Similarly, after an agelong period of listening and reading (sravana), reflecting (manana), practising (nidi-dhyasana) and weeping put in prayer (because of the inability to put what is heard into practice), when the mind is thus perfectly purified, then and then only does the dawn of self-knowledge suddenly break forth in a split second as ‘I am that I am’!
Since, as soon as this dawn breaks, the space of Self-consciousness is found, through the clear knowledge of the Reality, to be beginningless, natural and eternal, even the effort of attending to Self ceases then! To abide thus, having nothing more to do and nothing further to achieve, is alone the real and supreme state.” ‘Sadhanai Saram’
The definition of the correct waking is that state in which there is perfect Self-consciousness and singleness of Self- existence, without the knowledge of the existence of anything apart from Self! From this one can determine the real waking.
“Forgetting Self, mistaking the body for Self, taking innumerable births, and at last knowing Self and being Self is just like waking from a dream of wandering all over the world. Know thus.” ‘Ekatma Panchakam’, verse 1
.......
To bathe in the ice cold Ganga, to drink her waters, to eat strange food, to endure the extremes of heat and cold, — these are the rigours to which South Indiana are eKposed at Hnshikesh. But even these penances are only external.
There is another type of disciphne—
Discipline of the Mind
which alone leads to
Self-Realization.
The man whose mind is not disciplined profits little by a stay at Hnshikesh or Kailas
//////
“To remain in the state (of Self), having attained the supreme bliss, which is devoid of both bondage end liberation, is truly to be in the service of the Lord.” ‘Upadesa Undhiyar’, verse 29
The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry Who am I?’. The thought ‘Who am I?’ (which is but a means for turning our attention Selfwards), destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre.
....By repeatedly practising thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source increases.
When the mind (the attention), which is subtle, goes out through the brain and sense-organs (which are gross), the names-and-forms (the objects of the world), which are gross, appear; when it abides in the heart (its source, Self), the names-and-forms disappear
Keeping the mind in the heart (through the above-described means of fixing our attention in Self), not allowing it to go out, alone is called ‘Selfwardness’ (ahamukham) or ‘introversion’ (antarmukham).
Allowing it to go out from the heart alone is called ‘extroversion’ (bahirmukham).
When the mind thus abides in the heart, the ‘I’ (the thought ‘I’, the ego), which is the root of all thoughts, having vanished, the ever-existing Self alone will shine.
.......................
One may ascend to the highest peak of the Himalayas ; but unless one is exceptionally fortunate and possesses tireless industry, deep faith, true know- ledge and the highest degree of detachment, one cannot overcome Illusion completely and reach that final blissful state of merger tvith the Supreme.
...................................
The place (or state) where even the slightest trace of the thought ‘I’ does not exist, alone is Self (swarupam).
That alone is called ‘Silence’ (maunam).
To be still (summa iruppadu) in this manner alone is called ‘seeing through (the eye of) knowledge’ (jnana-drishti).
To be still is to make the mind subside in Self (through Self-attention). Other than this, knowing the thoughts of others, knowing the three times (past, present and future), knowing events in distant places – all these can never be jnana-drishti.
...............................
imp
Maharshi: Well, briefly put, the means to attain Self-realization are these:
First, the mind should be withdrawn from its objects; the objective vision of the world must cease.
Secondly, the mind's internal operations also must be put an end to.
Thirdly, the mind must thereby be rendered characterless (nirupadhika) and must continue characterless firmly;
and lastly, it must rest in pure vichara, contemplation or realization of its nature, i.e. itself.
This is the means for pratyagdrishti or darsana, also termed antarmukham, the inward vision or inquiry.
First, the mind should be withdrawn from its objects; the objective vision of the world must cease.
Secondly, the mind's internal operations also must be put an end to.
Thirdly, the mind must thereby be rendered characterless (nirupadhika) and must continue characterless firmly;
and lastly, it must rest in pure vichara, contemplation or realization of its nature, i.e. itself.
This is the means for pratyagdrishti or darsana, also termed antarmukham, the inward vision or inquiry.
......................................
in Sanskrit called in descending order with the most ripe on top: Ugghatitannu, Vipancitannu, Neyya, and Padaparama.
Ugghatitannu: an individual who encounters a Buddha in person and who is capable of attaining the Noble Path and Noble Truth through the mere hearing of a short discourse.......................
Vipancitannu: an individual who can attain the Paths and the Fruition states only when a discourse is expounded to him at some considerable length.
Neyya: an individual who does not have the capability of attaining the Paths and the Fruition states through the hearing of either a short or a long discourse but who must make a study of the teachings and practise the provisions contained therein for days, months or years in order that he may attain the Paths and the Fruition states.
Padaparama: one whose highest attainment is the text. An individual who, though he encounters the Buddha-teaching or Buddha-doctrine (Buddha Sasana) and puts forth the utmost possible effort in both the study and practice of the Dhamma, cannot attain the Paths and the Fruition states within this lifetime. All that he can do is accumulate habits and potential. Such a person cannot obtain release from Samsara.
To make the mind subside, there are no adequate means other than enquiry (vichara). If controlled by other means, the mind will remain as if subsided, but will rise again.
206
As thoughts subside more and more, one-pointedness is gained, and for the mind which has thereby gained strength, Self-enquiry (atma-vichara) will easily be attained*
Although tendencies towards sense-objects (vishaya-- vasanas), which have been recurring down the ages, rise in countless numbers like the waves of the ocean, they will all perish as Self-attention (swarupa-dhyana) becomes more and more intense.
