth.
I offer none of this advice. I am not qualified to give advice. Neither I am propounding a path to follow. I am not qualified to do that either. I am merely speculating. It is tempting to do that when one is unsure of how to follow a spiritual path. I have never been able to truly meditate, in as much as I find it well nigh impossible to actually still the mind for more than a few minutes at best. Sitting with closed eyes in the Hall does not necessarily mean that the mind isn't ticking away somewhere inside. Mine usually is. Sitting in a yogic pose is possibly a matter of practice. And yet there are people who can do it and do it genuinely, which is much rarer. I worry also that there are so many words written to elucidate Bhagavan's teaching, and the same text often mentions that He taught in silence! Sometimes I wonder if a lot of the words are mere embellishment along the lines of writing.....'at this moment in time'.... when we mean.... 'now'.
contd.,
****
IMAGES:
Katya Osborne:
continues.....
"Now" is we want to say but 'at this moment in time' sounds more interesting perhaps, or just more
words? Is festooning with verbiage another form of camouflage? In breaking down any statement into its component parts a help or merely an indulgence? A beautiful flower can be analyzed botanically. It can be dissected and every part named. Petals, sepals, pistil, stamens and so on. One then has every component of the flower scrutinized and evaluated and a treatise can be written on it, but what happened to the beauty and the scent that have been lost? A flower is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, but I suppose that we also need a botanical study in order to examine and learn, segment by segment if that is our preference. Of course it is hard to know how Bhagavan's message could be passed on WITHOUT the benefit of the written word, perhaps could be passed on WITHOUT THE BENEFIT of the written word, perhaps one should follow where He is pointing rather than worshipping the signposts all the way.
It is possible that different types of people need and respond to different sorts of discipline. I think Sri Bhagavan had a recipe for everyone, whatever their limitations. He certainly had an enormous cross section among His devout devotees. There were intellectuals and some who could barely read. There were businessmen and sadhus and every shade in between. There were doctors and lawyers and pundits. Singers and dancers and artists. There was at least one representative of almost every religion. There were Hindus, yes, but also Buddhists and Muslims and Christians and Jews and Parsis and more. There were, still they are, people from Iceland, Israel, and Ireland for example. Anyone who came, or comes to Him now can find solace and insight if that is what they want, for the Sadguru is the one who dwells everlastingly in Truth, and can help anyone who sincerely wishes for it.
concluded.
****
Ramana Leela - The Method of Bhagavan's Teaching:
(Mountain Path, Advent, 2004.)
Krishna Bhiksu:
A visitor once approached Bhagavan and asked Him, 'Bhagavan! Why do you not travel around as Sri Sankara and some others did and give discourses thereby turning the ignorant men towards the right path?' Bhagavan replied with His beautiful smile, 'Mahatmas take birth on this earth, due to infinite grace. Even if they rarely speak, the waves of power issuing forth from them spread out and enlighten the world with spiritual glory."
Actually this question is inappropriate in itself. When divine beings manifest on earth as human incarnations, they appear for a purpose and they do not perform other activities. The birth of Sri Ramana Maharshi was intended to validate the Self realization and to discourage unnecessary arguments about metaphysical knowledge by demonstrating the state of experiential knowledge. The desire for attainment of this knowledge arises from the tendencies carried over from one's previous births. It is a waste of time and energy to try to enlighten those who are not in search of the truth. The second point is that the silent communication of knowledge (mauna upadesa) is the best way to commune. It is superfluous to expect verbal instruction when the subtle sakti automatically pervades the whole body of the aspirant and leaves him in a state of grace. Sri Ramana is not one to sow when the field is not ploughed and ready.
When this question arose on another occasion, Sri Bhagavan explained with utmost clarity, 'An electric fan, even though requested will not give light. Neither will an electric bulb give us breeze on request.' In the field of action, each one has to work out his own appointed destiny.
contd.
****
Ramana Leela -
The Method of Bhagavan's Teaching:
Krishna Bhikshu.
continues.....
Sri Ramana also told someone else, 'Some people want me to travel around and give discourses. Rajeswarananda said he would arrange a special train for me to travel in. He wanted me to go to places and bless people who were unable to come this far."
Once a child wanted Sri Ramana to come with her to her parents' place. Sri Ramana replied, 'Well, child! If I go along with you what will be the plight of people who come here for me? Where can they search for me? If you take me to your place, someone else will want me to go to their place too. Where will be the end to this. How can I go to them all?'
Intense desire for liberation is not an easy state of mind. Many who
come to Sri Bhagavan are in distress. What teaching can be given to those who want relief from illnesses, worldly troubles, and planetary afflictions? In Sri Bhagavan's presence they are able to experience peace according to their capacity.
Some erudite scholars came to Sri Bhagavan explicitly in order to exhibit their knowledge. Sri Bhagavan's maunam was all that they got for their trouble. Finally there were ashamed of their arrogance and returned the wiser.
Sri Bhagavan said that there is a lot of unnecessary, perverse logic in many commentaries on the works of great people. 'When sayings are simply advaitic, these people try and twist the text to mean whatever they want to expound. For example, we can take the commentary on Nammazhwar's work. He was a Vaishnavite saint who said, 'Lord! Before I knew you I thought you were separate from me. Now, when I have known you, you alone are. (See Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, No. 67).
Some have no interest in erudition.
They would not take troubles to read a few basic scriptures that could remove their doubts, but they want them cleared by Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan in His infinite compassion would oblige them, but these people do not understand the impropriety of giving such unnecessary trouble to Bhagavan. Even after great effort, some people were still steeped in doubt.
Towards such people Sri Bhagavan would be all compassion and would go to great length to remove their confusion.
contd.,
****
Dear All,
How do I search for a topic in this blog? For example, sometime back there was a short discussion on and quotations from "Conscious Immortality". I wanted to search where the discussion happened.
How do I do that?
Regards Murali
Ramana Leela:
The method of Sri Bhagavan's teachings:
There were some who would not enter into any discussion on scriptures. They were already dedicated to sadhana. The only obstruction to realization for them would be attachment to some worldly objects.
Unless this removed they cannot progress in their quest. Sadhana for many births would be needed to achieve. On this point Maharshi does not like His devotees to be worried. In His opinion, total detachment is Jnana in itself. Until one is firmly fixed in Self Knowledge, total detachment and desirelessness are impossible. Is there any actual measure to indicate the detachment necessary for the attainment of Self Knowledge? This question underlies the clarification to Natananda's questions given by Sri Bhagavan, "If you are really unfit for Self Knowledge why did you have the desire to meet Mahatmas?" It means
that the desire to receive darshan of Mahatmas is itself the required qualification. WE also should remember that Self Inquiry is not possible if there is no detachment at all. Sri Bhagavan tells us that detachment and other requirements are developed as matter of course when one follows Self Inquiry.
Every seeker of truth needs detachment. There is no doubt that it has to be acquired; but Bhagavan's method does not directly combat attachment to desires. Sri Bhagavan would say: "If the bird in the cage goes on struggling it is strangled. It is the same, with the worldly desires. We should not brood and worry over them. An evil desire is like any other desire. The best way to get over this predicament is to concentrate on the inquiry into the identity of the one who desires or follow the method of 'Neti Neti'. When you cut at the base of a true, the flowers and fruits naturally fall."
Another way was shown by Sri Ramakrikshna who conquered lust by thinking of his wife as the Divine Mother. If one drinks the ambrosia of God's name can there be enjoyment of the honey of worldly desires?
contd.,,
*******
Murali,
Not easy to search within the threads! U will find the conscious immortality quote starting on this page. Near the bottom, put by Arvind on 25.6.2011 at 1.10 am
http://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.in/2011/05/open-thread.html?commentPage=3
More quotes etc carry on in the next page (601 to 800).
Anonymous,
Thank you very much. I found them.
This blog used to be very vibrant with deep discussions. Now a days, its silence. Perhaps everyone realized that Silence is what matters!! I still miss the discussions.
Last 3 days I was in Arunachalam. Had a very good time in soaking myself in the presence of Bhagavan.
We committed to ourselves long time back in this blog that we will all go to Arunachalam together.
Hope Bhagavan creates such occasion.
Regards Murali
Ramana Leela:
The method of Bhagavan's teaching:
continues....
This is exactly the method of Maharshi: pay no attention to worldly
desires and search for Atma. Suppose a doubt arises about the necessity of inquiry at all. The answer is this: many have been attracted by worldly phenomena and have been utterly defeated and driven mad in he struggle to be free of them. When at last they came out of the maze and met Sri Bhagavan they surrendered to Him
and were saved in the nick of time.
'To develop intense detachment, ritual baths, performance of japa, sandhya, dhyana are all helpful; but they should not be too stringent. They should not be an obstruction to Self Inquiry but a means that leads one to the goal of detachment. There is an apt saying:
for the realized souls, disciplines drop off by themselves.'
When troubles seem unendurable some people are disgusted with the worldly life and come to Sri Bhagavan with he intention of becoming sannyasins. Natananda was such a one. Sri Bhagavan usually dissuades such people from taking what cold well prove to be wrong step. There was a person at Arunachala who had intense Vairagya. He thought that since Bhagavan was not being merciful towards him, he had better commit suicide. He wanted Sri Bhagavan's darshan for one last time. At that very moment he heard Bhagavan say to another, 'See, what a great effect is needed to stitch a small leaf plate. You have to collect leaves. A few sticks must be dried
and split. We have to carefully arrange one leaf over other and make a plate. After preparing it we do not throw it away immediately. We take our meal on it and only then discard it. The teaching is that we cannot discard the body until the prarabdha has been experienced.'
The next step is the goal. Because of the differences in fitness and the strength of diverse tendencies, the goals will also be quite different. Sri Bhagavan knew this and taught according to the tendencies of the individuals who worshipped various gods.
contd.
****
Murali,
I was at Ramanashram on Saturday. Two hour of meditation, or rather, introspection, at the Old hall early in the morning, then after breakfast - visited Skandashramam & Virupaksha cave, sat for some time in the beautiful cave, then came back to Ramanashramam. Visited the library and found a perfect book which answered some of my doubts. Spent some more time at the samadhi hall and returned back after a very nourishing lunch. - Short and very sweet visit. Arunachala just drags us to itself...
I was reading "Who am I". Sri Ramana says "...Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the 'I' which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self which ever exists will shine. Whatever one does, one should do without the egoity 'I'." Further, Sri Ramana says "...The thought 'I' is the first thought of the mind; and that is egoity.". Further again, he says "The Self is that where there is absolutely no 'I' thought." Finally to quote "Giving one's self upto God means remaining constantly in the Self without giving room for the rise of any thoughts other than that of the Self"
My point is - Mind is killed by not attaching it to any object. Now, how this can be done ?.. by not acknowledging that the thought belonged to the 'I'. Thus, it is like depriving water to a fish. Without associating with 'I', neither the mind, and in effect our personality get any "food for thought" (pun intended). Mind requires Identification because it wants to feel that the fruits from an action is derived due to its existence. Fruits of action nourishes the mind.
Now, Bhagavan says God bears our burden. Now, this is also another way of saying the same thing. What Bhagavan means is that when we surrender, we are de-couple our action (cause) to the fruits (effect). As such, only action is to be done. What remains will be Nothing. Only Silence...
It is clear from this that Jnana and Bhakthi are both absolutely the same, only the perspective is different.
Ramana Leela:
The Method of Bhagavan's Teaching:
continues.....
This might cause the illusion that followers of various religions that Bhagavan was instructing them in the teachings of their own masters. Usually when a person who was already engaged in a particular mode of worship came to Bhagavan, He would tell them to continue in their own system and would in no way disturb their beliefs, since Bhagavan considers that everyone
ultimately has to turn towards Self Inquiry. Whatever path is followed He asks us never to forget this point. "Be sympathetic to the other person's point of view so that his response will be open and positive."
Bhagavan never liked people of different religions to fight over their individual beliefs. He would say, "As long as there is worship of the form, these differences and quarrels are inevitable. Everyone likes the taste of sweetness. But each one has his own liking for the particular type of sweetness of his choice. One likes honey, another likes sugar and still another likes the juice of sugarcane. It is but natural that each one declares that his own choice is the best. But it is not the ultimate. If one wants just sweetness and not the taste of an y other material there is no other way for him except to become the sweetness itself."
There were some who asked if they
could worship certain gods. In 1925, Swami Vallimalai Murugar came accompanied by a group of lawyers. He was famed as Tiruppugazh Swami since he sang Tiruppugazh enchantingly in various tunes and with great emotion. Tiruppugazh is a corpus of songs composed by Arunagiri Nathar on Lord Subramanya. Vallimalai Murugar was a glorious singer but he did not know the meaning of the songs. Maharshi heard him sing some of the Tiruppugazh and explained in great detail, with devotion and great compassion, the meaning to the whole group. Murugar had no other education but after this he could explain the whole text of Tiruppugazh even to great pandits. This was the way Bhagavan helped him in the worship of a form. One of the group asked Bhagavan if it is good to do Gayatri meditation mechanically. Bhagavan said, 'It is good even if it is done mechanically, but only the orb of sun itself can be meditated upon with better results. The last mantra Namas savitre jagadeka chakshshu can be taken as help in the meditation. (Self Realization, Ch. XXV, Meditation at the Asramam).
contd.,
*****
Ramana Leela:
The Method of Bhagavan's Teaching:
continues....
One who meditates upon and surrenders to such a powerful being will merge in him. The sakti of whatever god is worshipped knows what is good for the one who meditates and gives what is appropriate. When this meditation progresses with intensity, the divine being mediated upon becomes infinite and ultimately formless. Gradually mediation of the qualified becomes meditation for the unqualified.
A group of pilgrims from Gorakpur came to Sri Bhagavan during their pilgrimage of the southern temples. The group leader asked, 'Bhagavan! You are a Jnani. You say you are everything. but we are only devotees of Iswara. We think we are different from Him. How can there by any harmony between our differing concepts?'
Bhagavan replied that only the words are different. 'What is happening is the same in both the methods. When you intensify the repetition of name the form disappears. Only the name remains. As long as this does not happen your real goal of worship is the form of your god. Beholding that form in everything is the next great step, sarvam vishnumayam jagat. But is not the one who mediates included in that which he is meditating on? So he himself is also Vishnu. To behold Vishnu AS everything is a higher step than beholding Him IN everything. After this, the form disappears and only pure effulgence (tejas) remains. Beyond this, is the primal sound (vak) of the name. Space (akasa) is beyond the sound and when we come to this stage, we will see the point, where diversity originates. You said your goal is Vishnu. What is to be attained is all-pervasiveness of the name. The name arises in us as a form of thought. It means that when the name is repeated mentally it is a form of mental activity. The ultimate goal is singular activity (ananya chinta) or single thought. I have given to that single thought a name, aham. Names like Vishnu and the other gods exemplify the multiple qualities of the Iswara. But there is not even a single quality in Aham.'
contd.
****
Ramana Leela:
The Method of Bhagavan's teaching:
continues....
Krishna Bhikshu also asked Bhagavan the same question. 'Bhagavan! Previously, I used to see your form in meditation. But nowadays it is not happening.' Sri Bhagavan asked him: 'Do you remember the name? Krishna Bhikshu replied in the affirmative. 'Do not worry. The name is greater than form', assured Bhagavan.
Bhagavan also explained: "Some people love to worship avataras, like Rama and Krishna. Others worship Sakti. During meditation, Sakti travels from the form of Sakti to to the devotee. When the mind is merged in the goddess, there is no separate existence any more. For the devotee, that unparalelled Sakti itself gives the devotee to desire to meditate on the formless aspect of Isvara."
The goal of meditation is thus explained. Next, the mantra is clarified. As Bhagavan knew the Agamas, and Vedanta, thoroughly, He would prescribe which best suited the particular aspirant. Take for example, what Bhagavan told Ganapati Muni. In Upadesa Undiyar,
Bhagavan says that japa done mentally is better than that done aloud or even that done without movement of lips. To concentrate on the one who does the japa is the best japa of all, In describing the worship of Isvara, with qualities,
(Saguna) Bhagavan like the acharyas of yore, extolled bhakti and indicated that the best method is continuous remembrance flowing like a stream of fluid ghee.
