Talks with Ramana 15

 https://selfdefinition.org/ramana/Talks-with-Sri-Ramana-Maharshi--complete.pdf

528

M.: First surrender and see. The doubts arise because of the absence of surrender. 

Acquire strength by surrender and then your surroundings will be found to have improved to the degree of strength acquired by you.

........

You can entertain these thoughts or relinquish them. The former is bondage and the latter is release. 

D.: It is not quite clear to me. 

M.: You must exist in order that you may think. 

You may think these thoughts or other thoughts. 

The thoughts change but not you. 

Let go the passing thoughts and hold on to the unchanging Self.

 The thoughts form your bondage. If they are given up, there is release. 

The bondage is not external. So no external remedy need be sought for release. 

It is within your competence to think and thus to get bound or to cease thinking and thus be free. 

D.: But it is not easy to remain without thinking. 

M.: You need not cease thinking. 

Only think of the root of the thoughts; seek it and find it. 

The Self shines by itself. 

When that is found the thoughts cease of their own accord. That is freedom from bondage.

 D.: Yes. I understand it now. I have learnt it now. Is a Guru necessary? 

M.: So long as you consider yourself as an individual, 

a Guru is necessary 

to show to you that you are not bound by limitations and that your nature is to be free from limitations.

......

The Teachings of Sri Ramana Bhagavan. 

(1) That man who is active in the world and yet remains desireless, without losing sight of his own essential nature, is alone a true man. 

This was in answer to the Swami who wanted to retire into a cave for practising meditation. 

(2) He asked about sanyas. Should not a man renounce everything in order that he might get Liberation? 

M.: Even better than the man who thinks “I have renounced everything” is the one who does his duty but does not think “I do this” or “I am the doer”. 

Even a sannyasi who thinks “I am a sannyasi” cannot be a true sanyasi, whereas a householder who does not think “I am a householder” is truly a sannyasi.

.......

Annamalai asked:

 Namadev, Tukaram, Tulsidas and others are said to have seen Maha Vishnu. How did they see Him? 

M.: In what manner? Just in the same manner as you see me now and I see you here. They would also have seen Vishnu in this way only. 

(He records that, on hearing it, his hairs stood on end and an intense joy overpowered him.)

.....

Talk 561. 

D.: What is svarupa (form) and arupa (formless) of the mind? 

M.: When you wake up from sleep a light appears, that is the light of the Self passing through Mahat tattva. It is called cosmic consciousness. That is arupa. 

The light falls on the ego and is reflected therefrom. 

Then the body and the world are seen. This mind is svarupa. The objects appear in the light of this reflected consciousness. This light is called jyoti.

.......

M.: The experience is the same. Every person experiences the Self consciously or unconsciously. The ajnani’s experience is clouded by his latencies whereas the jnani’s is not so. The jnani’s experience of the Self is therefore distinct and permanent. 

A practiser may by long practice gain a glimpse of the Reality. This experience may be vivid for the time being. And yet he will be distracted by the old vasanas and so his experience will not avail him. 

Such a man must continue his manana and nididhyasana so that all the obstacles may be destroyed. He will then be able to remain permanently in the Real State.

.....

M.: A refractory bull is lured to the stall by means of grass. Similarly the mind must be lured by good thoughts.

.......

M.: The Bhagavad Gita says: 

Sanaissanairuparamet (The mind must gradually be brought to a standstill); 

Atma samstham manah krtva (making the mind inhere in the Self); 

Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam (by practice and dispassion). 

Practice is necessary. Progress will be slow.

..

D.: What is Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation)? 

M.: You are the Atma (Self) and that sakshat (here and now) also. 

Where is the place for kara (accomplishment) in it? 

This question shows that you think you are the non-Self. 

Or you think that there are two selves, the one to realise the other. 

It is absurd. That you identify yourself with the gross body lies at the root of this question. Well, this question arises now. Did it arise in your sleep? Did you not exist then? Certainly you did exist in sleep. What is the difference between these two states that the question should arise now but not in sleep? Now you think that you are the body. You see things around you and you want to see the Self in a similar manner. Such is the force of habit. The senses are mere instruments of perception. You are the seer. Remain as the seer only. What else is there to see? Such is the state in deep sleep. 

Therefore this question does not arise then. 

Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation) is thus only anatma nirasana (giving up the non-Self).

..

D.: Is yoga necessary? 

M.: It is a sadhana. It will not be necessary after jnana is attained. 

All the sadhanas are called yogas, e.g., Karma yoga; Bhakti yoga; Jnana yoga; Ashtanga yoga. 

What is yoga? Yoga means ‘union’. 

Yoga is possible only when there is ‘viyoga’ (separation). 