Without giving room even to the doubting thought, ‘Is it possible to destroy all these tendencies (vasanas) and to remain as Self alone ?’, one should persistently cling fast to Self-attention,
......................................
Maharshi: Mere scriptural learning is insufficient.
Certainly, practice of meditation and concentration is needed for realization.
But what does that term upasana (practice) imply?
It means that the aspirant is still conscious of his separate individuality and fancies himself to be making efforts to attain something — some Jnana, not yet known to be himself.
He ultimately arrives at the truth, the realization that all the time (including the time of practice) he has been (as he is and will be) himself the Self — beyond the concept of time. Though it is that state of realization (Sahaja Sthithi), or natural state of the Self that has been throughout all the time of practice (as nothing else exist), he calls it "upasana" or practice of meditation,
because his realization is not yet perfected; he, the thinker, or the subject, fancies he is going through a process of thinking or meditation upon an object, viz. Ishwara.
When perfected, his state is termed Jnana,
or Sahaja Sthithi, or the Atman, or Swabhava Samsthithi, or Sthitha Prajnatvam.
It may be described further as the state when vishaya dnyana, ie. knowledge of the objective world, the non self has been entirely effaced....and nothing remains , but a blaze of cosciousness of the Self as the Self
.....................................
Loss of surrendership....= the right kind of action
GVk (around 475)
...................................................... Not attending to what-is-other
(anya, that is, to any second or third person object)
is nonattachment (vairagya)
or desirelessness (nirasa);
not leaving Self is knowledge (jnana).
In truth, these two (desirelessness and knowledge) are one and the same. Just as a pearl-diver, tying a stone to his waist, dives into the sea and takes the pearl lying at the bottom, so everyone, diving deep within himself with non-attachment (vairagya), can attain the pearl of Self.
If one resorts uninterruptedly to Self-remembrance (swarupa-smaranai, that is, remembrance of or attention to the mere feeling ‘I’) until one attains Self, that alone will be sufficient.
Remaining firmly in Self-abidance (atma-nishtha), without giving even the least room to the rising of any thought other than the thought of Self (atma-chintanai)*, is surrendering oneself to God
..........................................
The intellectual viveki knows and reasons mediately (paroksha). The intuitive Jnani feels the truth, the Real, directly and immediately (aparoksha). The Jnani is not like the intellectual viveki. He regards the Jagat (Visvam), i.e., the phenomenal universe, as unreal, or as in no way different from himself, the Self.
.......................................
Mano nigraha essential..not just endlessly reading scriptures
Since it is said in all the scriptures that in order to attain liberation (mukti) one should control** the mind, after coming to know that mind-control (mano-nigraha) alone is the final decision (injunction) of the scriptures, to read scriptures unlimitedly is fruitless,
6. The mind that attends to the true import of the word ‘I’ through jnana japa dies in Self, losing its individuality. The mind that embraces the name of God, who is pure consciousness (chit), with melting love (through bhakti japa) transforms itself into the unbroken form of bliss (ananda); it cannot remain as a separate entity.
In order to qualify as an aspirant, one must have the absolute conviction that happiness, the sole aim of all living beings, can be obtained not from external objects but only from one’s own inmost Self.
When one has this qualification, an intense yearning will arise in one’s heart to try to attend to and know Self.
Indeed’, for a true aspirant the desire and effort to know Self will become the most important part of his life, and all other things will be regarded as being only of secondary importance.
When such an intense yearning arises in one, success is assured, for ‘where there is a will there is a way’.
Moreover, since prarabdha determines only the outward activities of the body and mind, it can in no way obstruct the inward desire and yearning for Self-knowledge.
If one has an intense yearning for Self-knowledge, the Guru’s Grace will certainly help one in all ways, both from within and without, to enable one to attend to Self.
At first one may not be able to maintain unbroken Self-attention even for a few minutes.
Due to long habit, it is only natural that the mind will start to think of some second or third person objects.
Each time the attention thus turns outwards, the aspirant again tries to turn it back towards the first person.
This process of slackening of Self-attention and then trying to regain it, will repeat itself again and again.
If the aspirant’s mind is weak due to deficiency in the love to know Self, the slackening of Self-attention will happen frequently,
in which case a struggle will ensue and the mind will soon become tired.
Instead of thus repeatedly struggling to regain Self-attention, one should relax the mind for a while as soon as the initial attempt to fix the attention on the first person becomes un-steady, and then again make a fresh attempt. If one thus makes intermittent attempts, each attempt will be found to have a fresh force and a more precise clarity of attention.
................Therefore, what is important is not so much the length of time one spends trying to attend to Self, but the earnestness and intensity with which one makes each fresh attempt.
So imp...
228
During the time of practice (sadhana) our attention, which is now focused on second and third person objects, has to turn back 180 degrees, so to speak to focus itself on the first person. In the beginning, however, one’s attention may be able to turn only 5, 10 or 15 degrees. This is because one’s turning is resisted by a powerful spring – the spring of one’s tendencies (vasanas) or subtle desires towards worldly objects. Every time one tries to turn towards the first person, this spring of one’s worldly tendencies will tend to pull one’s mind back again towards second and third persons.
Therefore the number of degrees one is able to turn will depend upon the firmness of one’s desirelessness (vairagya) towards worldly objects and upon the strength of one’s longing (bhakti) to know Self.
