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https://selfdefinition.org/ramana/Talks-with-Sri-Ramana-Maharshi--complete.pdf
Talk 274.
The Muslim Professor asked how Vaishnavism can be reconciled to Advaitism.
M.: The Vaishnavites call themselves Visishtadvaitins. This is also Advaita. Just as the individual body comprises the soul, the ego and the gross body, so also God comprises Paramatma, the world and the individuals.
D.: Does not bhakti imply duality?
M.: Swa swarupanusandhanam bhakti ritya abhidheeyate (Reflection on one’s own Self is called bhakti). Bhakti and Self-Enquiry are one and the same. The Self of the Advaitins is the God of the bhaktas.
D.: What does Sri Bhagavan think of Pravritti and nivritti margas?
M.: Yes. Both are mentioned. What of that?
D.: Which is the better of the two?
M.: If you see the Self - pure and simple - it is nivritti; if you see the Self with the world, it is pravritti.
In other words, inward turned mind (antarmukhi manas) is nivritti; outward-going mind (bahirmukhi manas) is pravritti. Anyway, there is nothing apart from the Self. Both are the same. Similarly also, with the spiritual hierarchy; they cannot exist apart from the Self. They are only in the Self and remain as the Self. Realisation of the Self is the one Goal of all.
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regarding mount Arunachal
D.: How is it visible to the physical eye?
M.: Sambandar had sung “The One who fascinated my heart or the captivator of my heart, I sing of Him in my mind”. The Heart is captivated: consequently the mind must have sunk into the Heart; and yet there is the remembrance which enables the saint to sing of God later.
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A devotee asked, if it was not saktipata (descent of divine power)?
M.: Yes it is. A madman clings to samskaras, whereas a Jnani does not. That is the only difference between the two. Jnana is madness of a kind.
D.: But saktipata is said to occur in karmasamya, i.e., when merit and demerit are equal.
M.: Yes. Malaparipaka, karmasamya and saktipata mean the same, A man is running the course of his samskaras; when taught he is the Self, the teaching affects his mind and imagination runs riot. He feels helpless before the onrushing power. His experiences are only according to his imagination of the state “I am the Self”, whatever he may conceive it to be.
Saktipata alone confers the true and right experience.
When the man is ripe for receiving the instruction and his mind is about to sink into the Heart, the instruction imparted works in a flash and he realises the Self all right.
Otherwise, there is always the struggle.
Mano-nasa, jnana, and chittaikagrata (annihilation of the mind, knowledge and one-pointedness) means the same.
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Talk 277.
Mr. Cohen: What is will? I mean - where does it fit in, in the five kosas?
M.: The ‘I-thought’ arises first and then all other thoughts. They comprise the mind. The mind is the object and the ‘I’ is the subject. Can there be will without the ‘I’? It is comprised in the ‘I’. The ‘I-thought’ is the vijnanamaya kosa (intellectual sheath). Will is included in it. Sri Bhagavan said further: Annamaya kosa is the gross body sheath. The senses with the prana and the karmendriyas form the pranamayakosa (sense-sheath). The senses with the mind form the manomaya kosa (mind-sheath). They are the jnanendryas. The mind is formed of thoughts only Idam (this) is the object and aham (‘I’) is the subject; the two together form the vijnanamayakosa (intellect-sheath).
D.: Was the Self pure then in sleep?
M.: It did not raise any doubts. It did not feel imperfect or impure.
D.: Such Self is common to all, even in a dead body.
M.: But the man in sleep or in dead body does not raise questions. Consider who raises questions. It is you. Were you not in sleep? Why was there no imperfection? The pure Self is simple Being. It does not associate itself with objects and become conscious as in the wakeful state. What you now call consciousness in the present state is associated consciousness requiring brain, mind, body, etc., to depend upon. But in sleep consciousness persisted without these.
D.: But I do not know the consciousness in sleep.
M.: Who is not aware of it? You admit “I am”. You admit “I was” in sleep. The state of being is your self.
D.: Do you mean to say that sleep is Self-Realisation?
M.: It is the Self. Why do you talk of Realisation? Is there a moment when the Self is not realised? If there be such a moment, the other moment might be said to be one of Realisation. There is no moment when the Self is not nor when the Self is not realised. Why pick out sleep for it? Even now you are Self-realised.
D.: But I do not understand.
M.: Because you are identifying the Self with the body. Give up the wrong identity and the Self is revealed.
D.: But this does not answer my question to help me to get rid of Maya, i.e., attachment.
M.: This attachment is not found in sleep. It is perceived and felt now. It is not your real nature. On whom is this accretion? If the Real Nature is known these exist not. If you realise the Self the possessions are not perceived. That is getting rid of Maya. Maya is not objective, that it could be got rid of in any other way
D.: Does the path to Self-Realisation go through samadhi?
M.: They are synonymous.
D.: It is said that the Guru can make his disciple realise the Self by transmitting some of his own power to him? Is it true?
M.: Yes. The Guru does not bring about Self-Realisation. He simply removes the obstacles to it. The Self is always realised.
D.: Is there absolute necessity of a Guru for Self-Realisation?
M.: So long as you seek Self-Realisation the Guru is necessary.
Guru is the Self.
Take Guru to be the Real Self and your self as the individual self. The disappearance of this sense of duality is removal of ignorance. So long as duality persists in you the Guru is necessary. Because you identify yourself with the body you think the Guru, too, to be some body. You are not the body, nor is the Guru. You are the Self and so is the Guru. This knowledge is gained by what you call Self-Realisation.
D.: How can one know whether a particular individual is competent to be a Guru?
M.: By the peace of mind found in his presence and by the sense of respect you feel for him.
D.: If the Guru happens to turn out incompetent, what will be the fate of the disciple who has implicit faith in him?
M.: Each one according to his merits.
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M.:Iswaro Gururatmeti - Iswara, Guru and Self are identical. So long as the sense of duality persists in you, you seek a Guru considering that he stands apart. He however teaches you the truth and you gain the insight.
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