Bhagavan has explained the method of pranayama in Ramana Gita. In the Bhagavad Gita pranayama and the necessary discipline and asaans were described in full. Bhagavan's teaching is that whatever method followed the ultimate goal has to be self knowledge and one should persevere in his chosen method to reach the final goal.
Bhagavan's compassion helps each sadhaka in his own chosen path. As He Himself is the manifestation of Isvara all paths are acceptable to Him. What does it matter if the path is different because of the differences in the fitness of the aspirants?
contd.,
****
Just realized from the home page that sometime this year its going to be 60th birthday for Sri. David Godman. There is the view of Bhagvan on what really is a birthday but from my ordinary standpoint it'll be a special day having immensely benefited from his works. My advance / belated greetings as the case may be David.
In his grace ,
Sridhar
Ramana Leela.
Method of Bhagavan's teaching:
continues.....
From Ramanathapuram a widow called Shanammal came to serve Bhagavan. She worshipped a picture of Bhagavan with great devotion. She remembered Bhagavan in all her waking hours and she often saw Sri Bhagavan in her dreams. Whether her eyes were open or closed, she would see the divine light and Bhagavan's form in he midst of a great, white radiance.
These manifestations were always with her whether she was at Arunachala or in home town. At last she told Bhagavan about these visions. Bhagavan taught her that these revelations should not be her goal as they are actually impediments in dhyana and one should not be fascinated by them. Whatever object is tangible either to the gross or to the subtle senses is only a phenomenon. The seer must be seen rather than whatever he sees. Sri Bhagavan emphasized that it is sheer foolishness to feel jubilant over visions.
How can we say in so many words what Bhagavan's teaching is? The manner of His life is in itself His teaching and an example to be followed by all.
Even though Sri Bhagavan helped in so many ways there were some who were not altogether satisfied. They wanted a public acknowledgement of the discipleship. Sri Bhagavan was not initiated by anybody. Neither did He initiate anybody in the traditional way nor did He accept anyone as a disciple. His mere presence was grace enough and he gave sadhaka all the help they needed by His look. Once Major Chadwick asked Bhagavan why He did not initiate anybody by word or touch and did not accept disciples.
Sri Bhagavan retorted: 'Why should there be this show of initiation? Is it your understanding that you are not accepted unless you go through this rigmarole?' Each devotee was perfectly aware whether He was accepted or not through his own experience. But nobody was able to maintain that they were speaking for Sri Bhagavan nor could anyone claim to be Bhagavan's sishya because of a private sanction of discipleship.
contd.
****
Ramana Leela:
The method of Bhagavan's Teaching"
continues....
Once some devotees were discussing the meaning of Ulladu Narpadu in Sri Bhagavan's Presence. After sometime, they tired of the discussion, asked Bhagavan, what was the purpose of the text. Bhagavan told them: Nothing was written by me with a purpose. All the meanings that you have expressed are quite apt.
Each one reads the meaning of a text according to his own light (samskara). They understand only so much and act accordingly. Even if more is told to them, they would not understand. It once happened that two disciples fought each other via letters to a news paper, each one declaring that only his own interpretation of Sri Bhagavan's teaching was correct!
The idea that people generally have of an intuition is a mantra being given or the touch of the guru's hand or some such thing. Sri Bhagavan never did these things. If perhaps an upadesa had to be given in private, he would often give it in a dream. For example, Natanananda had initiation through a vision of Sri Bhagavan. Or perhaps it could be through direct eye contact as happened to Ganapati Muni, or even through a touch on the head of Ramaswami Iyer. Many devotees have declared that Bhagavan removed their doubts and gave guidance through their dreams.
When any question arose about a scriptural saying, Bhagavan would answer in a general way that was useful to all. When a personal initiation was desired, it was proper to tell Bhagavan all the sadhana that had been gone through up to that time. Sometimes, when there was no specific request for Upadesa, Bhagavan would give it anyway by speaking to someone else on that subject in the presence of one needing the information.
contd.,
****
Ramana Leela:
The Method of Bhagavan's Teaching.
continues....
Bhagavan's upadesa could be in a few words. A child sat in a window recess a little while and shifted to another one to see out. Bhagavan asked her what she was doing. The child said: 'Nothing, Swami! Bhagavan commented on this, 'Hear her. Though this child's body is moving from she says she is not doing anything. Adults do not seem to know even that much.'
A gentleman said: 'Bhagavan, you do not do anything. Give me your Sakti and I will do good to the world.'
Bhagavan laughed heartily and said, 'He does not have even a grain to eat, but wants to run a choulry. This is similar to what He said to Humphreys.
A man was holding a newspaper in his hand. He said, 'Bhagavan you say Atma is everywhere. But we cannot see it anywhere.' Bhagavan asked him, 'Can you say that there is no paper because you do not notice it beneath print that you were reading.'
A man was careless in serving food in the dining room. Some of the food fell on a person's leg. Bhagavan noticed this and said, 'People think they are great as soon as they start handling a ladle. They do not seem to know who is really great. We have to distinguish between the one who craves for greatness and the true guru who accepts a little from us, gives his merit to us and takes our sin on himself.'
When Bhagavan was living in Skandasramam, a disciple asked, 'Bhagavan, it is decreed that action should be performed, but selflessly. How do we understand this? Bhagavan kept quiet for the time being. Then one day when Bhagavan accompanied by some devotees including he disciple who
had asked he question, He cut a dry branch and worked on it for about one hour and eventually made a walking stick. An old shepherd appeared and walked towards the group with great difficulty. Bhagavan immediately gave him them walking stick He had prepared and said as a general comment 'Karma was performed selflessly'. Naturally the disciple understood the implication of what Sri Bhagavan said.
In this way Bhagavan's every word becomes an upadesa. It depends on the receiving ability of the person concerned.
His teaching is superb and His actions were perfect and are to be emulated by one and all.
concluded.
Ravi/Subramanian Sir/Other Friends,
I came across a blog on Peria Periyava. It has many articles and some rare photos/videos of Peria Periyava.
You may like to have a look. The website address is :
http://srisrisrimahaperiyaval-meelaadimai.blogspot.in/
Thank you,
shiv
Shiv,
Thanks very much.I understand that there are a few other Blogs on Sri Mahaperiyava as well and some of them send out a daily message that carries an unforgettable incident in the life of the Great one.Except for a few Photographs,none of them do justice to his Radiant Presence that one can only appreciate if one had met him in person.
Namaskar.
"Sunk in the Ocean of Bliss."
Learning from Sri Ramana.
Alison Williams.
(Advent 2003, Mountain Path.)
"Those who take refuge in the lotus
feet of the supreme Lord of Mercy .... Thy benign grace....abide happy, sunk in he ocean of bliss."
-Sri Ramana Maharsho, Necklet of
Nine Gems, Verse 3.
*
I am indebted to my Sadguru Sri
Sainathuni Sarath Babuji, whose depth of love and knowledge launched me on a thrilling voyage of discovery of the fullness of Sri Bhagavan. This article drawn greatly from his satsanghs and unpublished biographical work Ramana, the Maharshi.
*
Sri Ramana Maharshi and the path of Self Inquiry -- these two are almost synonymous and Sri Bhagavan's name will be forever associated with that practice. He is generally regarded as a peerless Jnani and a masterful exponent of Advaita and Self Inquiry, and Arunachala is said to be the center of that practice. However, to view this as the totality of Sri Bhagavan and Self Inquiry as the only way He advocated to do Him a disservice, and to deprive ourselves of some of the beauty and riches of His gift to us -- for Sri Bhagavan shows us so much more.
Undoubtedly, Sri Bhagavan was a Jnani of the highest order, but hZe was also a consummate Bhakta -- and far too great to confine Himself to one path. He fully recognized that different seekers require different methods according to the individual's need and nature. Thus we find Sri Bhagavan giving advice on diet, lifestyle, posture, worship, attitudes to work and family life, as well as on pranayama and yoga, and answering
questions on texts, scriptures, and various spiritual practices. If Sri Bhagavan, our Master, did not limit Himself exclusively to Self Inquiry, then need we do so? It is the purpose of this article to question, whether, in our zest to follow the practice of Self Inquiry, we have inadvertently overlooked other aspects of His wonderful life and teachings, equally powerful, sublime and beneficial to the seeker.
contd.,
*****
Dear Anon (shiv)
Thanks for the link. I shall see the blog soon.
Subramanian. R
Shiv/Friends,
I wish to share this wonderful excerpt from 'A Search in Secret India' where Paul Brunton meets the Sage of Kanchi.
"I look at him in silence. This short man is clad in the ochrecoloured
robe of a monk and leans his weight on a friar's staff.
I have been told that he is on the right side of forty, hence I am
surprised to find his hair quite grey.
His noble face, pictured in grey and brown, takes an honoured
place in the long portrait gallery of my memory. That elusive
element which the French aptly term spirituel is present in this
face. His expression is modest and mild, the large dark eyes
being extraordinarily tranquil and beautiful. The nose is
short, straight and classically regular. There is a rugged little
beard on his chin, and the gravity of his mouth is most noticeable.
Such a face might have belonged to one of the saints
who graced the Christian Church during the Middle Ages,
except that this one possesses the added quality of intellectuality.
I suppose we of the practical West would say that he has
the eyes of a dreamer. Somehow, I feel in an inexplicable way
that there is something more than mere dreams behind those
heavy lids.
"Your Holiness has been very kind to receive me," I remark,
by way of introduction.
He turns to my companion, the writer, and says something
in the vernacular. I guess its meaning correctly.
"His Holiness understands your English, but he is too afraid
that you will not understand his own. So he prefers to have
me translate his answers," says Venkataramani.
I shall sweep through the earlier phases of this interview,
because they are more concerned with myself than with this
Hindu Primate. He asks about my personal experiences in
the country; he is very interested in ascertaining the exact
impressions which Indian people and institutions make upon
a foreigner. I give him my candid impressions, mixing praise
and criticism freely and frankly."
continued.....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A search in Secret India' continued...
"The conversation then flows into wider channels and I am
much surprised to find that he regularly reads English newspapers,
and that he is well informed upon current affairs
in the outside world. Indeed, he is not unaware of what the
latest noise at Westminster is about, and he knows also through
what painful travail the troublous infant of democracy is
passing in Europe.
I remember Venkataramani's firm belief that Shri Shankara
possesses prophetic insight. It touches my fancy to press for
some opinion about the world's future.
"When do you think that the political and economic conditions
everywhere will begin to improve?"
"A change for the better is not easy to come by quickly,"
he replies. " It is a process which must needs take some time.
How can things improve when the nations spend more each
year on the weapons of death?"
"There is nevertheless much talk of disarmament to-day.
Does that count?"
"If you scrap your battleships and let your cannons rust,
that will not stop war. People will continue to fight, even if
they have to use sticks!"
"But what can be done to help matters?"
"Nothing but spiritual understanding between one nation
and another, and between rich and poor, will produce goodwill
and thus bring real peace and prosperity."
"That seems far off. Our outlook is hardly cheerful, then?"
His Holiness rests his arm a little more heavily upon his
staff.
continued....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A Search in Secret India' continued...
"There is still God," he remarks gently.
" If there is, He seems very far away," I boldly protest.
"God has nothing but love towards mankind," comes the
soft answer.
"Judging by the unhappiness and wretchedness which
afflict the world to-day, He has nothing but indifference,"
I break out impulsively, unable to keep the bitter force of irony
out of my voice. His Holiness looks at me strangely. Immediately
I regret my hasty words.
"The eyes of a patient man see deeper. God will use human
instruments to adjust matters at the appointed hour. The
turmoil among nations, the moral wickedness among people
and the suffering of miserable millions will provoke, as a reaction,
some great divinely inspired man to come to the rescue.
In this sense, every century has its own saviour. The process
works like a law of physics. The greater the wretchedness
caused by spiritual ignorance, materialism, the greater will be
the man who will arise to help the world."
"Then do you expect someone to arise in our time, too?"
" In our century," he corrects. "Assuredly. The need of
the world is so great and its spiritual darkness is so thick, that
an inspired man of God will surely arise."
"Is it your opinion, then, that men are becoming more
degraded? " I query.
"No, I do not think so," he replied tolerantly. "There is
an indwelling divine soul in man which, in the end, must bring
him back to God."
"But there are ruffians in our Western cities who behave as
though there were indwelling demons in them," I counter,
thinking of the modern gangster.
"Do not blame people so much as the environments into
which they are born. Their surroundings and circumstances
force them to become worse than they really are. That is true
of both the East and West. Society must be brought into tune
with a higher note. Materialism must be balanced by idealism;
there is no other real cure for the world's difficulties. The
troubles into which countries are everywhere being plunged
are really the agonies which will force this change, just as
failure is frequently a sign-post pointing to another road."
continued....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A Search in Secret India' continued....
"You would like people to introduce spiritual principles
into their worldly dealings, then?"
"Quite so. It is not impracticable, because it is the only way
to bring about results which will satisfy everyone in the end,
and which will not speedily disappear. And if there were more
men who had found spiritual light in the world, it would spread
more quickly. India, to its honour, supports and respects its
spiritual men, though less so than in former times. If all the
world were to do the same, and to take its guidance from men
of spiritual vision, then all the world would soon find peace
and grow prosperous."
Our conversation trails on. I am quick to notice that Shri
Shankara does not decry the West in order to exalt the East, as
so many in his land do. He admits that each half of the globe
possesses its own set of virtues and vices, and that in this way
they are roughly equal! He hopes that a wiser generation will
fuse the best points of Asiatic and European civilizations into a
higher and balanced social scheme.
I drop the subject and ask permission for some personal
questions. It is granted without difficulty.
"How long has Your Holiness held this title?"
"Since 1907. At that time I was only twelve years old.
Four years after my appointment I retired to a village on the
banks of the Cauvery, where I gave myself up to meditation
and study for three years. Then only did my public work
begin."
"You rarely remain at your headquarters in Kumbakonam
I take it? "
"The reason for that is that I was invited by the Maharajah
of Nepal in 1918 to be his guest for a while. I accepted and
since then have been travelling slowly towards his state in the
far north. But see! - during all those years I have not been
able to advance more than a few hundred miles, because the
tradition of my office requires that I stay in every village and
town which I pass on the route or which invites me, if it is not
too far off. I must give a spiritual discourse in the local temple
and some teaching to the inhabitants."
continued....
shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A Search in secret India' continued....
I broach the matter of my quest and His Holiness questions
me about the different Yogis or holy men I have so far met.
After that, I frankly tell him:
"I would like to meet someone who has high attainments in
Yoga and can give some sort of proof or demonstration of them.
There are many of your holy men who can only give one more
talk when they are asked for this proof. Am I asking too
much?"
The tranquil eyes meet mine.
There is a pause for a whole minute. His Holiness fingers
his beard.
" If you are seeking initiation into real Yoga of the higher
kind, then you are not seeking too much. Your earnestness will
help you, while I can perceive the strength of your determination;
but a light is beginning to awaken within you which will
guide you to what you want, without doubt."
I am not sure whether I correctly understand him.
"So far I have depended on myself for guidance. Even some
of your ancient sages say that there is no other god than that
which is within ourselves," I hazard.
And the answer swiftly comes:
"God is everywhere. How can one limit Him to one's own
self? He supports the entire universe."
I feel that I am getting out of my depth and immediately
turn the talk away from this semi-theological strain.
"What is the most practical course for me to take? "
"Go on with your travels. When you have finished them,
think of the various Yogis and holy men you have met; then
pick out the one who makes most appeal to you. Return to
him, and he will surely bestow his initiation upon you."
continued....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A Search in secret India' continued....
I look at his calm profile and admire its singular serenity.