Such vairagya and bhakti will be increased in one by regularly practising Self-attention,
by earnestly praying to Sri Bhagavan and by constantly associating with such persons or books as will repeatedly remind one,
“Only by knowing Self can we attain. real and enduring happiness; so long as we do not know Self, we will be endlessly courting and experiencing misery.
Therefore our first and foremost duty in life is to know Self; all other efforts will only end in vain.”
.....................
And therefore it is plain, one cannot become a yogi ‘ until one is able to regulate the connection and the disconnection of the mind and the senses. As it is the prana that carries on the processes of connection and disconnection irrespective of one’s will, one shall be able to withdraw the mind from the senses, on one’s I developing the control of prana by the practice of pranayama.
.........................
As one’s desirelessness and longing to know Self thus increase by prayer to the Guru, by study (sravana) of and reflection (manana) upon His teachings, and by practice (nididhyasana) of Self-attention, one’s ability to turn one’s attention towards the first person will also increase, until one will be able to turn it 90, 120 or even 150 degrees at each fresh attempt.
When one’s ability to turn one’s attention Selfwards thus increases, one will be able to experience a tenuous current of Self-awareness even while engaged in activity; that is, one will be able to experience an awareness of one’s being which will not be disturbed by whatever one’s mind, speech or body may be doing, in other words, one will be able to remember the feeling ‘I am’ which always underlies all one’s activities.
.......................
"When Sri Ramana intently gazed on Ramdas and the eyes of both met, Ramdas felt He was pouring into him His spiritual power and grace in abundance, so much so that Ramdas was thrilled, as His divine light shone on his mind, heart and soul. Sri Ramana's eyes always radiated a splendor, which was simply unique and irresistible a splendor mingled with infinite tenderness, compassion and mercy. The few minutes that Ramdas spent in His holy company meant a momentous impetus in his spiritual career.
"After obtaining Maharshi's darshan, Ramdas went up the Arunachala Hill and remained there in a cave. During his stay in the cave, Ramdas was chanting Ram mantra day and night. He had absolutely no sleep and for food he used to take only a small quantity of boiled rice, which he himself prepared out of the alms he got. After twenty days stay in the cave, in the above manner, one morning Ramdas' eyes were filled with a strange dazzling light and he realized the Presence of the Divine everywhere. This new vision of the Universal gave him such waves of ecstatic Bliss that he started running about here and there on the hill, embracing trees and rocks, shouting in joy 'This is my Ram, this is my Ram!' He could not resist the rising ecstasy. This was his first experience of Universal Vision."
...................
just after 228
However, this tenuous current of Self-awareness should not be taken to be the state of unceasing Self-attention,. because one will experience it only when one feels inclined to do so.
How then can one experience the state of unceasing Self-attention, the state of unswerving Self-abidance? The Guru’s Grace will more and more help those aspirants who thus repeatedly practice Self-attention with great love (bhaktl) to know Self.
When a glowing fire and a blowing wind join together, they play wonders. Likewise, when the glowing fire of love for Self-knowledge and the blowing wind of the Guru’s Grace join together, a great wonder takes place. During one of his fresh attempts, the aspirant will be able to turn his attention a complete 180 degrees towards Self (that is, he will be able to achieve a perfect clarity of Self-awareness, completely uncontaminated by even the least awareness of any second or third person), whereupon he will feel a great change taking place spontaneously and without his effort.
His power of attention, which he had previously tried so many times to turn towards Self and which had always slipped back towards second and third persons, will now be caught under the grip of a powerful clutch which will not allow it to turn again towards any second or third person.
This clutch is the clutch of Grace. Though Grace has always been helping and guiding one, it is only when one is thus caught by its clutch that one becomes totally a prey to it. If one once turns one’s attention a full 180 degrees towards Self, one is sure to be caught by this clutch of Grace, which will then take one as its own and will forever protect one from again turning towards second and third person objects.
This state in which the mind is thus caught by the clutch of Grace and is thereby drowned forever in its source,
is known as the experience of true knowledge (jnananubhutl),
Self-realization (atmasakshatkaram),
liberation (moksha)
and so on.
This alone can be called the state of unceasing Self-attention.
Therefore, unceasing Self-attention is possible only in the state of Self-realization and not in the state of practice (sadhana).
What one has to do during the period of sadhana is to cultivate ever-increasing love to attain Self-knowledge and to make intermittent but repeated attempts to turn one’s attention a full 180 degrees towards Self.
If one once succeeds in doing this, then unceasing Self-attention will be found to be natural and effortless.
...............part 1 ends.................
sadhanai saram
52. If you do not have the power to abide in Self, the reality, remain with love in the constant company of Sadhus who have known the reality.
If you do not have even the good fortune to be in their company, have contact at least with the teachings of such Sadhus by constantly studying those books that contain the words (works) they have spoken. Studying such books is also sat-sanga (conscious association).
53. What are those books, the study of which is to be considered as sat-sanga? They are only those books that will clearly impress upon you, “Self alone is the reality, so always abide in Self.” “In order to abide in Self, practice only Self-inquiry and do not follow any other path.” “Practice Self-inquiry now, itself; turn and dive within.”
54. If, in the name of conscious association (satsanga), you gather together all kinds of people, said “holy gathering” will consist only of a crowd of people who are skilled in oratory, or who have studied innumerable books, or who have mastered the sixtyfour mundane arts (apara-vidyas); all of which are unreal products of the mind’s power of imagination.
