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8th January, 1938 Talk 442. While explaining a stanza of his own Sri Bhagavan observed:
The sun illumines the universe, whereas the Sun of Arunachala is so dazzling that the universe is obscured and an unbroken brilliance remains.
But it is not realised in the present state and can be realised only if the lotus of the heart blossoms.
The ordinary lotus blossoms in the light of the visible sun, whereas the subtle Heart blossoms only before the Sun of Suns.
May Arunachala make my heart blossom so that His unbroken brilliance may shine all alone! Further on, Sri Bhagavan continued: The mirror reflects objects; yet they are not real because they cannot remain apart from the mirror.
Similarly, the world is said to be a reflection in the mind as it does not remain in the absence of mind. The question arises: if the universe is a reflection, there must be a real object known as the universe in order that it might be reflected in the mind.
This amounts to an admission of the existence of an objective universe.
Truly speaking, it is not so. Therefore the dream illustration is set forth. The dream world has no objective existence. How then is it created? Some mental impressions should be admitted. They are called vasanas. How were the vasanas in the mind? The answer is: they were subtle.
Just as a whole tree is contained potentially in a seed, so the world is in the mind. Then it is asked: A seed is the product of the tree which must have existed once in order that it may be reproduced. So the world also must have been there some time.
The answer is, No! There must have been several incarnations to gather the impressions which are re-manifested in the present form. I must have existed before as I do now. The straight way to find an answer will be to see if the world is there. Admitting the existence of the world I must admit a seer who is no other than myself. Let me find myself so that I may know the relation between the world and the seer.
When I seek the Self and abide as the Self there is no world to be seen. What is the Reality then?
The seer only and certainly not the world. Such being the truth the man continues to argue on the basis of the reality of the world. Whoever asked him to accept a brief for the world?
Yoga Vasishta clearly defines Liberation as the abandonment of the false and remaining as Being.
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Talk 443.
A visitor asked: The illustration of the mirror relates to the sense of sight only. The world is perceived by the other senses also. Can the unreality be established in relation to the other senses as well?
M.: A figure on the screen in the cinema show appears to watch the whole world. What is the reality behind the subject and the object in the same show? An illusory being watches an illusory world.
D.: But I am the witness of the show.
M.: Certainly you are. You and the world are as real as the cinema figure and the cinema world.
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Talk 444.
An advocate visitor: The mind becomes aware of the world through the senses. When the senses are active, one cannot help feeling the existence of the world. How can karma yoga be of any use for pure awareness?
M.: The world is perceived by the mind through the senses. It is of the mind.
The seer sees the mind and the senses as within the Self and not apart from it.
The agent, remaining unaffected by the actions, gets more purified until he realises the Self.
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Talk 445.
Explaining a stanza in Aksharamanamalai Sri Bhagavan said that mowna is the highest form of upadesa. It signifies ‘silence’ as master, disciple and practiser. Three sanyasins, who were visiting Sri Bhagavan, began a discussion.
D.: If one remained quiet how is action to go on? Where is the place for karma yoga?
M.: Let us first understand what Karma is, whose Karma it is and who is the doer. Analysing them and enquiring into their truth, one is perforce obliged to remain as the Self in peace. Nevertheless the actions will go on.
D.: How will the actions go on if I do not act?
M.: Who asks this question? Is it the Self or another? Is the Self concerned with actions?
D.: No, not the Self. It is another, different from the Self.
M.: So it is plain that the Self is not concerned with actions and the question does not arise.
D.: I agree. Another asked: What is the state of the realised man? Is he not acting?
M.: The question implies that the realised man is not the questioner. Why should you concern yourself with another? Your duty is to look to yourself and not ask of others.
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Talk 445.
Explaining a stanza in Aksharamanamalai Sri Bhagavan said that mowna is the highest form of upadesa. It signifies ‘silence’ as master, disciple and practiser. Three sanyasins, who were visiting Sri Bhagavan, began a discussion.
D.: If one remained quiet how is action to go on? Where is the place for karma yoga?
M.: Let us first understand what Karma is, whose Karma it is and who is the doer. Analysing them and enquiring into their truth, one is perforce obliged to remain as the Self in peace. Nevertheless the actions will go on.
D.: How will the actions go on if I do not act?
M.: Who asks this question? Is it the Self or another? Is the Self concerned with actions?
D.: No, not the Self. It is another, different from the Self.
M.: So it is plain that the Self is not concerned with actions and the question does not arise.
D.: I agree. Another asked: What is the state of the realised man? Is he not acting?
M.: The question implies that the realised man is not the questioner. Why should you concern yourself with another? Your duty is to look to yourself and not ask of others.
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Talk 447.
Sri Bhagavan said that a saint Namah Sivaya who was formerly living in Arunachala must have undergone considerable difficulties. For he has sung a song saying: “God proves the devotee by means of severe ordeals. A washerman beats the cloth on a slab, not to tear it, but only to remove the dirt.
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443 namdev
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Talk 448.