"But suppose, Your Holiness, that none of them makes
sufficient appeal to me. What then? "
"In that case you will have to go on alone until God Himself
initiates you. Practise meditation regularly; contemplate the
higher things with love in your heart; think often of the soul
and that will help to bring you to it. The best time to practise
is the hour of waking; the next best time is the hour of twilight.
The world is calmer at those times and will disturb your
meditations less."
He gazes benevolently at me. I begin to envy the saintly
peace which dwells on his bearded face. Surely, his heart has
never known the devastating upheavals which have scarred
mine? I am stirred to ask him impulsively:
" If I fail, may I then turn to you for assistance?"
Shri Shankara gently shakes his head.
"I am at the head of a public institution, a man whose time
no longer belongs to himself. My activities demand almost all
my time. For years I have spent only three hours in sleep
each night. How can I take personal pupils? You must find a
master who devotes his time to them."
"But I am told that real masters are rare, and that a European
is unlikely to find them."
He nods his assent to my statement, but adds:
"Truth exists. It can be found."
continued....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A search in Secret India' continued....
"Can you not direct me to such a master, one who you know
is competent to give me proofs of the reality of higher
Yoga?"
His Holiness does not reply till after an interval of protracted
silence.
"Yes. I know of only two masters in India who could give
you what you wish. One of them lives in Benares, hidden away
in a large house, which is itself hidden among spacious grounds.
Few people are permitted to obtain access to him; certainly,
no European has yet been able to intrude upon his seclusion. I
could send you to him, but I fear that he may refuse to admit a
European."
"And the other ?" My interest is strangely stirred.
"The other man lives in the interior, farther south. I
visited him once and know him to be a high master. I recommend
that you go to him."
"Who is h e ?"
"He is called the Maharishee.1 I have not met him, but
know him to be a high master. Shall I provide you with full
instructions, so that you may discover him?"
A picture flashes suddenly before my mind's eye.
I see the yellow-robed friar, who has vainly persuaded me to
accompany him to his teacher. I hear him murmuring the
name of a hill. It is: "The Hill of the Holy Beacon."
"Many thanks, Your Holiness," I rejoin, "but I have a
guide who comes from the place."
"Then you will go there?"
I hesitate.
"All arrangements have been made for my departure from
the South to-morrow," I mutter uncertainly.
" I n that case I have a request to make."
"With pleasure."
"Promise me that you will not leave South India before you
have met the Maharishee."
I read in his eyes a sincere desire to help me. The promise
is given.
A benignant smile crosses his face.
continued...
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A Search in Secret India'continued...
"Do not be anxious. You shall discover that which you
seek."
A murmur from the crowd which is in the street penetrates
the house.
"I have taken up too much of your valuable time," I
apologize. " I am indeed sorry."
Shri Shankara's grave mouth relaxes. He follows me into
the ante-room and whispers something into the ear of my
companion. I catch my name in the sentence.
At the door I turn to bow in farewell salutation. His
Holiness calls me back to receive a parting message:
"You shall always remember me, and I shall always
remember you!"
And so, hearing these cryptic and puzzling words, I reluctantly
withdraw from this interesting man, whose entire life
has been dedicated to God from childhood. He is a pontiff
who cares not for worldly power, because he has renounced
all and resigned all. Whatever material things are given to
him, he at once gives again to those who need them. His
beautiful and gentle personality will surely linger in my memory.
I wander about Chingleput till evening, exploring its
artistic, old-world beauty, and then seek a final glimpse of
His Holiness before returning home.
I find him in the largest temple of the city. The slim,
modest, yellow-robed figure is addressing a huge concourse of
men, women and children. Utter silence prevails among the
large audience. I cannot understand his vernacular words,
but I can understand that he is holding the deep attention of
all present, from the intellectual Brahmin to the illiterate
peasant. I do not know, but I hazard the guess that he speaks
on the profoundest topics in the simplest manner, for such is
the character I read in him.
continued....
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A search in Secret India' continued...
And yet, though I appreciate his beautiful soul, I envy the
simple faith of his vast audience. Life, apparently, never
brings them deep moods of doubt. God is; and there the
matter ends. They do not appear to know what it means to
go through dark nights of the soul, when the world seems like
the grim scene of a jungle-like struggle; when God recedes
into shadowy nothingness; and when man's own existence
seems nothing more than a fitful passage across this small,
transient fragment of the universe which we call Earth.
We drive out of Chingleput under an indigo sky gemmed
with stars. I listen to palms majestically waving their branches
over the water's edge in an unexpected breeze.
My companion suddenly breaks the silence between us.
"You are indeed lucky!"
"Why?"
"Because this is the first interview which His Holiness has
granted to a European writer."
"Well ?"
"That brings his blessing upon you!"
continued...
Shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A search in secret india' continued...
It is nearly midnight when I return home. I take a last
glimpse overhead. The stars stud the vast dome of the sky
in countless myriads. Nowhere in Europe can one see them
in such overwhelming numbers. I run up the steps leading
to the veranda, flashing my pocket torch.
Out of the darkness, a crouching figure rises and greets
me.
"Subramanya!" I exclaim, startled. "What are you
doing here? " The ochre-robed Yogi indulges in one of his
tremendous grins.
"Did I not promise to visit you, sir? " H e reminds me
reproachfully.
"Of course!"
In the large room, I fire a question at him.
"Your master - is he called the Maharishee?"
It is now his turn to draw back, astonished.
"How do you know, sir? Where could you have learnt
this?"
"Never mind. To-morrow we both start for his place.
I shall change my plans."
"This is joyful news, sir."
"But I shall not stay there long, though. A few days,
maybe."
I fling a few more questions at him during the next half-hour,
and then, thoroughly tired, go to bed. Subramanya is quite
content to sleep on a piece of palm matting which lies on the
floor. He wraps himself up in a thin cotton cloth, which
serves at once as a mattress, sheet and blanket, and disdains
my offer of more comfortable bedding.
continued...
shiv/Friends,
Excerpt from 'A search in secret india ' continued...
The next thing of which I am aware is suddenly awakening.
The room is totally dark. I feel my nerves strangely tense.
The atmosphere around me seems like electrified air. I pull
my watch from under the pillow and, by the glow of its radiumlit
dial, discover the time to be a quarter to three. It is then
that I become conscious of some bright object at the foot of
the bed. I immediately sit up and look straight at it.
My astounded gaze meets the face and form of His Holiness
Shri Shankara. It is clearly and unmistakably visible. He
does not appear to be some ethereal ghost, but rather a solid
human being. There is a mysterious luminosity around the
figure which separates it from the surrounding darkness.
Surely the vision is an impossible one? Have I not left him
at Chingleput? I close my eyes tightly in an effort to test the
matter. There is no difference and I still see him quite
plainly!
Let it suffice that I receive the sense of a benign and friendly
presence. I open my eyes and regard the kindly figure in the
loose yellow robe.
The face alters, for the lips smile and seem to say:
"Be humble and then you shall find what you seek!"
Why do I feel that a living human being is thus addressing
me? Why do I not regard it as a ghost, at least?
The vision disappears as mysteriously as it has come. It
leaves me feeling exalted, happy and unperturbed by its
supernormal nature. Shall I dismiss it as a dream? What
matters it?
There is no more sleep for me this night. I lie awake
pondering over the day's meeting, over the memorable interview
with His Holiness Shri Shankara of Kumbakonam, the
Hierarch of God to the simple people of South India.
concluded.
Friends,
In his preface to 'A search in Secret India' Paul Brunton writes:
Most of the Indian sages whom I portray have parted form the
earth, but I shall never forget them. Two of these sages have
made the most profound impression on me: one is the
Maharishee of Arunachala, who has crossed the threshold of
death; the other is Shri Shankara Acharya of Kanchi,* who is the
spiritual leader of South India. He is widely respected by all those
whom I consider competent to evaluate the spiritual attainment
of a man, and he is, of all of India's living holy men, by far the
most enlightened.
It is perhaps appropriate to mention another very special
person, who for some years has lived as a refugee in the foothills
of the Himalayas: the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Although still a young
man, he has a profound knowledge of the teachings of
Buddhism. To the enemies who so cruelly fight to suppress his
homeland, he has demonstrated an attitude that comes close to
that of Jesus.
When I first wrote this book, I expressed my regrets that so
few people in the West seemed interested in "the Spiritual
India." These regrets no longer apply. In the course of the last 20
or 30 years, Westerners have begun to journey to India and the
Ashrams of well-known Yoga masters. Many serious books have
been published in Western languages in which religious philosophical
Indian writings are presented and explained. What
was once the search of a few has now become the longing of
hundreds from Europe and the United States.
(Paul Brunton Rome, February 1967)
Friends,
In his foreword to the revised edition(1985),Mr kenneth Thurston Hurst,son of Paul Brunton writes:
around India giving "in memoriam" lectures in his honor. I
learned that his name is still held in highest esteem. Many
Indians told me they discovered their country's spiritual
dimension from this very book. I made a pilgrimage to the same
ashram he discovered and offered my obeisance in the
meditation hall where Ramana Maharshi had lived. I saw the
small bungalow my father had inhabited, and I gazed up at
towering Arunachala.
The highlight of my trip was my encounter with His Holiness
Shri Shankara Acharya, the Spiritual Head of South India, whom
my father describes in Chapter VIII. I had no prior intention of
meeting him, but upon leaving the Ramanashram, decided to
seek him out. After driving along country roads for three hours
and locating the village where he was staying, history seemed to
repeat itself as I was told there was no chance of my being
8 A SEARCH IN SECRET INDIA
granted an audience with him. However, a friendly disciple
agreed to submit my card and returned with the news that His
Holiness would received me at the rear of the temple, to avoid
the crowds milling in front. His slight figure, clad in a saffron
robe, reflected his ninety-one years.
continued....
Friends,
Foreword of 'A Search in Secret India' continued....
I told him I was the son of
Paul Brunton. He replied briefly. The interpreter informed me,
"He knows!" His Holiness spoke again. "He has been waiting for
you! He has been expecting you," said the interpreter. But how
did he even know of me? How did he know I was in India, I
wondered to myself? I held out a copy of this book and showed
him his photograph, taken when he was thirty-eight. "I know!"
was his comment.
At this point I had hoped to elicit his views on the world
situation as had my father previously. But suddenly all questions
melted, as I felt an onrush of peace and love. All I could do was
prostrate myself in the time-honored tradition at the feet of His
Holiness as he gave me his blessing. He then put around my neck
a sacred mala, a garland fashioned from fragrant sandalwood. I
wear it daily.
Thus the wheel came full circle half a century later.
Kenneth Thurston Hurst August, 1985
Dear Ravi,
Nice to remember Maha Periyava guiding Paul Brunton to meet Sri
Ramana Maharshi, through your compilation of the story from Secret India. Thanks.
*****
Learning from Ramana:
continues.....
A Higher Power:
Not only were Sri Bhagavan's teachings not limited to one practice, but He valued what could not be practiced, and pointed out that grace is the key. When questioned as to whether He Himself did any sadhana, replied, "I know no such period...... I had no rules of meditation or contemplation." (Sri Ramana Reminiscences, G. V. Subbaramiah). He often spoke about the significance of surrender and reassured devotees that every thing would come to them through the grace of Sadguru and unfold and according to the will of Isvara. In one dialogue, Sri Bhagavan said that instructions are necessary only for those who do not believe in the guidance of God. (Talks No. 596), and that those who seek freedom from misery are told that God guides everything and they need not worry about what happens. "If they are of the best type", He says, 'they at once believe it and firmly abide by faith in God." (ibid).
When Prajananda wrote asking to become Sri Hagavan's disciple, Sri Bhagavan indicated that all that
was needed was faith and love towards the guru. (Conscious Immortality, Munagala Venkatramiah and Paul Brunton). Therefore, according to Sri Bhagavan, the "best type" of sadhaka is one who can hand over the reins to Guru (or God or Self, which, he said wee all synonymous ) and leave him to do the work. It is interesting to note here, that with regard to His own case, Bhagavan stated, "The fact is I did nothing. Some Higher Power took hold of me and I was entirely in its hand. (Self Realization, B.V. Narasimha Swami, Ch. 5.)
contd....
****
Learning from Ramana:
continues....
The Longing for Bhakti.
Before probing further into the role of practice and Self Inquiry, played in Sri Bhagavan's own realization, and how He spoke of it with His visitors and devotees. When we read Sri Bhagavan's description of that famous event in that small room in Madurai over one
hundred years ago, it is clear that the inquiry --Who is it that dies? Is it this body. What is that remains? Is it me? what is thing I call 'I' anyway? -- lasted only for a few moments. Similarly, the fear of death passed quickly, the same day. Sri Bhagavan said "He would lose himself" in the all absorbing concentration on myself, on the spirit, current or force (avesam) which constituted myself."
(Self Realization by B.V. Narasimha Swsmi, ch. 5) and that it remained with Him for ever after.
This dramatic and transforming expedience was expressed in Sri Bhagavan as a kind of indefinable longing. His mood became withdrawn and pensive. He tried to give an explanation for His behavior that would satisfy His family and told them He had an unbearable headache. "But", He said "it was not headache but an inexpressible anguish which I suppressed at that time." (Talks No. 419). He also commented later that the event of awakening started two new 'habits' in Him. introspection and a tendency to
weep whenever He stood before the images of the sixty three Tamizh
Saivite saints and the deities Meenkashi and Siva, and Nataraja in the big temple in Madurai. Until then He had occasionally visited the temple with His playmates, but had not felt any emotional response. Now, however, He would go
almost everyday and stand before the images, which triggered in Him
a spontaneous upwelling of emotion.
"Without feeling pain or pleasure, tears would flow." (Self Realization Ch.5). He also prayed, not for anything in particular, He said but He longed for the grace and blessings of Isvara. There was however, one specific thing He
would pray for, ardently and tearfully. The same bhakti as the sixty three saints. He tells us that He yearned for that kind of bhakti and that, 'going to school, books in hand, I would be eagerly desiring and expecting God would suddenly appear before me in the sky. And so I would be looking up at the sky. what sort of progress could such a one make in the studies at school ! (Day by Day dt. 18.3.1945.) It is to be remembered that all this came after the death experience ! The sequence of events and Bhagavan's description of them clearly show that this was a unique spiritual experience, rather than any kind of intellectual conceptualization or the result of any practice.
contd.
****
Learning from Ramana:
continues....
If we pause for a moment here, we cannot help but be touched by the beauty and poignancy of the situation. There is wonder at the might of the grace which struck the young Venkataraman like a thunderbolt and claimed Him as its own. At the same time, there is the image of the teenager, till then seemingly quite normal and enjoying the usual school boy activities, suddenly swept of His feet by an overwhelming and life changing experience, possessed by something that was compellingly fascinating (that higher power or avesam as He called it) yet for which He had no words and apparently nobody He could turn to for an explanation or guidance. In addition, the boy had to endure hostility from His school mates and older brother towards His abstracted demeanor, as well as waves of intense longing.
contd.,
*****
LEARNING FROM RAMANA:
continues....
Arunachala drew me to him. (Arunachala Ashtakam, verse 1).
After about six weeks of struggle, stung by a comment from his brother, Bhagavan immediately resolved to leave home for Arunachala, which had a strong attraction for Him since He was a young boy. He felt that His
brother's taunts were a call from His divine father. As He wrote in His farewell note, "In obedience to His command I am going in search of my father. But was not His own father, He was seeking. It was rather that He had undergone a transformation, that had changed Him forever and had awakened Him to the presence of of something immense, mysterious, and great. That 'something great' He called the Father. This was His personalized way of expressing whatever it was that had possessed Him for the last six weeks, and His urge to make it more concrete and go deeper into that experience. To Him, Arunachala was the concrete form of this inner experience and an outward symbol of what He had realized. He simply had to be united with it. In Madurai, He was unable to interest Himself any longer in mundane matters, and until He arrived at the feet of the object of His love -- ha for which he had felt sphurana (throbbing, glittering, springing forth) for as long as He could remember -- He remained restless and, as He said suffering inexplicable anguish.
