https://selfdefinition.org/ramana/Talks-with-Sri-Ramana-Maharshi--complete.pdf
D.: How is realisation made possible?
M.: There is the absolute Self from which a spark proceeds as from fire. The spark is called the ego.
In the case of an ignorant man it identifies itself with an object simultaneously with its rise.
It cannot remain independent of such an association with objects.
This association is ajnana or ignorance, whose destruction is the objective of our efforts.
If its objectifying tendency is killed it remains pure, and also merges into the source.
The wrong identification with the body is dehatmabuddhi (‘I-am-the-body’ idea).
This must go before good results follow.
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M.: We exist in sushupti without being associated with the body and mind.
But in the other two states we are associated with them. If one with the body, how can we exist without the body in sushupti? We can separate ourselves from that which is external to us and not from that which is one with us. Hence the ego is not one with the body.
This must be realised in the waking state.
Avasthatraya (the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep) should be studied only for gaining this outlook.
The ego in its purity is experienced in intervals between two states or two thoughts.
Ego is like that caterpillar which leaves its hold only after catching another.
Its true nature can be found when it is out of contact with objects or thoughts.
Realise this interval with the conviction gained by the study of avasthatraya (the three states of consciousness).
........
Talk 307.
Mr. Shamanna from Mysore asked Sri Bhagavan: Kindly explain Aham Sphurana (the light of ‘I-I’).
M.: ‘I’ is not known in sleep. On waking ‘I’ is perceived associated with the body, the world and non-self in general. Such associated ‘I’ is Aham vritti.
When Aham represents the Self only it is Aham Sphurana.
This is natural to the Jnani and is itself called jnana by jnanis, or bhakti by bhaktas.
Though ever present, including in sleep, it is not perceived. It cannot be known in sleep all at once. It must first be realised in the waking state, for it is our true nature underlying all the three states.
Efforts must be made only in the jagrat state and the Self realised here and now.
It will afterwards be understood and realised to be continuous Self, uninterrupted by jagrat, svapna and sushupti.
Thus it is akhandakara vritti (unbroken experience).
Vritti is used for lack of a better expression. It should not be understood to be literally a vritti. In that case, vritti will resemble an ‘ocean-like river’, which is absurd. Vritti is of short duration, it is qualified, directed consciousness; or absolute consciousness broken up by cognition of thoughts, senses, etc. Vritti is the function of the mind, whereas the continuous consciousness transcends the mind. This is the natural, primal state of the Jnani or the liberated being. That is unbroken experience. It asserts itself when relative consciousness subsides.
Aham vritti (‘I-thought’) is broken.
Aham sphurana (the light of ‘I-I’) is unbroken, continuous.
After the thoughts subside, the light shines forth.
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Talk 314.
In yesterday’s answers, Sri Bhagavan said that the Self is pure consciousness in deep slumber, and He also indicated the Self of the transition from sleep to the waking state as the ideal for realisation.
He was requested to explain the same.
Sri Bhagavan graciously answered:
The Self is pure consciousness in sleep; it evolves as aham (‘I’) without the idam (‘this’) in the transition stage; and manifests as aham (‘I’) and idam (‘this’) in the waking state.
The individual’s experience is by means of aham (‘I’) only.
So he must aim at realisation in the way indicated (i.e., by means of the transitional ‘I’).
Otherwise the sleep-experience does not matter to him.
If the transitional ‘I’ be realised the substratum is found and that leads to the goal.
Again, sleep is said to be ajnana (ignorance). That is only in relation to the wrong jnana (knowledge) prevalent in the wakeful state. The waking state is really ajnana (ignorance) and the sleep state is prajnana (full knowledge). Prajnana is Brahman, says the sruti. Brahman is eternal. The sleep-experiencer is called prajna. He is prajnanam in all the three states. Its particular significance in the sleep state is that He is full of knowledge (prajnanaghana).
What is ghana? There are jnana and vijnana.
Both together operate in all perceptions. Vijnana in the jagrat is viparita jnana (wrong knowledge) i.e. ajnana (ignorance). It always co-exists with the individual. When this becomes vispashta jnana (clear knowledge), It is Brahman. When wrong knowledge is totally absent, as in sleep, He remains pure prajnana only. That is Prajnanaghana.
Aitareya Upanishad says prajnana, vijnana, ajnana, samjnana are all names of Brahman.
Being made up of knowledge alone how is He to be experienced? Experience is always with vijnana.
Therefore the pure ‘I’ of the transitional stage must be held for the experience of the Prajnanaghana.
The ‘I’ of the waking state is impure and is not useful for such experience.
Hence the use of the transitional ‘I’ or the pure ‘I’. How is this pure ‘I’ to be realised?
Viveka Chudamani says, Vijnana kose vilasatyajasram
(He is always shining forth in the intellectual sheath, vijnana kosa).
Tripura Rahasya and other works point out that the interval between two consecutive sankalpas (ideas or thoughts) represent the pure aham (‘I’).
Therefore holding on to the pure ‘I’, one should have the Prajnanaghana for aim, and there is the vritti present in the attempt.
All these have their proper and respective places and at the same time lead to realisation.
Again the pure Self has been described in Viveka Chudamani to be beyond asat, i.e. different from asat. Here asat is the contaminated waking ‘I’.
Asadvilakshana means sat, i.e. the Self of sleep. He is also described as different from sat and asat. Both mean the same. He is also asesha sakshi (all-seeing witness).