Reject all such gatherings, knowing that they are not at all true conscious company (sat-sanga).
55. Rather than associating with such people, thinking their company to be sat-sanga, it is better for you to remain alone without associating with anyone; because such solitude or non-association will help you at least gradually to gain more and more detachment.
71. The benefit in repeating a holy name of God is not only to gain one-pointedness of mind, but is to surrender oneself to God to such an extent that one’s heart melts and dissolves with ever-brimming love for Him while repeating His name.
72. Thinking once of the name of God with a steady one-pointed mind is more valuable than doing a thousand, thousand (or crores) of repetitions (japa) with a wandering mind.
But calling intently upon God even once, with a mind surging with love for Him, is far superior even to doing a million (crore) of japa with a one-pointed mind.
82. The state of abiding firmly in Self-alone is wisdom (jnana).
Would it be possible to abide thus in Self if one did not have love for Self?
Love for Self-alone is bhakti;
abiding firmly in Self on account of that love alone is jnana.
What difference is there between these two? Discriminate and know this truth. (Maharshi’s Gospel p.24)
87. When, having wept and wept with intense yearning for a long time, unceasingly thinking of and adoring the Gracious Feet (of the Lord), the mind which rises (as “I am so-and-so”) dissolves and becomes pure,
the blemishless Self-inquiry (jnanatmavichara) will become firmly settled (in the heart) and the experience of Self (swarupa-anubhava) will of its own accord arise very easily indeed. – Sri Muruganar
105. Until the root-tendency (mula-vasana) to identify a body as “I” ceases to exist, the appearances of the waking and dream states that arise due to delusion (maya) will not come to an end.
111...You will not take birth again only if you awaken into the true state of Self-knowledge. Awaken thus.
115. Even before the experience of the current destiny (prarabdha karma) which caused the appearance of a dream has come to an end, if the mind is struck by intense fear, joy or suffering, its power of attention will be driven Selfwards and return to the heart, whereupon waking will result.
116. Similarly, even before all the accumulated sanchita karmas have been exhausted by being experienced in the form of prarabdha, if in this present life, which was started by prarabdha, the mind either gains firm dispassion (vairagya), being unable to bear the severe sufferings of life, or experiences intense fear of death,
it will turn Selfwards and merge in the heart; whereupon the true awakening of Selfknowledge will result.
151. Thinking of anything other than “I” is alone birth; not thinking of anything other than “I” is liberation (mukti).
Will those who have learnt well the art of not thinking, and who thereby abide firmly in the thought-free state, come again under the sway of thought?
The practice of refraining from seeing oneself as the many objects of this world is alone perfect practice (sadhana).
200. If the liking to attain true knowledge really rises with one,
it will be easy for one to experience Self-knowledge,
the state of perfect emancipation,
as clearly as an amalaka (crystal, or goose berry) fruit in the hand.
But so long as even an iota of the liking to enjoy the pleasures of this unreal world remains unsubsided in one’s heart, the real thirst to know Self will not rise within one.
201. To the extent in which the conviction grows stronger in us that all the extroverted activity of the mind is only misery, to that extent the desire and love to turn within will also increase.
And to the extent to which the strength to attend to Self alone increases in us, to that extent the conviction will grow that attending to anything other than Self is useless.
202. Know that he who likes to remain steadfastly attending to Self,
knowing that Self-attention is far more important than any action that he has to do,
than any word that he has to speak,
or than any thought that he has to think,
alone is a true mature spiritual aspirant (pakvi). (Pari - Pakkva)
203. Though many crores (millions) of very important thoughts rise in one’s heart, bliss can be enjoyed only when one rejects all of them and remains still,
knowing that to be still is far more important than to continue attending to any thought whatsoever.
Only by those earnest aspirants who have clearly understood this truth, can real austere practice (tapas) be possible.
209. Even before all the tendencies have been completely destroyed, by one’s own desirelessness (vairagya) and by the Grace of God, it is possible for one to attain the blemishless light of Self-knowledge.
Then by the power and clarity of that Self-knowledge, the delusion of attachment to the body and mind will automatically be destroyed.
imp -223
223. The state in which our power of attention, which now sees the objects that exist in front of our eyes, sees its own existence “I am”, having suddenly become introverted by giving up all objective attention and turning towards “I,” is alone the state of true austerity (tapas) or yoga.
If our power of attention is used in any other way, that is only an objective attention that is opposed to true tapas or yoga.
225. If at one single attempt you strive persistently for long hours without limit, to pull Self-wards and restrain the running mind without leaving your hold on Self-attention, you will find that you are not able to maintain a steady intensity of Self-attention.
Therefore, after making one attempt for a few minutes, relax your effort for a while, and then again make a fresh attempt with renewed effort.
227. When the mind, our power of attention, having little by little gained the strength to turn Self-wards,
finally at one time reaches the heart due to the intensity and clarity of its Self-attention,
it will drown in Self,
having been caught in the clutch of the Grace of God
who has ever been waiting without the least forgetfulness to catch it,
and hence it will never again turn outwards to know objects other than “I”.
The intellect of a mature spiritual aspirant will decide that Self-alone is the greatest and most worthy thing, and hence he will have real love for Self.