When Sri Bhagavan finally arrived in Tiruvannamalai it was like a home coming for Him. He hurried straight to Arunachaleswara Temple, where all three compound doors were open, as also inner sanctum, yet curiously there was not a single other devotee present. Arunachaleswara welcomed its son with immediately darshan. Later it blessed Him with a natural abhishekam in the form of a brief shower of rain, which was unusual for that month.
We might say that Bhagavan's arrival at the feet of His divine father was in a sense the culmination of His own enquiry into His identity: 'Who am I? - Ah, I am the loving son of That, Arunachala.'
Arunachala pulled Him all His life and He was now able to fulfill that pull by staying in Its proximity.
contd.
****
Ravi,
Thank you for the excerpts from A Search in Secret India.
Incidentally, Paul Brunton also had darshan of Sri 'M' - the author of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Truly, Paul Brunton must have been blessed to have met such great saints.
Have you had darshan of Maha Periyava ? If so, can you share your experience with us ? A similar request to Subramanian Sir / Other friends also.
I had darshan of Maha Periyava only one - way back in 1984. I was young then and did not dare to speak to him but as you said the radiant face is unforgettable.
Thank you,
shiv
Shiv,
The First time I had DARSHAN of Mahaperiyava was in the seventies(He had come to our home in old Madras in the early 60s or so when I was a boy;I recollect my Grandpa bidding me to chant Sivananda Lahari stotra which I refused to oblige!So not counting that!).I think it was in thenambakkam.It was a dusty mud road and Mahaperiyava was squatting with staff in hand and opposite to him was a child,a boy of 6,and his father .There was also mahaperiyava's attendant who was relaying Mahaperiyava's words for the boy.Mahaperiyava was just whispering and spoke more through sign language.
On the other side of the road was a crowd of 50 people watching the proceedings and I was in their midst.
The Boy was narrating to periyava about some injury that he had suffered recently.
Mahaperiyava was listening to it with 100% attention.
"Did It pain much?"-Mahaperiyava asked and the attendant loudly relayed it and all of us could hear that.
The Child responded and we hardly could hear that.
"Did it pain all the more when you realized that it is paining?"-Mahaperiyava was inquisitive ,yet concerned like a child.
It was a child conversing with another child,absolutely on an even footing-The incredible beauty of it completely overwhelmed me and dissolved me(I will limit myself here).The Dazzling radiance of the Sage put the broad daylight(it was around 11:00 hrs or so) into shade.I was there for about an hour or so and felt completely cleansed and light in body and spirit.
One of the Best Writers on Kanchi Mahaswami is Sri rA ganapathi,who passed away a few months back.I warmly recommend his writings that have been published in Book form.
Incidentally rA ganapathi also wrote on the lives of Sri Ramakrishna ,Sri sarada Ma and Swami Vivekananda-They are among the best that have ever been written till date.
Namaskar.
Dear Anon.,
I have met Maha Periya two times,
once with my parents and another occasion with my wife. Both were in Kanchipuram.
I asked Him: I am, nowadays, after going to Bangalore, praying Sri
Ragavendra Swami. Is it proper,
being an Advatin. He laughed and told me: "All is One. Ellam onnu than, poda!" He gave me two plantains one for me and another for my wife.
On another occasion, I saw the Chandramouliswara Puja and also took meals in the Asramam with my wife. At that time, He asked some family details. I told Him I have six sisters. All have been married off with my finance and with my father's savings. He looked at me and said: Six sisters! All are married properly. For you, there is only moksha! I became very satisfied. On the same occasion, he asked whether I have read Tirumurais. I told Him that I have read a bit and mixed up Tirunavukkarasar's and Jnana Sambandhar's songs. He corrected me. He said: Tirunavukkarasar is a Velala (agriculturist) and Sambandha is a brahmin. Both lived almost in the same period.
*****
Learning from Ramana:
continues.....
He expressed His identity in fulfill the pull by saying in its proximity.
He expressed His identity in various ways. He called Arunachala as His beloved, His Bridegroom, His
Guru, His Father. His Mother, Siva, His lodestone. and the remainder of
His life was spent in unending expression of His love. Bhagavan first lived at the foot of the Hill, then on It, then again at Its base. He frequently walked around
the Hill, on giripradakshina. He climbed all over it as if unable to caress enough,-- in fact He once claimed that there was not an inch of the Hill He had not explored. Even in His last days when His body was weak, and wracked by rheumatism and sickness, He insisted on strolling on His beloved Hill as long as He could walk. He wrote exquisite poems of adoration to Arunachala and He attributed His own attainment solely to Its grace. As Bhagavan lay on His sickbed shedding grace on devotees, to the last, He spent His final moments om the body listening to the chanting
of Arunachala Siva, tears of emotion trickling down His cheeks.
Was this not a great love affair?
contd.
****
R Subramanian,
Wonderful and refreshing article by Alison williams(due credit should also go to his guru Sri Sainathuni Sarath babu-I do not know him)on Sri Bhagavan.
Thanks very much.
Namaskar
Learning from Ramana:
continues...
Was this not a great love affair? If Bhagavan had realized the Self solely through Self enquiry, what need would have been there for Him to come to Arunachala? He could have stayed more comfortably in His hole and avoid distressing His family by His sudden disappearance.
If He came only to honor the Hill and pay tribute to Lord Arunachleswara, why did He stay on?
During the more than fifty years, He spent there, why would Bhagavan not leave the Hill even for a single day?
Taking Refuge - the Beginning and the End:
It is commonly held that Bhagavan's state was complete after His 'death experience'. Of course, this is true in one way, but in another way, it was a beginning rather than an end --- the beginning of finding love, living in love, of falling into His true identity --- and then ongoing enjoyment of the expression of that identity with His divine father. It seems that Bhagavan lived in an ever deepening, ever expanding, experience of that. With every breath, He inhaled His Beloved drew closer and experienced it more and more, enjoying that experience until His very last breath.
If it is true that in poetry a person comes closes to revealing their soul, then even a cursory glance of Bhagavan's poems would identify Arunachala as the core of His being. See the outpouring of love and ardor in the Five Hymns! How full of passion they are and how complete --- could anybody express it in a better way or add anything further? They are almost the definitive word in devotional
love poetry and emotional experience. And it is significant that these were the only works that Bhagavan wrote spontaneously, without being asked by devotees. The poems clearly indicate Bhagavan's disposition for surrender to one's object of love, (Arunachala in His case) and dependence on the grace of Guru.
"Those who take refuge at the lotus feet of the supreme Lord of mercy presiding over Arunachala --- their minds free of attachment to riches, land and relatives, and to caste, and made ever purer by seeking Thy benign grace --- these rid themselves of darkness, and in steady light of Thy ever protecting grace, which shines like golden rays of the rising sun, they abide happy, sunk in the ocean of bliss."
(Navamani Maalai Verse 3).
Observe how Bhagavan reassures us: If we take refuge and seek grace, we will be happy and blissful. It is so simple! In Five Stanzas to Sri Arunachala, Bhagavan first acknowledges that meditation practices may bring us fulfillment:
"Abandoning the outer world with the mind and breath controlled, to meditate on thee within, the yogi sees your light, Oh Arunachala, and finds delight in you." (Pancharatnam Verse 4).
concluded.
*****
Sanatana Dharma - Deepam, 2004 of
Mountain Path:
The term Hinduism is a recent word
of convenience used to indicate the land and people who live East of Indus River. It is indicative of the Indian psyche that is accepted this classification with much the same ease with which it absorbed many elements of the Mughals and other Muslim invaders without in the main, listing its own intrinsic identity. In fact, Hinduism is probably the only major religion and culture to bear the full brunt of the extraordinary surge of Islam over the past thousand years and the retain its own character.
The people who live from the snows of Kashmir to the shores of Kanya Kumari should however rather be recognized as the adherents to an Indian way of life entitled the sanatana dharma. It is an important distinction and we should be aware of it as such. By knowing this we can better gauge and understand the roots of this principle and and its relevance to us. Otherwise, like the blind we grope at its enormous structure and make glib conclusions which can mislead us.
There is no exact English equivalent for the expression Sanatana Dharma. One approach could be the term "philsophia perennis" or perennial wisdom. But really we mean just as perplexed as if we had stuck with the original Sanskrit. Both are technical expressions which demand a certain prior knowledge. We do acquire facts but not at the expense of insight, for scholarship can obscure just as much as it can facilitate understanding.
The word dharma is fundamental to our understanding. It is not a fixed term but fluid and applicable to a wide range of conditions. Indeed, one could say that to understand dharma is to understand life itself. Dharma is that subtle, comprehensive power which holds things together in their correct proportion. The root of the word
is 'dhri' which has the meaning of carrying, supporting or sustaining.
Without this concept of stability we are doomed to endure a maze of rapidly altered states whose only constant is the one of confusion. This root world is almost identical with another one, 'dhru' which means pole. It indicates the unchanging axis around which change occurs. (See Rene Gueon, Studies in Hinduism, Ch.11)
contd.,
****
Sanatana Dharma:
continues.....
And Sanatana? It implies duration and perpetuity. It has the quality of being indefinite. It cannot however be defined by a specific time and place. The term 'sanatana' indicates that dharma applies equally to all beings and their states of manifestation. Again we see here, the idea of permanence and stability.
But what is it that binds a Brahmin in Kashmir with one who lives in the very south of the country some thousand or more miles away among Tamizhs or Malayalees? When we consider the historical conditions of say, two thousand years ago, it
is astonishing to find that aside from local customs pertaining to food or dress, they have everything in common. One underlying language, Sanskrit. One ritual contained in Vedas and one outlook which is liberation from the cycle of life and death ion this material universe. If they were brought together, they can communicate easily. How was this possible? How is it that over so many centuries this glue was held together so many disparate people, for Bengalis distinct from Gujaratis, the Marathis from the Assamese? And today would the voice of Sri Ramana Maharshi, a south Indian born, inspire so many people of such a diversity unless it is resonated with instantly recognizable truth. That is why His influence has spread not only throughout India but also among Westerners and peoples even farther east such as
Japan and Korea.
One man, born in an obscure village, upright but not influential or powerful parents, Sri Ramana as His life progressed steadily assumed the status of a god among those who fell under His spell of His sagacity and compassion. Was He unique or was He familiar product of this so called Sanatana Dharma? If He could
rise to such heights of recognition because of an undoubted integrity why not us? Like Sri Ramana, do we too need to be born in obscurity and enjoy sports rather than academic life? Do we need a superb memory that can carry a dreamer over the pitfalls of any exam system be in the halls of academia or on the highways of becoming a 'success'?
contd.
****
Sanatana Dharma:
continues.....
The answer is obviously No.Each of us is unique and each has his path or her own path to walk. Nobody can do it for us, Circumstances determine the terrain we must traverse to understand who we are. It is only by understanding his hat there is an opportunity to transcend our limitations. Before we can fly we must confront obstacles on the ground. It is only by being true to our path do we adhere to our svadharma. This is crucial to an understanding of what the Sanatana Dharma offers us, as a consolation in the face of anomalies in our personal and public life. And also an alternative to the mindless , knee jerk reactions we tend to indulge in when buffeted by the demands of the society within which we live.
Is there any criterion, method or medium by which we can judge our progress through life? Yes. It is called the Sanatana Dharma.
Some may think that this ancient way an anachronism in our smart, modern day and age. It is all very well to have ideals but do they feed us? Do they feel our human desires? In short, according to commonly accepted current wisdom, we should 'wake up' and 'get real' and not indulge in a so called fantasy.
contd.,
****
Sanatana Dharma:
continues....
The 'conventional' trend of thought
can only sink us further into the 'set values' which pervades our present confused generation. If we
further dare to ask what is the point of this hurried and anxious scramble for wealth, status and security? We do it because others
do it and we feel accepted. We are reassured that we are on the right track. But are we? The fact that so many people are searching for an alternative set of values should tell us something.
That being the case, what does the realization of a young man in Madurai in 1896, have to do with the focus of our investigation into the Sanatana Dharma? What did He discoover and what did He realize which totally and irreparably transformed His life and in consequence, ours? What happened to Sri Ramana was not that He discovered something but more to the point, He was engulfed by the power of a living principle. Like the proverbial moth naturally attracted to light or like the astonishing migratory geese who
unerringly track the magnetic lines of the two polar caps, Sri Ramana was overwhelmed by the surge of His inquiry. He was at one moment sucked out of the skin of His narrow physical world and at the same time, stripped of all illusion and transformed into a complete human being. This was made possible by an unwavering adherence to the single, unifying universal force, the Sanatana Dharma.
Do we dare ask the same question, as He did? Are we ready to take that risk and give up the beliefs of our small restless world? What is our Svadharma?
concluded.
Dr. K. Subrahmanian:
S. Ram Mohan, Moutain Path, Advent
2004):
In his drama Julius Caesar, Shakespeare in the world of Mark Antony, pays a beautiful tribute to Julius Caesar:
"His life was gentle.
The elements so mixed in him.
That nature itself stands up and
tell to all the world.
This was a man!"
This quote is very fit description of Dr. K.S. as we affectionately call him.
Dr.K.S. was a multifaceted personality. He was a great teacher, who was an affectionate source for transforming scores of young minds throughout the country. He was a noted columnist whose opinions impacted and reverberated in several quarters and as well, was an acknowledged linguist whose opinions were readily sought after by great scholars. Dr. K.S. was a great orator whose words had an electrifying effect on he audience. He was a friend, philosopher and guide to all the people who came to him in matters, temporal and spiritual and as a result was venerated as a competent spiritual guide to the earnest seekers. He instilled a great deep faith in Divinity in all those who came to him. Above all he was a compassionate humanist, radiating empathy with all and deeply interested in the welfare of all.
The significant aspect of Dr. K.S. was his utter simplicity and genuine humanity. He would often quote the words of Sri Sankara;'s
Shatpadi Stotra.
Avinayam Apanaya Vishnoh |
Damanaya Vishaya Mriga Trishnaam ||
Bhooth Dayam Vistaaraya |
Taaraya Samsaara Saagaratam ||
"Oh Lord! Remove the lack of humility in me. Let not the mirage of worldly objects swallow me. May my mind be filled with compassion towards the entire creation. Make me cross the ocean of samsara."
Everybody was comfortable in his presence and he did not inspire awe and trepidation in anybody. He was an ideal teacher who imparted knowledge with an outstanding quality of expression. He presented Truth with simple elegance, clothing expositions in words of quality and logic. He scrupulously adhered to the focus on God and never swerved away from the topic. His lectures had the ring of Truth in them. An ideal mentor, he was accessible to all and was quite unmindful of his own inconvenience.
Right up to the last period of his existence when he became ill, he was instrumental in giving spiritual guidance and solace.
Dr. K.S.'s surrender to Sri Bhagavan was total.
continued...
***
Dr. K. Subramanian:
continues.....
He came into contact with Him even as a baby! He has told us several times that Sri Bhagavan had seen him before he saw Him! He lived thoroughly a Bhagavan-centered life, thinking about Him, talking about Him, and meditating on Him, verily like Nayanmars and Azhwars of the previous era.
Dr.K.S. once said that while many of the great cities of he world flaunt their splendor, London hides its charm. One has to seek and probe to understand and appreciate its beauty. He was like the city of London and even people who had association with him for a long time were not aware of all his versatile dimensions. He disliked any special attention paid to him.
The lure of the world never fascinated him. It is not known to many people that he even refused to apply for the post of Professor in CIEFL (Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad.). Then Director of the Institute Sri Ramesh Mohan had requested the revered Prof. Srinivasa Iyengar to persuade Dr. K.S. to append his signature in the application form so that the rest of the formalities could be taken care of by the Institute.
His own life reflected many aspects of Bhagavan's life. He was the quintessential successful sadhaka portrayed by Sri Bhagavan in the 5th versed of Arunachala Pancharatnam. He surrendered his mind totally to Him.