If pure, how is He to be experienced by means of the impure ‘I’?
A man says “I slept happily”. Happiness was his experience. If not, how could he speak of what he had not experienced? How did he experience happiness in sleep, if the Self was pure? Who is it that speaks of that experience now? The speaker is the vijnanatma (ignorant self) and he speaks of prajnanatma (pure self). How can that hold? Was this vijnanatma present in sleep? His present statement of the experience of happiness in sleep makes one infer his existence in sleep. How then did he remain? Surely not as in the waking state. He was there very subtle. Exceedingly subtle vijnanatma experiences the happy prajnanatma by means of maya mode. It is like the rays of the moon seen below the branches, twigs and leaves of a tree. The subtle vijnanatma seems apparently a stranger to the obvious vijnanatma of the present moment. Why should we infer his existence in sleep? Should we not deny the experience of happiness and be done with this inference? No. The fact of the experience of happiness cannot be denied, for everyone courts sleep and prepares a nice bed for the enjoyment of sound sleep. This brings us to the conclusion that the cogniser, cognition and the cognised are present in all the three states, though there are differences in their subtleties. In the transitional state, the aham (‘I’) is suddha (pure), because idam (‘this’) is suppressed. Aham (‘I’) predominates.
‘Why is not that pure ‘I’ realised now or even remembered by us?
Because of want of acquaintance (parichaya) with it. I
t can be recognised only if it is consciously attained. Therefore make the effort and gain consciously.
..............299....
External samadhi is holding on to the Reality while witnessing the world, without reacting to it from within. There is the stillness of a waveless ocean. The internal samadhi involves loss of body consciousness.
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D.: Is loss of body-consciousness a perquisite to the attainment of sahaja samadhi?
M.: What is body-consciousness?
Analyse it.
There must be a body and consciousness limited to it which together make up body consciousness. These must lie in another Consciousness which is absolute and unaffected.
Hold it. That is samadhi.
It exists when there is no body-consciousness because it transcends the latter, it also exists when there is the body-consciousness. So it is always there.
What does it matter whether body-consciousness is lost or retained? When lost it is internal samadhi: when retained, it is external samadhi. That is all.
A person must remain in any of the six samadhis so that sahaja samadhi may be easy for him.
D.: The mind does not sink into that state even for a second.
M.: A strong conviction is necessary that I am the Self;
transcending the mind and the phenomena.
.
D.: Nevertheless, the mind proves to be a cord against attempts to sink it.
M.: What does it matter if the mind is active?
It is so only on the substratum of the Self.
Hold the Self even during mental activities.
.......
D.: I cannot go within sufficiently deep.
M.: It is wrong to say so. Where are you now if not in the Self? Where should you go?
All that is necessary is the stern belief that you are the Self.
Say rather that the other activities throw a veil on you.
.........
D.: Yes, it is so.
M.: That means that the conviction is weak.
Talk 465.
Sri Bhagavan explained to a retired Judge of the High Court some points in the Upadesa Saram as follows:-
(1) Meditation should remain unbroken as a current. If unbroken it is called samadhi or Kundalini
sakti.
(2) The mind may be latent and merge in the Self; it must necessarily rise up again; after it rises up one finds oneself only as ever before. For in this state the mental predispositions are present there in latent form to re manifest under favourable conditions.
(3) Again the mind activities can be completely destroyed. This differs from the former mind, for here the attachment is lost, never to reappear. Even though the man sees the world after he has been in the samadhi state, the world will be taken only at its worth, that is to say it is the phenomenon of the One Reality.
The True Being can be realised only in samadhi; what was then is also now.
Otherwise it cannot be Reality or Ever-present Being.
What was in samadhi is here and now too. Hold it and it is your natural condition of Being.
Samadhi practice must lead to it.
Otherwise how can nirvikalpa samadhi be of any use in which a man remains as a log of wood?
He must necessarily rise up from it sometime or other and face the world.
But in sahaja samadhi he remains unaffected by the world.
So many pictures pass over the cinema screen: fire burns away everything; water drenches all; but the screen remains unaffected.
The scenes are only phenomena which pass away leaving the screen as it was. Similarly the world phenomena simply pass on before the Jnani, leaving him unaffected. You may say that people find pain or pleasure in worldly phenomena. It is owing to superimposition. This must not happen. With this end in view practice is made.
Practice lies in one of the two courses: devotion or knowledge.
Even these are not the goals.
Samadhi must be gained.
It must be continuously practised until Sahaja Samadhi results.
Then there remains nothing more to do.
..........
Mr. Vaidyalingam, an employee of the National Bank: By meditation manifestation disappears and then ananda results. It is short-lived. How is it made ever abiding?
M.: By scorching the predispositions.
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from march talks 20
487
The result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective consciousness. The Self is thus the only Reality which permeates and also envelops the world.
Since there is no duality, no thoughts will arise to disturb your peace. This is Realisation of the Self.
The Self is eternal and so also its Realisation. In the course of the discourse Sri Bhagavan also made a few points clearer:
Abhyasa consists in withdrawal within the Self every time you are disturbed by thought.
525
D.: What is the ‘final emancipation’ according to the foregoing explanation?
M.: The ativahika or the sukshma sarira corresponds to the pure light which one experiences just after sleep and before the rise of the ego. It is Cosmic Consciousness.
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
..
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.
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