......................... sadhanai saram ends.........................
https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/MP_October-2012.pdf
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The practices of anusandhana and nididhyasana do help in achieving mental strength and tranquility. Bhagavan asserts that these practices are excellent aids for realising the Ultimate where we are That.
But he also says that an advanced mumuksu (a mature seeker) should not get caught in the web of mechanically performing soham bhavana (the feeling ‘I am He’) and as a result, not progress to live fully the Reality.
He also said that mere repetition of mediation on ‘I Am That’ often leads to laya (sleep). When we intensely practice atma vichara, there is a purificatory process which cleanses the mind and ultimately leads to anubhava (realisation). Here the sadhaka is not trying to remember or deceive himself as to what is his true ‘I’ is by auto-suggestion. Rather, the sadhaka is drawn back into that Consciousness which is the source. Ultimately the sadhaka reaches the state that when it becomes sahaja (permanent). He knows that Self alone is real and Self alone is manifested as the entire Cosmos and there is nothing but the Self.
Hereafter suggestions such as ‘I am That, I am This’ loses their relevance. There is no need for a reminder as the identification with the Self is complete and absolute.
Before realisation, we should realise it is the ego which was chanting Soham but when the ego has been erased, who is there to say Soham? This repetition will be as meaningless as a person going on declaring that ‘I am a man, I am a man’ as if he would ever mistake himself to be anything other than a man.
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‘No want’ is the greatest bliss. It can be realised only by experience. Even an emperor is no match for a man with no want.
116 Tulsidas
“The path, taught by my preceptor, and this life are worlds apart.
The thirst to engage in meditation and austerities overwhelms me.
I want to remain absorbed in the bliss of the Atman.
He who neglects spiritual practices is equal to a corpse.
Human life is as evanescent as a bubble on the water.
I do not want to fritter away this life like an ignorant man.
Tapas is the bridge to cross the ocean of worldliness.
It is indeed tough to live a life of mind control,
which alone helps one to traverse the dark passage of bondage
and attain one’s true nature
“It is not the nature of the mind to incline towards rare bliss, but rather to wallow in the common pleasures.
Unless one courts the company of saints who are inseparable from Truth, the state of effortless abidance in the Self is unattainable.
When people slog even to gain the trifles of worldly and heavenly pleasures, to what lengths of self-denial and effort should one resort in order to attain the exalted state?
Rare indeed is a person in all the three worlds who is freed from worldly tangles and who experiences the magnificent glory of spiritual illumination.
Witnessing his father’s dispassion, Tulsidas felt contrite about his own condition. With tears welling up in his eyes, he bowed to his father and said, “Please allow me to accompany you to Naimisharanyam.”
“On our own conviction, that sense-indulgence will impede our spiritual evolution and hurtle us towards hell, we should embrace a sadhu’s life. When we try to resist the temptation of even one sense we fail miserably. While so, how can we resist the onslaught of the deceitful mind, which plays havoc with all senses, madly dancing to the music of external stimuli? We can hardly hope to realize God, given these imponderables. Even loss of honour and ridicule of society do not spur a man to keep his sensory life in check. How, then, will he purify the treacherous mind and devote his life to the Lord?
.............................end ....................
path of Ramana -2
.............Lord Siva first had to teach to the ascetics in order to elevate their minds gradually to the level of maturity in which they could understand that liberation can ultimately be attained only through the path of Self-enquiry.
He (shiva) had to lead them gradually from the grosser methods of spiritual practice such as puja, japa, dhyana and pranayama towards the most refined method of practice, namely Self-enquiry or Self-attention.
........................That is why Sri Bhagavan always put the main emphasis of His teaching upon the path of Self Enquiry, which is a short-cut means that bypasses the need for all other kinds of spiritual practice.
Having come to this point, in verse 9 Sri Bhagavan declares that
to abide in one’s own true state of mere being,
which is attained by the strength of such ananyabhava
or Self-attention and which transcends meditation,
is the truth of supreme devotion or para-bhakti.
Rather than anya-bhava, ananya-bhava [done with the conviction] ‘He is I’ is indeed the best among all [the various kinds of meditation]. Thus in this verse Sri Bhagavan reveals how all the practices of karma yoga and bhakti yoga mentioned in the previous four verses must finally merge in the practice of Self-attention or Self- Enquiry,
and in the next verse He reveals that
by the strength of such Self-attention one will attain the state of Self-abidance,
which is the truth of supreme devotion
other practises ........self attention....self abidance.
By the strength of meditation [that is, by the strength of such ananya-bhava or Self-attention],
abiding in the state of being,
which transcends meditation,
alone is the truth of supreme devotion [para-bhakti-tattva].
Tattava Darshanam
‘The mind, which is withdrawn from what-is-seen (drisya), seeing its own nature of consciousness, is the seeing of the reality (tattva-darsanam)’.
repeated:
When one scrutinizes the form of the mind without forgetfulness [that is, without pramada or slackness of attention], [it will be found that] there is no such thing as mind; this is the direct path for all.
When one always abides unswervingly in one’s own state without knowing (any differences such as) ‘oneself’ and ‘others’... who is there other than oneself?
There is no becoming, no destruction, no one in bondage, no one having desire to be released, no one making effort (to attain liberation) and no one who has attained Liberation. Know that this is the absolute truth (paramartha). – Upadesa Tanippakkal verse 24
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In due course, however, because of the clarity and strength which he will gain by repeatedly practicing Self-attention, it will become possible for him to notice the exact moment when Self-attention is lost, and thus it will become possible for him to regain it immediately.