He was able to see himself in others and others in himself. His concern for others and their well being, compassion towards all, his ability to see good in every being was legendary. He had the extraordinary ability to accept people as they are without any qualifications or stipulations, which cut across the barriers of caste, language, social strata and religions. His lectures in the Ramana Kendram and various sat sanghs in Hyderabad helped many to evolve on the spiritual path. Once when Mahatma Gandhi was asked was his message to the people was, he simply replied: "My life is my message." Likewise Dr. K.S.'s entire life was a message of love, compassion, humility and simplicity. No written word can adequately express the enormous patience he displayed when clearing the doubts of the devotees. Those who went to him for solace found comfort.
contd.,
***
We'll ignore that Unilever is behind this and instead enjoy the video and great music. story at : http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-b ... nge-health
K. Subrahmanian:
continues.....
Dr. K.S. would reiterate that he was like any other devotee of the Kendram and that the only important person and head of Ramana Kendram, was Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He used to preface his talks with the statement that people in Sri Ramana Kendram speak only because they are asked to speak and not because they know more than others. He continuously guided all the devotees to place their burden on Sri Bhagavan, leave everything to Him and accept things as they are. He repeated the words of Bhagavan that "when you travel in train, will you keep the luggage on your head?" Likewise when God carries us through out our life, leave all the
burden of your life to Him.
The eloquence of Sri Bhagavan's silence had a special place in his speeches. He wanted the devotees to understand the importance of silence. Dr. K.S. represented great silence within. He used to say that silence of Sri Bhagavan was not merely the silence of the tongue. It was the silence of the mind. This silence has the power to reveal the Truth whereas the words only indicate lies and even when we outwardly are silent, there is the incessant chatter in our mind. The story goes that King Ajata Shatru set out to pay a visit to Buddha and his more than 1,000 bhikshus, who resided outside of Rajagraha in the big mango grove. The King approached the grove with his forces and after proceeding some distance, he found he could hear no sound. Panic ceased him. Turning to his guide he asked, 'surely some ambush has been made for me here and you are leading me into it. Neither a sound have I heard nor a clearing of the throat from that large sangha which dwells here as you said."
Such is the power of silence,which
makes the uninitiated scared as if he confronts something weird.
continued....
*****
Dr. K. Subrahmanian:
continues....
Such is the power of silence, which
makes the uninitiated scared as if he confronts something weird. Dr.K.S.
would say, 'Speech is ego's customary manner of self affirmation. Long talks are ego's violent expressions.'
He used to cite Sri Sankara's word,
'Sabda Jaalam Maharanyam, Chitta Bramana Kaaranam.' The tricky forest of words confused the mind of any body who enters there.
His instructional post cards were legendary among devotees. Dr. K.S. knowing the power of Sri Bhagavan's words would painstakingly write a few words on a post card frequently and send these cards to all the devotees. He always carried with him an address book containing the addresses of all devotees including
those who had to out of the state for various reasons. These post cards were like messages from Sri Bhagavan Himself. They have a moving quality about them and more often than not they alleviated the
problem facing the devotees at that point of time. He also often sent the prasadam from Sri Ramanasramam, to the devotees. Dr. K.S had repeatedly said that they really are no problems; whatever happens will happen according to His divine
will. Sri Bhagavan will see to it that we are given the right frame of mind that will enable us to accept good and bad alike. Dr. K.S. lived the above philosophy in his life absolutely. He had no need for rituals and had given instructions to his family that after his death, there was no need to perform customary rituals. He directed that the devotees and poor could be fed on those days.
contd.,
****
Dr. K. Subrahmanian:
continues...
Sri Bhagavan, the pinnacle of Advaita Vedanta, was also the Himalayas of
compassion. His compassion was such that He was deeply moved when the devotees came to Him with grief. He empathized with them and shared their sadness with tears. Sri Bhagavan cried when one day a devotee ran in distress to Bhagavan with tears and said that her adopted daughter died on that day. His compassion reached out to even all animals. Even a bird's egg, which had cracked in a fall, He looked after and nurtured till a small bird emerged out of the shell.
Similarly Dr. K.S. showed his compassion, to all without any fanfare. Many an aspiring student and research scholar found help in him. With his encouragement the members of Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad would visit the orphanages and the homes of for physically handicapped to help and comfort them.
Whatever the quality of Sri Bhagavan that can be emulated by His devotees, it was Dr K.S. who adopted and lived it. He was accessible through out the day. Often when Bhagavan finished pradakshinam with one devotee and
returned to His place, another devotee would request Sri Bhagavan for another pradakshinam with Him.
Sri Bhagavan readily agreed, despite His physical problem.
Whenever the quality of renunciation was mentioned Dr. K.S with choking voice told us about Sri Bhagavan's total surrender to Arunachala.
contd.,
****
Dr. K.Subrahmanian:
continues..
He would repeat several times the
young Venkataraman's journey to
Arunachala. The boy did not take even an extra anna when the decision was made to travel to that unknown place; the dhoti that was torn to make a single koupinam. And thee there was no thought to keep the torn portion so it could be used as a towel. The boy who placed His life totally in the hands of Arunachala and sat in absolute bliss, not even seeking food to sustain Himself. Dr. K.S. would movingly tell the story about the absolute surrender of the Master.
Like Sri Bhagavan, Dr, K.S. had great concern for people and reached out with kindness. In the year, 1978, when he went to Honolulu to attend a conference, one of the delegates asked him to visit her country, Taiwan. He complied with the request and went there and stayed in the house of the delegate. The delegate's daughter was a small pretty child. When they became friends, she showed Dr. K.S. her pet -- a tiny bird in a beautiful cage. After admiring the bird, he asked the child as to how she would enjoy life in a cage. The girl was silent for a while and then quietly went out. She returned a little later
and reported that she had released the bird! Later he had probably been sent to Taipei to free a bird.
contd.,
****
Since practicing self-inquiry I have become less and less interested in socialising. People invite me to social events, and I find I have no interest, I don’t wish to go. For there’s nothing I want to say. Other people find this very difficult to understand. And I find it impossible to explain.
Does anyone else have this experience?
Dr. K.Subrahmanian:
continues....
His weekly columns "Between You and Me" and "Know your English" published in the Hindu were widely read in India and abroad and eventually the Oxford University Press published them, in two volumes. In his column, he did not even spare anybody, however high and mighty they were. Surprisingly nobody took offence or held him in fear and they would even write letters of appeal explaining their
view.
He was noted Vedanti but also a great devotee. He went into raptures while explaining the various shades of meaning conveyed by each word of Sri Aksharamana Maalai. He used to say that grace is the theme around which this beautiful garland is strung. He encouraging the recitation of Sri Aksharamamana Maalai by the devotees whenever possible in Ramana Kendra, Hyderabad.
His sense of humor is also renowned. He knew how to laugh at himself. Being short in structure, he used to say, "I will make my speech as short as I am."
There is famous Greek lyric which starts with the sentence - 'They told me Heraclatus that thou are dead." and was often quoted by Prof. K. Swaminathan. A great personality like Dr. K.S. never dies. A great karma yogi like him always lives in the minds of those to whom he was a mentor. He had launched many of us in the supreme quest. He had brought to us not only the facets of philosophy but
also deep insight into them. Many who came to him have been enriched and purified and elevated by his guidance and his very presence.
Like the song of a solitary reaper,
we hear your music in
our soul when in the world, it is
heard no more.
concluded.
*****
S. Sankaranarayanan: An Exemplary
Disciple:
(Mountain Path, Deepam, 2004)
By Prema Nandakumar:
In the passing away of Sri Sankaranarayanan, we realize that a gifted child of Divine Mother, has gone back to Her loving care. Initiated into ancient Sanskrit literature by his grandfather, Sri S. Narayana Iyer, Sri Sankara Narayanan was able to integrate his academic study of mathematics and professional career of management with Sri Vidya Upasana. An exemplary disciple, he has mentioned that he was able to achieve this because of his guru, Sri T.V. Kapali Sastri:
"When I found myself helpless in the spiritual path and was lost in the bylanes, i was he who drew me to the royal path and helped me journey forth for my good here and in the hereafter. He had come as a god to rule over me and revealed the secrets of Devi Mahatmyam.:"
Sri Kapali Sastri was attuned to the sadhana of Sri Ramana Maharshi and of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Sankara Narayanan walked beside his master and absorbed the spiritual gifts to him by his guru with exceptional clarity. Presently he became a conduit to bring the Sadhana Sastra of Sri Vidya and the sublime thoughts of Sri Ramana Maharshi to our generation through the English language. His Sri Chakra (first edition 1970), The Ten Great Cosmic Powers (Dasa Maha Vidya, 1972) and Sri Ramana Gita (1988) are classics that have been spreading a steady illumination throughout the world.
Sri Ramana Gita contains the answers of Ramana Maharshi to the questions posed by aspirants in
Tiruvannamalai. The great savant,
Vasishta Ganapati Muni set them down in eighteen chapters. Sri Kapali Sastri wrote a Sanskrit commentary on the Sri Ramana Gita, titled Prakasa. Ramana Maharshi heard it read and gave His approval.
contd.,
****
Peter, To know the self you may need to take the time to seclude yourself.
You have to keep away from the chattering classes.... some of the time, alot of the time?
Hopefully as we mature entertainment loses its pull, its allure.
Ultimately you wake up to the fact that most of the chattering is going on in our own head.
thank you hey jude for responding
self-enquiry diminishes the chattering mind
i've lost the ability to chit-chat, 3mins is probably my maximum
social events generally demand chit-chat, sometimes for hours on end; silence makes people uncomfortable, they prefer noise
S. Sankara narayanan -
An exemplary disciple:
continues....
Ramana Maharshi heard it read and gave His approval. Essentially an
inquiry into the nature of the Self, the work is rich with spiritual diction of India. Sri Sankara narayanana had a daunting task on hand when Sri B. Ananthaswami suggested a commentary on the Ramana Gita in English. Fortunately, he had also laved deep in the works of Sri Aurobindo and his own Guru was a master stylist in the English language. The English translation of Ramana Gita has indeed achieved a parampara of classics beginning with Ramana Maharshi's saying that gave rise to the Prakasa commentary of Sastriar. Sri Sankara narayanan's translations must be one of those very few books which achieve the status of a classic even as they are published.
Lucid, with a never-failing attention to detail, it is a pleasure to read Sastriar's Prakasa and its English version which together give us lessons on the grammar of translation. A translation should be a work in its own right, but also illumines the original with perfect precision. In the course of the work, there is a passage on the uses of rituals and study in one's spiritual life:
'For beginners, for those who have started self inquiry... all these acts like sacred bath prescribed by Sastras, Sandhyas, japa etc., result in contributing a great detail to their mental purification. For those who are engaged in Self Inquiry, after acquiring the necessary fitness, the practice and performance of the acts, in the initial stage contribute to the purification of the mind, not for those who think that the acts are the be all and end all."
If the English has followed like a Prabha the original Sanskrit of the Prakasa both being punya tirthas, a good deal of credit goes to Sri Sankara narayanan's wife Vijaya, a gift of the guru's grace for the earnest disciple. For more than half a century the couple lived the life divine among the great adhyatmic thoughts and spreading the light of our masters. Our loving thoughts Vijaya in this moment of an irreparable loss, even as we salute the memory of Sri Sanakra narayanan, an ideal child of the Divine Mother.
concluded.
*****
Peter,
Generally speaking on balance between material and spiritual goals:
There are three kinds of people in Inaction:
1)people in Depresion
2)Masts(God intoxicated people) at various level
3)Jnanis.
One thing common to all the above is Inaction(Panilenivadu).Inaction for people in depression and Masts is undesirable.They are a sort of premature fruits.That is they have lost the Will/Fire/Desire to move on in life althought the seeds of Desires remain deep inside.All people fall into stagnation at some point in some life but the important thing is to get out as soon as one realises.I believe they see the that Fruits are so temporary that the Chase is not worth it and yet the Desires remain inside or in the case of Masts they are so intoxicated in happiness they do not realise that the seeds of Desires are still there deep inside.
As soon as one detects he is in Depression or a Mast he needs help by somebody to kick him back into Action.
So it is important to maintain a balance between fulfilling inherent Desires and Spirituality. Apparently the goal is to see that Spiritual and Material lives are not seperate althought I do not know myself how to integrate like that.
The guiding principle to avoid falling into stagnation or getting out are these words of Buddha(not exact words):
1)Some Desires are to be pursued; some restrained, some Mindful, some completely purged.
2)Truly nobody can achive Nirvana without having lived the Life.
What Desires to what limit is EACH TO HIS OWN.
Dear Zee,
In Hyakujo's Fox story, Mummon's
comments finally end as -
Controlled or not controlled?
The same dice show two faces.
Not controlled or controlled
Both are a grievous error.
Subramanian. R
For android phone users:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ramanadaily
Regards Murali
Zee, thank you
but i do not see the link between your post and mine
what is it please?
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sadhu Om:
(as recorded by Michael James:
(Mountain Path, Aradhana, 2012)
3rd December 1977:
Sadhu Om: The guru acts through our own discrimination (viveka). Reflection (manana) on the Guru's teachings is itself a spiritual pracice (sadhana), because by our reflecting and discriminating the
hold of our vasanas (mental inclinations or propensities) is weakened and our mind is kept in quietude -- that is,in the quiescent state of self attention.
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self attention.
(Sri Sadhu Om)
4th December 1977:
The various theories taught by Bhagavan (regarding karma, prarabdha, surrender, God, Guru and so on) will often appear to contradict each other, but will never contradict the need for self attention. They are each suited to different modes of the mind. All such theories are merely clues or aids that help us cling to self attention.
Self attention is the only watertight theory. All other theories are riddled with loopholes and contradictions. Therefore, if instead of quietening the mind they give rise to doubts, set them aside by investigating who thinks about them.
Self attention is the sole aim of all Bhagavan's teachings. he taught us that self alone exists and is real, and that all else is a dream, a figment of our imagination. He said, 'Attend to that for which you came.' We came for knowing the Self and not for many theories. However, a thorough understanding of His teachings and the theories He proposed will enable us to quieten the mind in any situation.
Bhagavan has given us a simple teaching: 'Your own self awareness is the only thing that seems to be permanent. Therefore do not research on it alone: attend to it, and cling to it firmly' Though His teaching is simple, it is the greatest of all treasures.
Grace acts by persistently reminding us of the self. To forget self (that is, to attend to anything else) is misery; to remember self is peace or bliss.
contd.,
****
The inner path forest closure is a great shame. The building boom in Tiru is never ending, so there are few green parcels of land left.
One of the few delights was doing the inner path pradakshina (nature walk)
We would sometimes stumble upon sadhus along the way, are they banned as well?
Apparently sadhus seem to have been banished (discouraged)from the Arunachalaswar temple as far as I can see.
There seems to be a complete lack of goodwill and negative forces at play.
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues....
Whenever any doubts, questions, or new ideas arise, reflect on whether
they could arise in your sleep. Obviously, they could not, so they are external to you. Therefore forget them and remain as you were in sleep.
The mind is controlled effectively by Knowledge alone. Root out all disturbances by keen and sharp discrimination. Do not try to rely on forcible control.
Krishna said that he will attend to the needs of those who always meditate only on him without thinking of anything else. (BG 9.22 and BG Saram Verse 31). What does this mean? He is our real self, and nothing other than him, so he can only attend to himself. If we also attend only to self, without thinking of anything else, where are the needs? Other than ourself, nothing is real, so we should attend only to self.
When Ramaswami Pillai asked Bhagavan which thoughts should be rejected as bad and which should be accepted as good, Bhagavan replied,
'Reject all thoughts, even the thought of Bhagavan.'
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues....
Never think you are a beginner in the early stages of sadhana. Always act as if the dawn of self knowledge might come at any moment.
We will be standing on our feet only when we are able to reject all disturbances -- come what may -- by keen discrimination. Then all books, satsangh and other outward aids will be unnecessary.