The person is now under the delusion of viyoga. 

This delusion must be removed. 

The method of removing it is called yoga.

......

Talk 586. 

An Andhra visitor asked: How is one to be quiet? It is so difficult to be so. Should we practise yoga for it? Or is there any other means for it? 

M.: What is not difficult looks difficult. A man is prone to wander about. He is told to stay quiet at home, but finds it difficult to do so because he wants to wander about. 

D.: Is there any particular upasana which is more efficacious than others? 

M.: All upasanas are equally efficacious. But each one takes easily to one kind of upasana which suits his previous vasanas.

..

D.: How does the name help Realisation? 

M.: The original name is always going on spontaneously without any effort on the part of the individual. That name is aham - ‘I’. 

But when it becomes manifest it manifests as ahamkara - the ego. The oral repetition of nama leads one to mental repetition which finally resolves itself into the eternal vibration.

.......

575

They pray to God and finish with “Thy Will be done!”

 If His Will be done why do they pray at all? 

It is true that the Divine Will prevails at all times and under all circumstances. 

The individuals cannot act of their own accord. 

Recognise the force of the Divine Will and keep quiet. 

Each one is looked after by God. He has created all. You are one among 2,000 millions. When He looks after so many will He omit you? 

Even common sense dictates that one should abide by His Will.

..

577............................................

Talk 596. 

A visitor asked: Sri Bhagavan said last night that God is guiding us. Then why should we make an effort to do anything? 

M.: Who asks you to do so? If there was that faith in the guidance of God this question would not have arisen. 

D.: The fact is that God guides us. Then what is the use of these instructions to people?

M.: They are for those who seek instructions.

 If you are firm in your belief in the guidance of God, stick to it, and do not concern yourself with what happens around you. 

Furthermore, there may be happiness or misery. Be equally indifferent to both and abide in the faith of God. That will be so only when one’s faith is strong that God looks after all of us. 

Mr. Chopra asked: “How shall I secure that firm faith?” 

M.: Exactly. It is for such as these who want instructions. There are persons who seek freedom from misery. 

They are told that God guides all and so there need not be any concern about what happens.

 If they are of the best type they at once believe it and firmly abide by faith in God. 

But there are others who are not so easily convinced of the truth of the bare statement. 

They ask: “Who is God? What is His nature? Where is He? How can He be realised?” and so on. 

In order to satisfy them intellectual discussion is found necessary. 

Statements are made, their pros and cons are argued, and the truth is thus made clear to the intellect.

 When the matter is understood intellectually the earnest seeker begins to apply it practically. 

He argues at every moment, “For whom are these thoughts? Who am I?” and so forth, until he is well-established in the conviction that a Higher Power guides us. 

That is firmness of faith. 

Then all his doubts are cleared and he needs no further instructions.

D.: We also have faith in God. 

M.: If it had been firm no questions would have arisen. The person will remain perfectly happy in his Faith in the Omnipotent. 

D.: Is the enquiry into the Self the same as the above mentioned faith? 

M.: The enquiry into the Self is inclusive of all, faith, devotion, jnana, yoga and all.

.......

D.: A man sometimes finds that the physical body does not permit steady meditation. Should he practise yoga for training the body for the purpose?

M.: It is according to one’s samskaras (predispositions). One man will practise hatha yoga for curing his bodily ills; another man will trust to God to cure them; a third man will use his will-power for it and a fourth man may be totally indifferent to them. But all of them will persist in meditation. 

The quest for the Self is the essential factor and all the rest are mere accessories. 

A man may have mastered the Vedanta philosophy and yet remain unable to control his thoughts.

 He may have a predisposition (purva samskara) which takes him to practise hatha yoga.

 He will believe that the mind can be controlled only by yoga and so he will practise it.

D.: What is most suitable for gaining facilities for steady dhyana? 

M.: It depends on one’s samskara. One may find hatha yoga suitable and another man nama japa, and so on. The essential point is the atma-vichara - enquiry into the Self.

D.: Is it enough if I spend some time in the mornings and some time in the evenings for this atma-vichara? Or should I do it always - say, even when I am writing or walking? 

M.: Now what is your real nature? Is it writing, walking, or being? The one unalterable reality is Being.

 Until you realise that state of pure being you should pursue the enquiry.

 If once you are established in it there will be no further worry. No one will enquire into the source of thoughts unless thoughts arise. So long as you think “I am walking,” “I am writing,” enquire who does it. These actions will however go on when one is firmly established in the Self. Does a man always say, “I am a man, I am a man, I am a man,” every moment of his life? He does not say so and yet all his actions are going on.

............

D.: Is an intellectual understanding of the Truth necessary?