Thus the aspirant will come to know with absolute certainty that his giving room to slackness in Self-attention is the means by which the body and world are created,
that his maintaining slackness in Self-attention on account of his lack of interest either to notice that such slackness had occurred or to put an end to it, is the means by which the world is sustained,
and that his firmly abiding once again in his own real and, blissful state of pure Consciousness, which is devoid of the limitations of name and form,
having vigilantly known the exact moment when slackness in Self-attention occurred
and having thereby put an end to it, is the means’ by which the world is destroyed.
When the aspirant comes to know this truth from his own direct experience, he will realise himself to be the perfect Supreme Reality which transcends the three functions of creation, sustenance and destruction, and hence he will remain unshakably established in the state of absolute peace.
A person will feel no liking to take to the practice of Self-attention until he gains the proper discrimination
whereby he can understand that the two states of creation and sustenance,
which are merely a mixture of pleasure and pain,
are not worthy to be cherished and pursued.
65
“The world is real for those who have not realised the Self as well as for those who have realised.
For those who have not realised, the reality is of the measure (i.e, name and form) of the world:
For those who have realised, the reality shines as the nameless and formless substratum of the world.
Know that this is the only difference between these two”.
.......But, to really experience the universe as God (which is really worshipping it) is possible only, after realising the true nature of the Self, where the world and God will not remain as entities other than the Self.
68
The true purpose of Yoga is only to remove this root-impurity.
The methods of removing the impurities vary according to the maturity of the aspirants. Consequently different Yogas had to be framed.
To the aspirants who are very intent on removing their impurities, the impurity in the form of ‘mine’ being gross rather than the impurity in the form of ‘I’ which is subtle, come first within the range of their perception.
...................Even for this truth to dawn, is it not necessary that the restless intensity of ‘mine-ness’ should be lessened to a very great extent?
Until this understanding comes to an earnest seeker through the proper discrimination of the purified mind that
‘I’ is the right root-impurity and that it has to be rooted out,
service to humanity, sacrifice for others and similar unselfish activities in the line of Karma Yoga will be going on in his life making up the major part of his endeavour.
Then, according to his previous tendencies and tastes he steps into either the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) or the path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) which alone are directly concerned with the annihilation of the ego, the root-impurity.
The Path is to attend to ‘I am’ and the Goal is to remain as ‘I am’!
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He who has not yet come to the School (the Vedas) where Bhakti is purified, is still a beast.
imp-
“From now onwards there is no such thing for me as a need in my life. Let anything take place in my life as you will ” “… all such sorts of ups and downs, happiness or misery, prosperity or poverty, honour or dishonour, fame or ill-fame…” The only need is You alone; fulfill that one need of mine, my Lord! – Sri Ramalinga Swamy.
“Shouldst Thou forsake me, I will be miserable. So, do bless me that when I leave the body I do not lose hold of Thee”. – ‘Arunachala Aksharamanamalai’ - Verse 96.
“When will the wave of thought in me cease so that I may reach Thee, the most minute as well as the most great?” – ‘Arunachala Aksharamanamalai’ - Verse 57.
111
Knowing that the present pangs of separation of our Man are due to his love for Him (God)
and this in turn is due to not having the right knowledge of His reality, (Real Nature)
and that the only remedy for this is to bestow upon him the Supreme Knowledge;
God withdraws from the sight of the Man His unreal aspects, the name and form.
...he has become Godmad having no thoughts for wife, children, house or work, but he remains drowned in the meditation on his Beloved Krishna
127
The knowing of your Self (Sat) is spontaneously ever present, because you are Knowledge itself. So also, even any feeling of love in you cannot be but you, because you are Love itself.
“Because one has no Love (Swatma Bhakti) to listen to the teaching of the Supreme Self ever going on in the heart, one comes out with great enthusiastic delusion. Because of this one needs a Guru outside.” – ‘Guru Vachaka Kovai’ - Verse 272
Till then all your present love towards this gross name and form in the name of the Love for the Guru (Guru Bhakti) is only a divided love, a partial love. This is nothing but the defective state of love.
.............’ (Ananya Bhakti) is one who has the Full Love (Sampoorna Bhakti).
The final state of refinement of the feeling of Love will be experienced as the unshakable Self-abidance.
A state of love less than that, is not at all either Supreme Love (Para Bhakti) or the Fullness of Love (Sampoorna Bhakti),
and this Love is Self and this Love is Shiva.
When love abides as itself, it is the full and perfect Love. When the Love takes the form of movement, it is fragmented and becomes desire which springs upon other objects. It is Love when it is in the form of unbroken Existence; it is desire when it is in the form of movement or fragmentation.
As second and third person objects are fragments, your love towards them will be in the form of a mere desire – even towards such a loved one as your Guru.
But, when the Love abides in the unbroken being of the first person – the Self, It is full and perfect.
This state of Love of Self (Swatma Bhakti) is the final state of refinement of love and is called Supreme Love (Para Bhakti), Non-dual Love (Ananya Bhakti).