Whatever disturbances may come, remember that they are because 'I am'. As a result of our daily practice, the thought 'I am' will immediately pull us back to self attention.
There are no straight routes to our
goal. That is, rigid or formal approach is impossible, because self inquiry is an art, and each situation must be dealt with in an appropriate manner as it arises. Bhagavan has given us an armory of weapons suited to each situation, so when the shield does not work use the sword. When the mind is agitated an attitude of surrender may help, but when the mind is quiet do not think, 'I should surrender; how to do so?' but instead use that quietness to abide as the Self.
There is no such thing as partial surrender. 'Surrender is only real when it is complete. What is called 'partial surrender' is only a practice aiming at complete surrender, and that practice is the correct discrimination in any given situation, that will lead the mind back to self attention.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues...
5th December 1977:
Sadhu Om: To dwell upon 'I am' in whatever way is possible is good contemplation (manana). It is the practice that will root out all interest in other things (second and third persons) and make self abidance easy.
Good and Bad are based on the limiting concept 'I am the body'.
The experience of the Jnani is simply 'I am'. Though it may seem that the Jnani sees differences, he never actually experiences any distinctions such as good and bad. He is ever contented with the knowledge 'I am'. 'I am' is both the way and the goal (as Bhagavan teaches us in Verse 579 of Guru Vachaka Kovai).
Bhagavan is he greatest siddha. He knows well what work need be done on us and how to do it. Though we do not know it, he is doing he is doing his work all the time.
Erratic behavior only occurs if a disciple has a profound change of outlook while still retaining some individuality. Bhagavan will always bring about the required change of outlook (the experience of true self knowledge) together with the loss of individuality, so no outward changes will be seen in those whom he liberates, and not 'I' will rise in them to say, 'I have had this change of outlook', nor will he say anything, (that is, he will not say that they have been liberated).
He used to give the example of a hard shelled fruit which an elephant swallows whole and excretes unbroken, but when the shell is broken open the contents are found to have been digested. Likewise when Bhagavan consumes anyone's ego, they will outwardly
appear unchanged. No one can say how many egos Bhagavan has thus consumed. (Compare verse 89 of Sri Arunachala Aksharamana Maalai: 'Arunachala, who, unknown to anyone, enchanted and stole my mind.')
In one of his verses, Muruganar sang to Bhagavan: 'You have given me sahaja (my natural state) without letting me experience nirvikalpa samadhi, close my eyes, or do any sadhana.' Such is Bhagavan's gurushi, if He were asked how He does it, He would say, 'I don't know; I just know that I am.'
There is only a thin line between Jnana and ajnana. At right time, a shock may enable one to cross the line and have that small change of outlook.
'I am' is neither inside nor outside. Dwell on the fact that 'I am' is devoid of limitations. Dwell on the feeling of being. That is Self and it alone exists.
The karma theory is riddled with loopholes, ambiguities and dubious assumptions. Firstly it presupposes that the ever non existent ego exists as a doer, and on top of this false assumption it piles up one false assumption over another; the existence of God, agamya, sanchita, prarabdha, their functions and so on. Do not merely
doubt the theory; doubt whether you exist as a doer.
continued...
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sadhu Om:
continues...
6th December 1977.
Initiation is only necessary for students in the first or second standard (in the school of bhakti described in the Path Of Sri Ramana), because they need to be taught rituals or mantras before they can start such practices. For students in the fourth standard, no initiation is necessary, because the fact that they have been drawn to the Sadguru indicates that they have already passed beyond such preliminary practices.
The Guru works directly through the matured mind of an aspirant, using the aspirant's own discrimination to turn his attention towards self.
If an aspirant does proper study (sravna) and reflection (manana) on the guru's words, he will clearly understand that self attention is the only practice that is necessary, and that all other practices are superfluous.
A true aspirant will understand that 'I am' is the Guru. If the Guru were merely a body, he would disappear as he appeared, and would therefore be useless. To search for a 'living guru' is absurd, because the 'living guru' will sooner or later become a dead guru. If an aspirant has understood that the teachings of the Guru correctly, he will no longer look for the guru outside, because he will have faith that the guru is ever present within himself as 'I am'.
Bhagavan used to say that the body of the guru is a veil covering Him in the view of His devotees, because it conceals from them His true form as the Self. What advantage do devotees who were blessed to be in His physical presence have now? All they now have is a memory, which is no better than a dream. If they think profoundly, 'I have seen Bhagavan'
this is just another opportunity for their ego to rise.
To have come to Bhagavan is a sing of our ignorance. But He removes that ignorance by enabling us to understand that His presence is not limited to any place here or there, because it alone exists. He does not allow us to cling to anything external, but makes us discriminate and understand that "I am" alone is eternal, and that the guru therefore cannot be anything other than that.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
I am now so well soaked in Sri Bhagavan's teachings so firmly, convinced by them, that I cannot take serious interest in any other guru or teaching. But this is not a fault,
because such a strong conviction is
necessary.
When Sri Bhagavan was ill, with cancer, I composed ten verses saying, 'If you can form even a single resolution (sankalpa), think of this helpless creature, who can do nothing for himself' and so on. When He read those verses, He smiled, and that smile showed me my foolishness. It said to me, 'If my thought, look or touch can help you, how more so can my silence?'
Thinking, looking, and touching are actions that require body, but His silence requires no physical presence. Silence is the most effective weapon, so to ask the Guru, to use any other means is like asking a general to use a crowbar to open a fortress, even though he is already bombarding it with canons, bombs, and all the most powerful weapons. We have Sri
Bhagavan's words, which are sufficient to turn our mind selfwards, and His silence is sufficient to do whatever else is required.
We must be content with our Guru, because even on the spiritual chastity, (fidelity to one's guru )
is necessary. If we chase after other gurus, that is a sign of wandering mind and lack of discrimination, which will only obstruct the work being done by His
Grace.
If we do proper manana (reflection) on Sri Bhagavan's teachings, we will find no room for discontent.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention.
9th December, 1977.
We must be careful not to feed the 'I' in any way. That is an important part of of spiritual practice. At every twist and turn, we must be alert against the rising of this 'I'. To sit in the Hall (Bhagavan's Old hall, in Sri Ramanasramam is good, but it is also necessary to watch all the time that we do not feed the 'I'.
We should not even think of becoming a Guru or guiding others. Avoiding such idea is a good discipleship. We must also be humble and self effacing. If we want fame or the good opinions of others, then we are no better than worldly people, because we are still thinking that happiness comes from outside ourself.
How can an aspirant mix with worldly minded people? Their thought current is completely opposed to ours. If one feels increasingly out of place in this world, and if one has less and less liking to mix with worldly minded people, that is a sign of progress.
True progress is not raising kundalini to here and there, but is just humility. To be constantly self effacing in every way is a sure means to samadhi.
Bhagvan told us to be quiet, but nowadays so called yogis and maharishis are shouting so much. Bhagavan lived a perfect example of the state of Jnana, but where can you see such an example among all the famous 'sages' of today? Tinnai Swami is the nearest I have seen to what Bhagavan taught us. Complete non interference. To keep quiet and not to interfere is the best way of living in the world.
When an old woman cursed Bhagavan for roaming about the Hill in the heat of the sun among all thorny plants, asking Him why He did not
just keep quiet, He did not reply arroganly, 'But I am a great Maharishi'. But He merely thought,
'Yes, that is good. To keep quiet is best.'
We should not want to have anything or to be anything. Great saints have prayed, 'Send me to heaven or hell. I do not even ask for liberation. Only let me always cling to you alone.'
What is the use of good opinion of others? At most it will last only for the lifetime of the body.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
10th December 1977:
In Verse 273 of Guru Vachaka Kovai
Sri Bhagavan says that self awareness (sat bodha or being consciousness) that exists and shines in all, as all, is the guru.
To be qualified for the fourth standard, (in the school of bhakti)
one must have wholehearted love for Guru, and one must try to put his teachings into practice, at least in so far, as one understands them.
Unless one sincerely wants and tries to follow the guru's teachings, one does not have the true guru bhakti required to be in the fourth standard. (compare the final clause of the 12th paragraph
of Nan Yar?)
For example, although Devaraja Mudaliar said he had not brain for self inquiry, Sri Bhagavan was everything to him, so he followed the path of self surrender as he understood it. One may be bottom of the class, but unquestioning faith in the guru will overcome all obstacles in a moment. Even if we do not succeed now in our attempts to abide as self, we should never at least sincerely want and try to
abide thus.
Progress can never be judged. Bhagavan knows exactly the right medicine to mature each one of us, so He knows which vasana (propensity) to release at each moment. Someone who is getting 5% today, may get 100% tomorrow, whereas some one else who is getting 90% may not not seem to improve for years. A person may always be caught up in worldly
affairs, but if he is always feeling, This is all useless nonsense; when can I be quiet?'
he may be doing better than someone who is always sitting in meditation.
contd.,
***
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention.
Sri Sadhu Om.
entry dated 10th December - 1977.
continues....
A lady devotee who lived nearby,
complained to Sri Bhagavan that she had not been able to come to His Hall, for fifteen days because she had to attend to relatives who had come to stay. He replied: 'That is good. It is better that you were
at home with your relatives and that your mind was here, then if you had been here and your mind had been thinking of them.'
Sri Ramakrishna told the following story:
A sadhu led a pure life and wanted to help a pious prostitute, so he
counted the number of people who visited her, by placing stones represented by her sins, so in repentence she locked the door and starved to death. He also passed away, but she was taken to heaven because she was repentant whereas he was taken to hell because his mind was always dwelling on her sins!
He also told a similar stories of two friends, one of whom listened to Bhagavatam while the other went to a brothel. The first regretted his decision and envied his friend,
who he thought was enjoying himself in the brothel, while the second felt disgusted with himself
and would have preferred to listening to the holy book. The first went to hell and the second went to heaven.
The moral of these stories is that outward actions are not as important as our inner thoughts and attitudes. Likewise, intense longing for self abidance is essential, even if we fail in our efforts to abide as Self.
In order to be free, we only need to experience our being as it really is for just one moment. When an aspirant is sufficiently matured through school of bhakti, the guru will give the final lap,
and thus he will be promoted to the fifth standard, which is liberation. That may happen at any moment.
The love to abide as self is the real sign of guru bhakti.
Part I concluded.
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Part II - Advent 2012.
Sri Sadhu Om:
10th December 1977 - contd.,
People want to leave something for
the world when they die, but when
the body dies, this world, which is our projection, ceases to exist. if we care about the world, we haven't understood Bhagavan properly.
In the English translation of Who
Am I? in Words of Grace, the world is said to appear or be perceived as an apparent reality (which is a term that Bhagavan did not use in Tamizh original). What does 'objective reality' mean? Objects have the same degree of reality as the subject, but both are unreal. Realty is neither objective nor subjective.
Even Krishna talks of the earnest inquirer passing on to enjoy celestial worlds and then returning to do sadhana in this world, as if all these worlds existed in our absence.
Bhagavan said that not only does self not know other things, but it does not even know itself. Knowing is a part of a dyad, and a triad but the self is just being. Being is knowing, but not in the ordinary sense of this word, which refers to an action. Therefore when Bhagavan said that self does not even know itself, He meant that its self awareness is not action, but its natural state, of just being. he did not mean that it does not know I AM but it is devoid of knowing as commonly as we conceive it.
contd.,
***
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
Part II - continues...
This world is nothing but a projection of our own vasanas, (dispositions), so anyone who reacts to it with feelings such as curiosity, desire, anger, fear or hatred is like a small child or monkey when it first confronts its own reflection in a mirror. At first it is curious, then it becomes angry, then it gives a blow, and finally it runs back to its mother in fear.
If we desire anything from God, or Guru, we do not have deva-bhakti or guru bhakti (true love for God or
Guru) but only vishaya-bhakti (love for objects or objective experiences). Only when we desire nothing are we qualified for the third (b) or fourth standards (in the school of bhakti) described in The Path of Ramana).
When they first come to the guru even sincere aspirants desire moksha, peace or whatever else they call it. Mumukshatva is necessary for the fourth standard of (guru bhakti) but what the guru makes the aspirant understand is that moksha is not gaining anything, but losing everything. To learn this is the purpose of the fourth standard, and when it has been learnt thoroughly we will be in fifth standard (pure svatma bhakti or love for the Self, which is the state of moksha.
Many like Muruganar and Natanananda
came to Bhagavan for moksha and prayed accordingly. Their prayers purified their minds and gave them the discrimination to understand that complete loss of invidiuality is the only true moksha.
Bhagavan taught us how to pray: In verse 30 of Akshara Mana Malai He sang, 'Destroying my worldly greatness and making me naked in the state of nirvana, give me the greatness of your grace.'
He said that even surrender as it is usually understood is not true deva bhakti, because everything is already God's, so we can only return what was never ours, as He
taught us in Verse 486 of Guru Vachaka Kovai: Imagining our self to be separate from god, our lovingly offering that self to God, who exists as our real, clearly experienced self is just like breaking a piece from a sweet sugar idol of Ganapati, and offering it back in worship, to that Ganapati.'
True deva bhakti is not to rise as a separate self in the first place, even to surrender that self to God.
In Verse 29 of Upadesa Undiyar, He sang, 'Abiding in this state of self knowledge, which is the way to experience supreme bliss devoid of any thought of bondage or liberation, is abiding in the service of god.'
By abiding thus, without rising as a separate 'I', we are sparing God the trouble of having to save us from our self created ignorance.
This is the best service we can do for Him, and is therefore the only real deva bhakti.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention;
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues.....
13th December 1977.
The mind will always feel that self attention is difficult, because it can never attend to self. Only self can attend to self.
When a French devotee told him that Swami Siddheswarananda (the founder and head of the Ramakrishna Mission Center in France) had said, 'Very have known who Sri Bhagavan is.' Muruganar replied, 'That is true. Sri Bhagavan's Asramam is not confined within four walls of this compound. The whole universe is His asramam. The whole universe is Himself. He later added, "Bhagavan alone exists."
During his final illness, when some devotees suggested that he pray to Bhagavan to relieve his suffering, Muruganar replied 'You can pray to your god. But I cannot. My God does not answer. My God cannot answer."
Sastra vasana (the disposition to study numerous spiritual and philosophical texts) is created only if one does no more than sravana and superficial manana. If a learned pandit who seeks name and fame did a little deep manana, he would reflect thus: 'If Brahman, the one Self alone exists, why do you want the appreciation of others? Where are any others? Who am I?'
If reflection on the Guru's words is done only as an aid, to practice sadhana, it will not create sastra vasanas. The Guru's words will always turn the mind back to self attention, because they all point only to the Self.
For a young and earnest aspirant whose mind is still fresh, only a little manana is needed. Whenever his mind strays outwards, he will reflect, 'All that is perceived through the five senses is known by me, so knowledge of anything indicates that I am', and thus he will easily restore his self attention.
During nididhyasana a little manana can some times help to prevent the mind from staying from self attention. But ultimately all these aids must go. In Who am I? Bhagavan says that a time will come when we will have to forget all that we have learnt. To forget second and third persons (everything other than ourself) is peaceful; to remember them is troublesome.
When he was young Natananada once said to an older devotee who was asking Bhagavan many questions about how to practice atma vichara. 'When the infinite self-shining "I"
is standing inside you like a rock, why do you have so many doubts?'
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
19th December 1977:
Dispassion comes only through knowledge. It is cultivated by reflection (manana) and discrimination (viveka), and sustained by the clear conviction that everything is 'I', that nothing is independent of our own
self awareness, and that Self alone exists.
Why to say that a mind or ego exists in sleep in order to know 'nothingness' and that that 'nothingness' itself is nothing other than Self. If you can understand that, when you can understand that Self also knows this 'everythingness', and that 'everythingness' is also nothing other than Self.
In fact, no ego or mind exists even now, so why to say it exists in sleep? There is only one 'I' so that 'I' knows all this is only Self. Why to admit the existence
of an ego?