 M.: Yes. Otherwise why does not the person realise God or the Self at once?

 i.e. As soon as he is told that God is all or the Self is all? 

That shows some wavering on his part. 

He must argue with himself and gradually convince himself of the Truth before his faith becomes firm.

.......

Talk 597. 

A Swiss lady, Mrs. J. C. S. Hick-Riddingh, asked: 

“Does Self Realisation imply occult powers also?” 

M.: The Self is the most intimate and eternal Being whereas the siddhis are foreign. The one requires effort to acquire and the other does not. The powers are sought by the mind which must be kept alert whereas the Self is realised when the mind is destroyed. The powers manifest only when there is the ego. The ego makes you aware of others and in its absence there are no others to be seen. The Self is beyond the ego and is realised after the ego is eliminated. The elimination of the ego makes one unaware of others. 

How can the question of others arise and where is the use of occult powers for a Self-Realised Being? Self-Realisation may be accompanied by occult powers or it may not be. If the person had sought such powers before Realisation, he may get the powers after Realisation. 

There are others who had not sought such powers and had attempted only Self-Realisation. They do not manifest such powers. These powers may also be sought and gained even after Self Realisation. But then they are used for a definite purpose, i.e. the benefit of others as in the case of Chudala. Sikhidhvaja was a pious king. His spouse was Chudala. They received instructions from a sage. The king, being busy with the administration of his kingdom, could not put the instructions into practice, whereas Chudala put them into practice and gained Self-Realisation. Consequently she appeared more charming than before. The king was struck by her growing charm and asked her about it. She said that all charm was due to the Self and he was only noting the charm of Self-Realisation in her. He said that she was silly. There were great tapasvis who could not realise the Self even after long periods of tapas and what about a silly woman who was all along in the family and in the worldly life? However, Chudala was not offended because she was firm in the Self and only wished that her husband should realise the Self and be happy. She then thought that unless she could prove her worth by manifesting some extraordinary powers he could not be convinced and she began to seek occult powers and gained them. But she did not betray them just then. Constant association with her made the king dispassionate. He began to dislike the worldly life and desired to retire into the forest for performing tapasya. So he told his wife that he wanted to leave the world for the forest. She was delighted at the development, but pretended to be very much concerned with his unkind decision. He hesitated out of consideration for her. In the meantime, his dispassion gained in force and he decided to leave home even without her consent. When the queen was sleeping one night he suddenly left the palace by stealth and retired into the forest. He was seeking some solitary spot where he could perform his tapas. When the queen woke up she did not find her husband and immediately found out by her occult powers what had really happened. She rejoiced in her husband’s determination. She called the ministers and said that the king had gone on some important business and that the administration should be carried on as efficiently as ever. She herself administered the state in the absence of the king. Eighteen years passed. She then knew that the king was fit for Self-Realisation. So she appeared to him disguised as Kumbha and so on. He then realised the Self and returned to rule the kingdom with the queen. The point is that occult powers are sought and gained for the benefit of others by Self-Realised persons also. But the sages are not deluded by the possession of such powers.

D.: Does the sage use occult powers for making others realise the Self or is the mere fact of his Self-Realisation enough for it?

 M.: The force of his Self-Realisation is far more powerful than the use of all other powers. In as much as there is no ego in him, there are not others for him. What is the highest benefit that can be conferred on others? It is happiness. Happiness is born of Peace. Peace can reign only when there is no disturbance. Disturbance is due to thoughts which arise in the mind. When the mind itself is absent there will be perfect Peace. Unless a person had annihilated his mind he cannot gain peace and be happy. Unless he himself is happy he cannot bestow happiness on others. When there is no mind he cannot be aware of others. So the mere fact of his Self-Realisation is itself enough to make all others happy.

D.: Can samadhi come and go? 

M.: What is samadhi? Samadhi is one’s essential nature. 

How then can it come or go?

 If you do not realise your essential nature, your sight remains obstructed. 

What is the obstruction? Find it and remove it. So one’s efforts are meant only for the removal of obstructions which hide the true vision. The real nature remains the same. 

When once it is realised it is permanent. 

D.: But Mr. Brunton says that he had one hour’s samadhi. Therefore I asked the question. 

M.: A practiser gains peace of mind and is happy. That peace is the result of his efforts. 

But the real state must be effortless.

The effortless samadhi is the true one and the perfect state. It is permanent.

 The efforts are spasmodic and so also their results. 

When the real, effortless, permanent, happy nature is realised it will be found to be not inconsistent with the ordinary activities of life. 

The samadhi reached after efforts looks like abstraction from the external activities. A person might be so abstracted or live freely among people without detriment to his Peace and Happiness because that is his true nature or the Self.

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