“...Remaining in one’s own real Beingness is the very truth of Supreme Love” –‘Upadesha Undiyar’ - Verse 9
“…One who has such ‘Love for not an other’ drowns in Thee, the Self the form of Bliss.” –‘Sri Arunachala Pancharatnam’ Verse 5
“When the mind remains permanently absorbed in its source whence it had its rising – it is Karma, Bhakti; it is Yoga and Jnana also.” – ‘Upadesha Undiyar’ - Verse 10
155
The only essential thing to do for those who want to cut the knot of the bondage of ignorance, is to quit those who know the scriptures and to join those who abide in the Self, the Knowers of Truth.” –‘Guruvachaka Kovai’ - Verse 1158
“The
only worthy disciplehood which is the steadfast Supreme Devotion that springs up with the merging of the ego into the Light of Supreme Silence
(or Self-Awareness), is verily the right Guruship. Thus should you know” –‘Guruvachaka Kovai’- Verse 269
If one has ‘Bhakti one cannot but be as the Self.
So Bhakti and Jnana are not two but the Self, like the two faces of the same coin.
That Path of Knowledge, i.e., the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ which results in the dawning of Self-Knowledge is explained as ‘The Path of Sri Ramana’ (Part One).
Now, as the love in its perfectly refined state shines as Self alone, the method of purifying the love up to Self-Love (Swatma Bhakti) is explained as ‘The Path of Sri Ramana’ (Part Two).
Unless they come to us completely disgusted with their practices and ask for a better truth, we should not interfere and disturb the course of others.
Let us encourage every one of them in their own way.
“One who knows the Truth should not create confusion in the minds of ignorants who are attached to karmas…”
–‘Bhagavad Gita’- Chapter III – Verse 26
Imp:
He mistakes the nature of his unlimited non-dual, perfect Knowledge, Self, to be the mind or sense-knowledge which knows other things only (other than Self through the senses).
... Sage Auvaiyar when she said, “For those who surrender in Shiva (Shivaya nama) there is no possibility of danger befalling them.
This alone is Free Will.
If not surrendered, every thing will become Fate.”
From that time onwards the devotee, who takes to either Self-enquiry or Self-surrender,
is able to understand that whatever happens in his life is only favourable to lessen the activities of his mind and make him turn Self-ward.
If one turns one’s attention towards the first person (the subject) in the waking state, the waking should come to an end, leaving one in the State of Awakening.
imp:
Only this kind of Self-effort is called the effort of destroying karmas. This alone will lead to Liberation. As all other efforts of attention are towards second and third persons objects, they are only generating karmas and will not give Liberation. Such is the truth!
Yet, some of us used to say that even Jnana, the Awakening, is the result of Prarabdha. It is wrong.
Jnana is not bound by, but transcending the results of karmas.
The aforesaid second kind of Self-effort will be known as the Natural State (Sahaja State) when it is found to be going on effortlessly. This is the state of Effortless-effort – Dynamic Stillness.
So long as one’s efforts are towards second and third persons (i.e., effort in generating karmas) the tendencies derived from them are ‘Doingness-innature’,
which will never yield Liberation,
the annihilation of the ego!
...In the last two lines of this verse (verse 3) Shri Bhagavan gives His is own experience that the individuality does not exist when the Knowledge of the Supreme – Self, dawns
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymvj01q44o0&list=PLNcKRMLMcyzZAEUWBK9IcFC7imJEaZbyf&index=9&frags=wn
Self enquiry practise....from imp ramana
00:40 ultimate aim to be continuously aware of I.
first thought, then feeling...then it vanishes. individuality ceases to exist.
experience of being where individuality temporarily ceases to operate.
experience intermittent at first but by repeated practise becomes easier and easier to reach and maintain.
when self enquiry reaches this level, there is an effortless awareness of being.in which individual
effort is not possible since i who makes the effort temporarily ceases to exist.
It is not Self Realistion.
..since i thought periodicaly self asserts itself.
...but is the highest level of practise.
repeated experiece of this state of being weakens and destroys the vasanas
Power of Self destroys residual tendencies...that the I thought never rises again.
This is the final and irreversible state of self realisation.
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from...talks of Ramana ..(at 60% page)
But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or remaining still inwardly
is intense activity which is performed with the entire mind and without break.
.................................
Thus, ‘inherence in the Self’ is the sum and substance of Gita teaching.
Finally, the Master Himself added,
“If a man be established in the Self these doubts would not arise.
They arise only until he is established there.”
Finally, the Master Himself added,
“If a man be established in the Self these doubts would not arise.
They arise only until he is established there.”
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Brahman is the ultimate Truth. He who has accepted It has accepted everything ; who knows It knows everything ; who has gained It has gained everything. But nobody knows that Brahman, nor desires to know It. Nobody seems to possess that purity and fineness of mind which makes one desire to attain Brahman. People are engaged in the relentless pursuit of ephemeral and limited worldly pleasures. To get at those flimsy joys and to preserve them they waste the precious human life. They appear inordi- nately proud of such possessions. Alas ! even man is not his own. Then how can these external things become his possessions ? All these pleasures are
but the infinitesimal part of the bliss of Brahman Few indeed are the people who aim at that supreme Bliss If people fail to perceive their ultimate goal, it IS all on account of Maya Now and at all times, here and everywhere, the delusive power of Maya functions unchecked There seems to be no limit to her powers
He still remains a slave to passions In the universe who is a greater siddha than Hiranyagarbha
Except those who have
detached themselves completely from the world, who
possess the talent of wise and careful thought, none
can hope to understand Brahma Vidya, even indirectly,
that IS, even intellectually
Spiritual truth is extremely difficult to comprehend.