In Sri Bhagavan's path, we cannot admit the existence of any state of 'void' or 'nothingness', because in order to experience such a state, we would have to exist in it, and hence it would not be devoid of ourself, but only other things. Since nothing else exists in it, it would be full of ourself, and hence 'purna', not 'sunya'. To any one who imagined that they have reached a void, Sri Bhagavan would say, 'Investigate who experiences it'. However, even that would not be necessary if we firmly cling to self attention.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of
Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues.....
In the mangalam verse of Ulladu Narpadu, anubandham, Sri Bhagavan says that everything is Self. Self is that in which, of which, from which, for which, by which and which everything actually is. To tell the truth, even this (our everyday activity) is self attention.
Why then are Bhagavan's clues necessary? Only because we now mistake our natural state of self awareness to be a state of awareness of many things other than ourself. It is only as a means to remove this mistaken experience of
otherness, and manyness that Bhagavan asked us to attend only to Self.
An elderly devotee did not visit Bhagavan for a while because he thought he could become like Bhagavan on his own. After a long time, he returned, just as Bhagavan was stitching some leaf plates, and Bhagavan said to him, 'See, we take so much time to stitch these plates, and after eating from them, we throw them away. Bhagavan is like a leaf plate. Only when He has served His purpose should you throw Him away.' Therefore, Bhagavan and the clues He has given us are necessary until we experience the dawn of self knowledge, and after that we will see that we - the oneself -- alone exist, and that Bhagavan and His clues are also only ourself.
contd.,
****
Dear, Mr.Godman
Recently I translated Swami Madhavatirtha's article of 'The Power of the Presence,Part One' into Japanese. It is a very interesting article that clearly expresses differences of philosophy between Sri Aurobindo and Sri Bhagavan.
I would like to post this tanslation on my blog. Could you permit me to do so?
thank you
Shiba
Yes, you can post the chapter,. Please send me the link or a file of the translation once it has been posted.
Dear, Mr.Godman
Thank you very much for your kind permission. The Japanease reader must find this article interesting.
I tanslated the following article.
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.jp/2013/03/ramana-maharshi-on-sri-aurobindo.html
And my Japanese translation of the article is the following.
http://arunachala-saint.blogspot.jp/2013/03/blog-post_31.html
thank you
The Paramount Importance of
Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues...
Our mind experiencing objects is like sunlight falling on a mirror and being reflected onto the wall. The reflection (which is like the objects we experience) is light, the reflecting mirror (which is like our experiencing mind) is light -- and when looked directly it seems another sun -- the sun (which is like the Self, the source of all our mind's light of consciousness) is light. Everything is light, and the light is one. Likewise, we and all that we experience are only the one light of consciousness, which is the Self.
Can the mind rise without the support of the Self? Can it exist without self awareness? It is all so simple, but immature minds think, 'Then self knowledge is only like the nothingness of sleep. It does not look very tasty in comparison with all the interesting
things outside in the world.' What
can we say to them? We cannot change them, so we just have them to let them suffer a bit more until they understand that oneness is peace and manyness is pain.
In the shade it is pleasant, in the sun it is scorching. We always have the freedom to turn within to see the light and thus enjoy the shade. When by force of old habit we wander out again, we say to Bhagavan, 'That was only laya, I want nasa.' and He replies, 'Turn again to the source and see if manyness exists there.' By repeatedly turning away consciously from the manyness in this way, we come to see that it does not exist apart from us, and that it is therefore, not something we need to fear. Some reach this realization after just a few attempts, but other it takes longer because their attention is not sharp and clear.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues.....
Extracts from tape recordings; 13th
March 1977.
Self Attention is ever going on. It needs no effort.
Here the whole philosophy is based on the principle that people are not committed by attending to second or third persons, so Vairagya must be the base. One should know that attention to second and third persons brings misery.
When Bhagavan was asked: 'Why should we attend to the first person or Atman?' He replied: If you do not attend to the first person, you attend to the second or third persons instead. If you do not do Atma Vicharam, you do anatma vicharam. Neither is necessary. to be is not doing, not attending.' Until one comes to the conclusion that attending to second or third persons -- or even to the first person -- is ultimately unnecessary, one should attend to the first person. But if that is felt to be tiresome, be free from that also, and just be happy with your mere being.
[Later Sadhu Om explained that this is like saying, 'if you do not like this coin with a head, you can have this one with a tail.' knowing that both coins are one. Remaining with only our being is the state of attending to nothing other than self.]
There must be a first person to attend to second or third persons.
Must not the first person exist before it can start to attend to any second or third person, and does it know that it is? After waking up from sleep as so and so, the first knowledge that comes to us is about our own existence. That itself is self attention. Knowing that I am so and so is knowledge the first person. How does this knowledge come? Only by attending to the first person. So attention to the first person is always going on, even while we are attending to second person or third persons. Without attention to the first person, attention to the second or third persons cannot occur.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om
continues......
The knowledge of second or third persons indicates the presence of the first person. When the world is known, that shows that the first person is present. This is self attention without effort. A Jnani always paying attention, because he is self attention. If he knows anything, he clearly knows, 'Because I am, these are known. Because I am I hear this. Because I am I smell this. This 'I am' is a constant knowledge. This constant
knowledge -self attention -- does not fade away when he seems to attend to second or third persons.
This is the difference between a Jnani and an ajnani. The ajnani forgets that he is experiencing his being, whereas the Jnani does not forget this. He is fully aware that I am. How can this awareness be there unless there is attention? Since awareness and attention are one and the same and if if we are that I am, we are attending to I am. There will be no exertion in such self attention. and there will be no forgetfulness of the first person even when attending to second or third persons.
Can we actually forget self? No, we cannot. We cannot but know Self.
contd.,
****
The Paramount of the Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om;
continues.....
In deep sleep our self attention with without second or third persons. In sleep we do not need any outside indicators, any second or third persons, to know that 'I am'. Self attention is ever present in sleep. Though the second and third persons, the outer signs, are absent, we do not doubt whether or not 'I am'. Our being is our attention; our Sat is our Chit, our mere being is knowing.
Now we want to know, so we have to attend. Attending is a verb. But though 'I am' is also a verb, it is not action, a kriya rupa, but is just being, a sat rupa. So in 'I am', in just being, there is no exertion and hence no tiredness. Self attention is our svabhava, our nature, and hence no tiredness. It is constant even in deep sleep.
When we once discover that we are fully aware of our being in sleep, we will know that we will be fully aware of it in death and in pralaya. We alone are; nothing is ever destroyed.
In sleep there is no fear. Sri Bhagavan said, 'Where there are no thoughts, there will be no fear. When thoughts subside, there is no fear.'
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues....
In sleep there is no fear. Sri Bhagavan said, Where they are thoughts, there will be fear. When thoughts subside, there is no fear.'
Fear, sorrow, and desire are nothing but thoughts. Thoughts create them. In sleep, we remain alone, without thoughts. When we are alone there is no fear. Fear comes only due to thoughts, and thoughts are cheating us. We can be fearless only when we are perfectly alone, when we simply remain as we really are, devoid of thoughts. In sleep, there is no fear because there is no thought.
The thinker is the first thought, the 'I' thought. Who is thinking,? The ego, the first person. This first person, the first thought, rises on waking from sleep. The knowledge of the first person is the first knowledge we get on waking from sleep. Therefore, self attention is ever going on. Until we know that, we have to make effort to attend to self, and after knowing it, we never have to worry about it or anything else.
Knowing self happens in a split second. It makes everything, the entire universe, dissolve.
Both light and darkness are necessary to make a film show. In the projector there is light, but the film has darker portions that prevents the light from passing through. Only through the less dark portions does the light escape to the screen. If light alone were present, no film show would be seen. Likewise, if a uniformly dark film were present, nothing would be seen. Therefore both light and darkness are essential. To make the show of this world, both vidya -- (knowledge) or self awareness, and avidya - ignorance and self forgetfulness are necessary. But is it necessary to have this show?
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues....
23rd December 1977.
Once a PWD inspector asked Sri Bhagvavan: 'How can we live a pure life in this world?' and He replied, 'You know the nattan-kal (a standing stone fixed at a road junction) we have in our villages (in the Madurai district). See how many uses it has: villagers place their head loads on it when they take rest, cows use it as a scratching post, betel chewers wipe their surplus chunnambu (lime paste) on it and others spit on it.
We must live in this world like those nattan-kals'.
It is only in our view that Sri Bhagavan appears to be compassionate. He has no compassion, because compassion entails the existence of others, and in His view there are no others. However, it is also true, to say that He has perfect compassion, because he loves all as Himself, so He truly suffers with each of our sufferings. See the paradoxical nature of self-knowledge. It reconciles irreconcilable opposites. It makes having no compassion the same as having perfect compassion. Who can understand the state of Self Knowledge?
'Love is our being, desire is our rising.' Love wants oneness, and of desire is towards manyness. Love is ever self contained, desire is ever discontented. The fulfillment and perfect state of love is self-love (svatma bhakti), which is the experience of absolute oneness, but desire can never be fulfilled.
Therefore all yogas or sadhanas aim towards oneness (which is sometimes called union with God or the reality) and one-pointedness of mind is their vehicle. Sadhana is a growth from desire to love, and self love is the driving force behind this growth. The development of this growth towards love just one god or one guru, which is the highest form of dualistic love and the most effective aid to develop perfect self love.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention:
continues.....
The guru shows the aspirant that the only means to achieve perfect self love is self attention. The aspirant therefore eagerly practices self attention. But until his practice blossoms into true self love, he continues clinging to his guru as the object of his love. His guru bhakti is the stray and support that steadies and strengthens his growth towards self love. This is the state that Bhagavan describes in Verse 72 of Aksharamana Maalai:
Arunachala, protect [me] as a support to cling to so that I may not droop like a tender creeper without support.
The aspirant's love for and faith in his guru constantly drives him back to self attention, which is the path taught by the guru, and as a result he comes to be increasingly convinced that his own self is a true form of his guru. Thus his dualistic guru bhakti dissolves naturally and smoothly into non dualistic svatma bhakti which is his true nature. One pointed fidelity to the guru and his teachings is therefore an essential ingredient in sadhana, and it alone will yield the much longed for fruit of self knowledge.
In Sri Arunachala Stuti Panchakam, Bhagavan teaches us the true nature of guru bhakti. For example,
Arunachala, when I took refuge in you as (my only) God, you completely annihilated me. (AAMM V. 48).
...Is there any deficiency [or grievance] for me? .....Do whatever you wish, my beloved, only give me ever increasing love for your two feet. (Navamani malai Verse 7)
...What to say? Your will is my will, {and} that [alone] is happiness for me, lord of my life.
(Padigam Verse 2.)
It is necessary to attempt to practice self attention before one can possibly write commentaries on or translate Bhagavan's works. Only by repeatedly trying and failing can one begin to understand His teachings.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues....
Take for instance the first sentence of Ulladu Narpadu: 'Except what is, does consciousness that is exist?' To a mind that is unaccustomed to the practice of self attention this will seem a very abstract idea, because the first word 'Ulladu' ('what is' or existence) will immediately suggest the existence of things, so such a mind will understand this sentence to mean, 'Unless things exist, can they be known?' But Sri Bhagavan
is always pointing out to the self, so by the word 'ulladu' He means nothing other than 'I', which is the sole reality, that always exists.
However. this will be understood only by those who are well soaked in the practice of self attention. Such a person will understand to mean, 'Other than what is namely 'I', can there be any consciousness of being (any awareness 'am')? which they will understand as implying 'My self awareness (Chit) is not other than my being (Sat). It is so simple, but to ordinary people it seems abstract.
All gurus and scriptures aim at drawing our attention to ourselves,
but as i said in the first part of The Path of Sri Ramana, up till now they have started conceding to our ignorant outlook of taking the ego to be real, and so they start their teaching from that perspective. But why not start from the source -- from what is actually real? Bhagavan was also a revolutionary, so He never conceded that our viewpoint was correct, but instead always pointed directly to the one self-evident reality, I am.
contd.,
***
The Paramount Importance of Self Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues.....
Nowadays people have so many strange ideas about yoga, but in Ulladu Narpadu, Bhagavan has given us a clear idea of what real yoga actually is.
It is to Muruganar that we owe the composition of Ulladu Narpadu. If it were not for him, those twenty one verses would have been ignored [ a reference to the twenty one stay verses composed by Bhagavan that Muruganar gathered together and asked him on 21st July 1928, to enlarge upon to form a work revealing the nature of reality and the means by which we can experience it, which prompted Him to compose during the next three weeks Ulladu Narpadu, in which only three of the original twenty one verses were included (namely Verses 16,17 and 40), leaving the other eighteen verses to be relegated to the supplement. Bhagavan was so confident of the power of His silence that He took no initative to write or record His teachings, so it is to Muruganar, that we owe the composition and compilation of the three principal sastras (scriptural texts) containing Bhagavan's philosophy, namely Upadesa Saram, Ulladu Narpadu and Guru Vachaka Kovai.
contd.,
******
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
24th December 1977:
Sadhu Om (when asked why Bhagavan when He rewrote Nan Yar? as an essay, omitted the first sentence of His reply o question 19 in the earlier 30 question-answer version:
'God and Guru will only show the way to attain moksha but cannot by themselves (or of their own accord) establish individuals in moksha'):
What He said there is true, because unless we want moksha, God or Guru will never give it to us. Wanting and desiring is love or priya, which is one the three aspects of the reality, Satchitananda, which is also known as asti-bhati-priya, so it is the nature of self, and hence a prerequisite for moksha. Perhaps, He omitted this sentence so that people will not misunderstand it and be discouraged, because the grace of
God or Guru works in us by sowing the seeds of desire for moksha and then cultivating it into its fully
blossomed state of svatma-bhakti, which is itself the state of moksha.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
26th December 1977.
Thought, word and deed should always be in harmony, each consistent with the other two, because then only can grace flow in our heart. Grace will only flow freely when it has a clear and open passage. If thought, word and deed contradict each other, each one following its own course, the flow of Grace will be obstructed.
I don't know how people can live like that [referring to the behavior of a confidence trickster], because their mind
could never be at rest. For such
people grace will never flow until
they reform their deceitful attitude and behavior.
contd.
****
The Paramount Importance of Self-
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues....
28th December 1977.
Wanting is 'priya' (love, affection, or joy), the Ananda aspect of ourself. Unless we want moksha, Guru can never give it to us. Now we want manyness, so using our original freedom to will and act [which is a reflection of the infinite freedom of Brahman, our real nature) we see manyness. Guru teaches us to want and love only oneness. He wins us over by love, and we love him so much that we believe that what he teaches us is correct, so in accordance with his teachings, we want to remain as we really are. He says, 'Just Be', so we try to remain as Self and our love eventually drowns us (the ego) in Self.
Who wants manyness? The Vedas say, 'You are That'. It must always come back to this 'I', so what is it? Guru's work only is to make us interested in investigating and knowing this 'I' --- to make us want to remain as Self. People think that other factors such as meditation, tapas, and so on are involved, but all that is actually required is to want just be.
And who is the Guru? Truly God and Guru are nowhere. You alone exist. When you wake up from this dream, you will find that there is no God, or Guru, nor any ego striving for mukti.
Sri Ramakrishna once said, that God's anugraha (Grace) is ready and Guru's anugraha is ready, but that one more person's anugraha is what is now essential. That is, your own anugraha is required.
Once we have come to Guru, there is no need to worry. Everything else
follows in its own time. Once, during the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1948, I was so confident of His grace that i composed ten enthusiastic verses, saying, 'Who can die? Can death ever touch me again? Let Brahma, Vishnu and Siva all turn their backs on me! Brahma has now truly lost one of his creatures' and so on. Sri Bhagavan merely read it and put it aside. A few months later, however, I was again in a praying mood. I was depressed and felt helpless without His grace. I came before Him in that mood, and found Him reading my Jubilee Verses. I felt ashamed of my mood. He didn't have to say anything. That was His way of teaching me that there is no need for dejection.
contd.,
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues....