It is only very rarely we come across people who ardently desire to learn it ; it is still more rare to find people who are entitled to teach it.
Except from well qualified teachers none can understand it pro- perly.
Unlike the things of the objective world, spiritual
truths cannot be perceived by one’s senses or even by
mere intellect and therefore, only those disciples who
possess the necessary qualifications and who, having
learned the Truth from noble preceptors, constantly
meditate upon it, realize the Truth.
He who perceives this truth directly and without doubt crosses the sea of samsara and attains salvation. No more does he return to this miserable existence of births and deaths, sorrows and sufferings.
What is commonly spoken of as “ I ” in relation to everybody is directly known to all in its general form ; but in its particular shape it remains unknown.
“I am the
free, immortal and blissful spirit ”
is a realization that
seldom comes to men.
God has created human beings with their minds turned naturally outward, that is, towards the pheno- menal world. The mind of course is open to imagi- nings and doubts. Hence it is really difiicult for man to withdraw the mind and the senses from their worldly preoccupations and find God in himself.
Out of thousands but one controls the mind and senses through Vairagya
and the earnest desire to secure salvation, turns the mind inward and finds satisfaction in the realization of the souL
The true man is he who resists the temptations of the senses, overcome their irresistible attractions, and realizes Truth. Th' roan who fails to trti&c this He for the seareh Truth or at least for the zegnisition of those
which will ultimately lead him to Truth, is really
wasting his precious chance. Nothing is more regretta- ble, than wasting human life m eating, sleeping, fearing, mating, etc., like brutes. Tlie people who, enslaved by the senses, spend their time coveting this and that, subject themselves to death — that is, they continue to be chained down to the cycle of births and deaths.
But those heroic souls that have con- quered their minds and their senses, know how fleeting worldly pleasures are and therefore they give them up.
They aim only at immortality, they live for it ; they exert themsehes ceaselessly to reach it.
The sole
means of salvation is the true knowledge of the one
and only Soul. It may be called differently as Jnana
or Iswara according to the diffcrent ways of looking
at It, but It is the same chaitanya. This knowledge is
the true knowledge. It can be gained by a proper
study of the Upanishads.
The knowledge of difference consists in conceiving of as many souls as there arc bodies and regarding the individual soul as different from the universal soul. This knowledge is unreal ; it cannot render one immortal (and therefore incapable of conferring im- mortality). On the practical plane we may speak of “ You ” and “ I ” but in reality there is no plurality of the soul. Those who are not fully qualified to realize in themselves the supreme soul, should worship the pranata. They must constantly pronounce it “ Om, Om, Om ”. The weak-minded should pro- nounce it loud and long like the tolling of a bell ; people with stronger minds must pronounce it more slowly. At the same time they must try to concentrate on Nirgun Brahman. Those who are unable to do so may concentrate their minds upon the “ Om ” sound itself.
From then he may learn that soul is one without a second ; that It is omnipresent ; that It is the same sotil that manifests itself as jiva (in all living bodies ; that It itself is Brahman, the ultimate cause of the universe.
Then he must con- vince himself of this truth by independent reasoning. Once he has done that he must meditate upon it intensely and without break. The process is called Niddhidhyasana.
In the course of such concentrated, devout meditations the mind merges with the soul and in that state of samadhi he perceives It directly.
O Maitreyi, self-abidance is the sole means of attaining immortality :so, if you aim at immortality, spare no effort towards reaching that state of self- abidance.”“ Not for half a moment do the sages remain without the experience of Brahman ”Nevertheless, what IS extremely difficult for an ordinary type of knower is easily achieved by eminent sages, namely, to keep unaffected the mental grasp of the truth of Brahman.Just as the body-bound souls never miss the experience of the body even in the midst of the uttermost distractions, so the shining forth of Brahman IS experienced without any difficulty by the knowers of Brahman who delight in Brahman and who are non-different from Brahman The fact is, it is easier for them to do so. It becomes their very nature For such sages who are hardly less than God Hunself, and who habitually find themselves on (he summit of such expenence, there is concentration of mind both when the mind is restricted and when it operates towards objects.To abandon all love of worldly pleasures and immerse one’s -mind completely in the love of God, can be the consummation only of great punya.Whatever be the form of God, only a mind which has freed itself totally from worldly entangle- ments, can be filled with Divine love.When a Bhakta, filled with the longing to see his Beloved, cries out as if his heart would break, “ My Lord, My Lord, O Parmatma, when shall I behold Thy lovely form with these eyes of mine ? ” only people who have tasted the Divine sweetness of that intense love, can understand it.sits in a corner...She hates every distraction which disturbsthe contemplation of her lord.Even so, the bhakta hates all interruptions to his prayers, and all distrac- tions which break up his continuous contemplation of God whom he loves most intensely.For such bhaktas, can there be a place more congenial than the solitary, peaceful Gomukha? There is nothing here which does not help the enjoyment of contemplation and prayer. What is here to hinder it ?This solitary place is extremely suitable to people who see God, who love God or who meditate upon God, for they require no external assistance in their activities, but a cultured mind.Solitude serves them best to perfect their discipline.This Gomukha region is unrivaled not only in its perpetual solitude but also its clear, pure, spiritual atmosphere and so it aids the bhakta as well as the jnani to reach easily the state of samadhi which is the culmination of jnana, bhakti and dhyana.An uninterrupted reveling in this non-dual Brahman realized as the quintessence of the world is the supreme goal of life.