People want a 'living guru'. I suppose they expect him to show them the way to 'a living God/' Guru wants us to see ourself as Brahman, but we want to see Brhaman as a human form. Bhagavan always said that self alone is guru, and that His body is unnecessary. He proved this by giving the flash of true knowledge only after He had left His mortal coil. Muruganar said that Bhagavan always said that His body is a veil over the Reality, and so the light only became clear when His left the world.
People say to me, 'It is alright for you to say a living guru is unnecessary, but you had a living guru'. To them I say that what I learnt from my living guru is that a living guru is unnecessary, and everyone can learn the same if they study Sri Bhagavan's works and do a little manana on their import.
Unless you understand that self is guru, every living guru cannot help
you. Most people who were with Bhagavan did not get moksha because
they did not want it. Bhagavan teaches us that sooner or later we must be satisfied with self, so why not be satisfied with it now?
People think that the guru must be a person, but guru is only the first person, the real 'I' within us. Not satisfied with this first person, they go seeking a second person, to be their guru. Our aim, however, should only to get rid of even the first person (our ego) --
to drown our false personhood in the self.
When our guru says that he cannot
give us moksha unless we want it, we should think, 'What, am I really such an important factor?' and thus our attention should be drawn back to ourself. In fact, Guru gives us moksha by making us want it, and therefore he always stresses the need for us to wish for it and to make effort for it.
Indeed, Guru is all in all, so he is essential and he alone can give us moksha. He is however our own self, Sat Chit Ananda, so he gives
us moksha, which is our own natural
state of being, (Sat), by means of knowledge (Chit) and love (ananda).
He makes us know and love him as our own self.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
29th December 1977
continues....
Sadhu Om (in reply to my question whether he was doing any sadhana in the years before he came to Bhagavan:: I was longing for grace and always thinking of God. That is sadhana enough!
Some people say that the light seen at the time of Bhagavan's passing
was Him returning to Skndaloka (the world of Skanada, the younger son of Lord Siva). First they try to limit Him as a body, and then they try to limit Him as a light. Their minds are so bound up in limitations that they have to limit even the illimitable. Bhagavan always said: 'Do not think this body is me. I am shining in each one of you as 'I'. Attend only to that.'
How often and for how many lives have we fooled ourselves thinking that our social service is selfless? We did it only for our own self satisfaction or glory. It is natural for each one of us to love ourself. We are all naturally selfish, so we would first find out what is self. When we know ourself as we really are, we will experience as not other than ourself, and thus our selfishness will then be the highest virtue. Only a Jnani knows how to be truly selfish because without knowing the self we cannot know what real unlimited selfishness is.
In the path of surrender saints sing, 'Send me to heaven or hell but never let me forget you', as if heaven and hell really exist. The prayer only shows their total love for God alone. They teach the right attitude, but they know that heaven and hell, have no real existence. All these dualities -- heaven and hell, good or bad, God or individual --- exist only in the mind. So ultimately we must learn to make this mind subside.
When I first came to Bhagavan and heard Him repeating constantly that everyone must eventually come to the path of self inquiry. I wondered whether He was partial to His own teaching. But I soon understood why He insisted that this is so. The final goal is only oneness, and to experience oneness our mind subside, which will happen entirely only when we attend to nothing other than ourself.
continued..
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om.
continues.....
So long as we attend to anything other than ourself, our mind cannot subside, because attention to other things sustains it, since that which experiences oneness is only this mind. When the mind subsides completely, only self attention remains, and self attention alone is the state of absolute oneness. Bhagavan used to repeat this teaching everyday, may be ten or twenty times, but still we didn't change, He didn't change His teaching either, because to Him this truth was so clear.
The basic mistake we all make is to take a body to be 'I'. This deeply entrenched feeling 'I am this body called so and so' is the root of all our trouble, If this tape recorder is not working, we must attend to it and not to other things, because then only will we be able to repair it. Likewise, to rectify the mistaken identity, 'I am so and so' we must attend to it in order to know what it really is:
What or who am I?
Only when we thus investigate ourself will the false adjunct 'so and so' drop off, and what will then remain is only the reality, I AM. I am so and so is the naivedyam - the food offering to Self, and when Bhagavan has consumed the adjunct 'so and so', what remains is only I AM, which is the prasadam - the purified remnant of God's food, which is shared among devotees as token of his grace.
I am alone really exists, so it is the true form of God and Guru. To
treat and cherish this filthy body as 'I' is therefore the worst kind of idol worship. If we give up this idol worship by knowing the Truth of ourself, then we can worship anything as God, because
we will know that nothing is other than Him, our real Self.
contd.,
****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention:
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues.....
31st December 1977:
Sadhu Om: Devotion to God or Guru as a second or third person can never give knowledge (Jnana); devotion only can lead to devotion.
Knowledge alone can give knowledge. "I AM" is the only true knowledge, so attention is the only true means, the ultimate means.
1st January 1978:
Sadhu Om: Whenever we awake from sleep, we experience a new clarity of knowledge before we become aware of the body and the world. The practice of sadhana is trying to cling to this clarity.
Sitting in the Old Hall [where Bhagavan lived] is not essential if you are able to be aware of this clarity at other times. However, there is no harm in meditating in the Old Hall. If you should be doing so. Sri Bhagavan will prevent you from doing so; you need not worry about that. There is something special in the Old Hall that automatically reminds us of our own being, but of course, we can be aware of our being anywhere else as well.
Effort is unnecessary for self, because self attention, is natural and effortless. Effort is only needed of the mind to attend to second and third person. Sadhana is only for the mind, and the effor to attend to the feeling of 'I' is only to keep the mind quiet -- in its natural state of pure self awareness.
contd.,
*****
The Paramount Importance of Self
Attention;
Sri Sadhu Om:
continues.....
It is not strictly true to say that self inquiry begins with effort and ends with effortlessness, but for the sake of the Sadhana we may say so. Effort is required so long as the mind needs to be reminded of its true nature, 'I am', but when awareness of second and third persons automatically reminds one own existence, 'I am', because what is aware of them is 'I', then effort is no longer needed. When we can see only waves we must make some effort to notice the ocean underlying them. But when we know that the waves are nothing other than ocean, effort is not needed.
All thoughts contain an element of the past or future in them. Can you make a thought about the present moment? If you seriously try to do so, all thoughts, including the thought 'I', will cease. This is another clue for self attention. There are so many clues, you see.
Question: In practice we never actually attend to self. All the time we spend in the Old Hall we are only trying to do so. If we really attended to self for one moment, that would be liberation, would it not?
Sadhu Om: What, do you mean to say that even now you are not liberated? Are you not always attending to the self? You know 'I am', and you only know something if you are attending to it. Even when you attend to second and third persons, it is 'I' that is attending, and that 'I' is always aware of itself.
Such manana, [cogitation or deep refection] is essential until you understand thoroughly that self attention is natural and eternal and that all else shines by the light of that self awareness. This manana will lead you right up to the boundary. Nididhyasana [contemplation, the practice of pure self attention] is actually only for a moment. When you really practice, what you have heard and understood, you cross the boundary and that is Jnana.
Ignore the mind, it need not concern us. We are not the mind, so when we lose interest in it, it will die a natural death. This is why Bhagavan is always drawing our attention to the self. He never allows us to become interested in the thinking mind or anything other than the feeling of 'I'.
contd.,
*****
ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA:
Chapter 3 -
36-37. D.: What are the sadhanas or requisites for this
process?
M.: The knowers say that the sadhanas consist of an ability
to discern the real from the unreal, no desire for pleasures here
or hereafter, cessation of activities (karma) and a keen desire to
be liberated. Not qualified with all these four qualities, however
hard one may try, one cannot succeed in enquiry. Therefore
this fourfold sadhana is the sine qua non for enquiry.
38. To begin with, a knowledge of the distinctive
characteristics of these sadhanas is necessary. As already pointed
out, these distinctive characteristics are of the categories (hetu,
Sv-av, kayR, Avi0, fl) cause, nature, effect, limit and fruit. These
are now described.
39-44. Discernment (viveka) can arise only in a purified
mind. Its ‘nature’ is the conviction gained by the help of sacred
teachings that only Brahman is real and all else false. Always to
remember this truth is its ‘effect’. Its end (avadhi) is to be settled
unwavering in the truth that only Brahman is and all else is
unreal. Desirelessness (vairagya) is the result of the outlook that
the world is essentially faulty. Its ‘nature’ is to renounce the
world and have no desire for anything in it. Its ‘effect’ is to turn
away in disgust from all enjoyments as from vomit. It ends
(avadhi) in treatment with contempt of all pleasures, earthly or
heavenly, as if they were vomit or burning fire or hell.
Cessation of activities (uparati) can be the outcome of the
eight fold yoga (astangayoga), namely, yama, niyama, asana,
pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, i.e., self
restraint, discipline, steady posture, control of breath, control
of senses, mind collected to truth, meditation and peace. Its
‘nature’ consists in restraining the mind. Its ‘effect’ is to cease
from worldly activities. It ends (avadhi) in forgetfulness of the
world as if in sleep, owing to the ending of activities. Desire to
be liberated (mumukshutva) begins with the association with realised sages. Its ‘nature’ is the yearning for liberation. Its ‘effect’
is to stay with one’s master. It ends (avadhi) in giving up all
study of shastras and performance of religious rites.
When these have reached their limits as mentioned above,
the sadhanas are said to be perfect.
45-47. Should only one or more of these sadhanas be
perfect but not all of them, the person will after Death gain
celestial regions. If all of them are perfect, they together quickly
make the person thoroughly capable of enquiry into the Self.
Only when all the sadhanas are perfect is enquiry possible; otherwise,
not. Even if one of them remains undeveloped, it obstructs
enquiry.
Anandopanishat: (Ajja's talks)
One state is Sakshatkara.
A second state is Aikya- the living essence in individual(jeevatma) merging itself in paramatma.
A third one is birth death.
These are only three subjects of enquiry.
There is death for the one who has birth-is it not so? He takes his birth; dies and then takes his birth again. We are not talking about the death of the body- it is composed of the earth; should return to earth. There is one inside, isn't it? When death occurs to the one who comes and goes...there the issue is to be examined.
In Aikyatha, there is (individual) existence; there is possibility of returning if one is willing to do so.
The earth,planets,stars and galaxies exist in place only due to mutual attraction- isn't it? In the same way mutual attraction exists inside individual also. There is the bond of attraction between Jivatma and his astral body. Otherwise how can the Jivatma stay in the body? Does he have a cage? It stays because of the bond of attraction of his astral body. If he detaches himself from the bond of attraction(with astral body), that is to say, if he detaches himself from the karmic bond, he becomes one with the original power(creator). He attains Aikya. When the river joins the ocean, it becomes one with the ocean. The river attained aikya with the ocean. The river ceases to exist. The ocean and river become one. But the ocean exists, is it not so? The water exists, isn't it? That may evaporate, then condense to form clouds thereafter and into rain. And the same water may form a river. Is it not so?
But in Sakshatkara, when the transformed mind is concentrated on the transformed power, one who is enquirer becomes the object of enquiry. This enquirer then loses itself in the enquiry 'Who AM I', there threefold annihilation (triputinasa)takes place.
There remains no enquirer, no enquiry and no object of enquiry.
The Natural State: (U G)
Does such a thing as enlightenment exist? To me what does exist is a purely physical process. There is nothing mystical or spiritual about it. If I close the eyes some light penetrates through the eyelids. If I cover the eyelids there is still light inside. There seems to be some kind of a hole in the forehead which doesn't show but through which something penetrates. In India that light is golden, in Europe it is blue.
There is also some kind of light penetration through the back of the head. It's as if there is a hole running through between those spots in front and back of the skull. There is nothing inside but this light. If you cover those points there is complete, total darkness. This light doesn't do anything or help the body to function in any way, it's just there.
This state is a state of not knowing. You really don't know what you are looking at. All there is inside is wonderment. It is a state of wonder because I just do not know what I am looking at. The knowledge about it, all that I have learned, is held in the background unless there is a demand. When required it comes quickly like an arrow, then I am back in the state of not knowing, of wonder.
You can never understand the tremendous peace that is always there within you that is your natural state. Your trying to create a peaceful state of mind is in fact creating disturbance within you. You can only talk of peace, create a state of mind and say to yourself that you are very peaceful, but that is not peace, that is violence. There is no use in practicing peace or reason to cultivate silence. Real silence is explosive. It is not the dead state of mind that spiritual seekers think. That doesn't mean anything at all. This is volcanic in its nature. It's bubbling all the time—the energy, the life—that is its quality.
Life is aware of itself, if we can put it that way. It is conscious of itself. When I talk of feeling I do not mean the same thing that you do. Actually, feeling is a physical response, a thud in the thymus. The thymus, one of the endocrine glands, is located under the breast bone. When you come into your natural state, sensations are felt there. You don't translate them as good or bad. They are just a thud. If there is a movement outside of you in your field of vision, that movement is also felt in the thymus. The whole of your being is that movement, or vibrates with that sound. There is no separation. This does not mean that you identify yourself with it. There is no you there, nor is there any object. What causes that sensation you don't know. You do not even know that it is a sensation.
The Natural State:
What functions is a primordial consciousness untouched by thought. The eyes are like a very sensitive camera. The physiologists say that light reflected off objects strikes the retina of the eye and the sensation goes through the optic nerve to the brain. The faculty of sight, of seeing, is simply a physical phenomenon. It makes no difference to the eyes what they are focused on, they produce sensations in exactly the same way. The eyes look on everyone and everything without discrimination. Left to themselves they do not linger but are moving all the time. They are drawn by the things outside. Movement attracts them, or brightness, or a color which stands out from whatever is around it.
There is no self looking. The consciousness is like a mirror reflecting whatever is there outside. The depth, the distance, the color—everything is there, but there is nobody who is translating these things. Unless there is a demand for knowledge about what I am looking at, there is no separation, no distance from what is there. There is a kind of clarity.
The eyes do not blink except when there is sudden danger. This is something very natural because things outside are demanding attention all the time. Then when the eyes are tired they may be open but the vision is blurred. If they stay open all the time, if the reflex action of blinking is not operating, they become dry and there are some glands beyond the outer corners of the eyes, not activated in your case, which act as a watering mechanism. But by practicing not blinking one will not arrive in this state, one will only strain the eyes. Once you are in your natural state, by some luck or some strange chance, all this happens in its own way.
When I am walking and suddenly see something different because the light has changed, this consciousness suddenly expands to the size of the object in front of the body and the lungs take a deep breath. This is pranayama, not hyperventilation or inhaling through one nostril and exhaling through the other. This pranayama is going on all the time. So there is consciousness of a sudden change in the breathing and then it moves on to something else. It is always moving. It does not linger on something which thought has decided is beautiful. There is no one directing.
Your movement of thought interferes with the process of touch just as it does with the other senses. Anything you touch is always translated as hard, soft, warm, cold, wet, dry and so on. Without this thought process there is no body consciousness, there are only isolated points of contact, impulses of touch which are not tied together by thought. So the body is not different from the objects around it. It is a set of sensations like any others. Your body does not belong to you.
Perhaps I can give you the feel of this. I sleep for four hours at night no matter what time I go to bed then I lie in bed until morning fully awake. I don't know what is lying there in the bed. I don't know whether I'm lying on my left side or my right side. For hours and hours I lie like this. If there is any noise outside, it just echoes in me. I listen to my heartbeat and don't know what it is.
There are only the sensations of touch from points of contact and the gravitational pull, nothing inside links up these things. Even if the eyes are open and looking at the whole body there are still only the points of contact and they have no connection with what I am looking at. If I want to try to link up these points of contact into the shape of my own body probably I will succeed but by the time it is completed the body is back in the same situation of different points of contact. The linkage cannot stay.
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