Namdev
I. The Name permeates densely the sky and the lowest regions and the entire universe. Who can tell to what depths in the nether regions and to what height in the heavens It extends? The ignorant undergo the eighty-four lakhs of species of births, not knowing the essence of things. Namdev says the Name is immortal. Forms are innumerable, but the Name is all that.
II. The Name itself is form; and form itself is Name. There is no distinction between Name and form. God became manifest and assumed Name and form. Hence the Name the Vedas have established. Beware, there is no mantra beyond the Name. Those who say otherwise are ignorant. Namdev says the Name is Keshava Himself. This is known only to the loving devotees of the Lord.
III. The all-pervading nature of the Name can only be understood when one recognises his ‘I’. When one’s own name is not recognised, it is impossible to get the all-pervading Name. When one knows oneself, then one finds the Name everywhere. To see the Name as different from the Named creates illusion. Namdev says, “Ask the Saints.”
IV. None can realise the Name by practice of knowledge, meditation or austerity.
Surrender yourself first at the feet of the Guru and learn to know that ‘I’ myself is that Name.
After finding the source of that ‘I’, merge your individuality in that one-ness, which is Self-existent and devoid of all duality.
That which pervades beyond dwaita and dwaitatita, that Name has come into the three worlds. The Name is Para Brahman itself, where there is no action arising out of duality.
When Sri Bhagavan had read this, a certain musician came into the hall and began to sing Tyagaraja Kirtanas in Telugu.
One of them says: “Find the source of the sound which is transcendental (mooladhara sabda) by diving deep like a pearl-diver diving for pearls.” Then again another song was: “For a man who has controlled his mind where is the use of tapasya? Give up ‘I-am-the-body’ idea and realise ‘I am not; Thou art all’.” This song was translated to Mr. G.
D. who was then in the hall.
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Later on Sri Bhagavan referred to the songs and said: Tyagaraja says well. The mind should be controlled. The question arises “What is mind?” He himself answers in the next couplet, saying that it is the “I-am-the-body” idea. The next question is how the control is effected. He answers again, saying “By complete surrender. Realise that I am not and that all is He.” The song is fine and compact. He also mentions the other method, namely, control of breath.
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M.: You speak of a vision of Siva. Vision is always of an object. That implies the existence of a subject. The value of the vision is the same as that of the seer. (That is to say, the nature of the vision is on the same plane as that of the seer.) Appearance implies disappearance also. Whatever appears must also disappear. A vision can never be eternal. But Siva is eternal The pratyaksha (vision) of Siva to the eye signifies the existence of the eyes to see; the buddhi (intellect) lying behind the sight; the seer behind the buddhi and the sight; and finally the Consciousness underlying the seer. This pratyaksha (vision) is not as real as one imagines it to be, because it is not intimate and inherent; it is not first-hand. It is the result of several successive phases of Consciousness. Of these, Consciousness alone does not vary. It is eternal. It is Siva. It is the Self.
The vision implies the seer. The seer cannot deny the existence of the Self. There is no moment when the Self as Consciousness does not exist; nor can the seer remain apart from Consciousness. This Consciousness is the eternal Being and the only Being. The seer cannot see himself. Does he deny his existence because he cannot see himself with the eyes as pratyaksha (in vision)? No! So, pratyaksha does not mean seeing, but Be-ing. “To Be” is to realise - Hence I Am that I am I AM is Siva. Nothing else can be without Him. Everything has its being in Siva and because of Siva. Therefore enquire “Who am I?” Sink deep within and abide as the Self. That is Siva as BE-ing. Do not expect to have visions of Him repeated. What is the difference between the objects you see and Siva?
He is both the subject and the object. You cannot be without Siva. Siva is always realised here and now. If you think you have not realised Him it is wrong. This is the obstacle for realising Siva. Give up that thought also and realisation is there.
D.: Yes. But how shall I effect it as quickly as possible?
M.: This is the obstacle for realisation. Can there be the individual without Siva? Even now He is you. There is no question of time. If there be a moment of non-realisation, the question of realisation can arise. But as it is you cannot be without Him. He is already realised, ever realised and never non-realised. Surrender to Him and abide by His will whether he appears or vanishes; await His pleasure. If you ask Him to do as you please, it is not surrender but command to Him. You cannot have Him obey you and yet think that you have surrendered. He knows what is best and when and how to do it. Leave everything entirely to Him. His is the burden: you have no longer any cares. All your cares are His. Such is surrender. This is bhakti. Or, enquire to whom these questions arise. Dive deep in the Heart and remain as the Self. One of these two ways is open to the aspirant.
Sri Bhagavan also added: There is no being who is not conscious and therefore who is not Siva. Not only is he Siva but also all else of which he is aware or not aware. Yet he thinks in sheer ignorance that he sees the universe in diverse forms. But if he sees his Self he is not aware of his separateness from the universe; in fact his individuality and the other entities vanish although they persist in all their forms. Siva is seen as the universe. But the seer does not see the background itself. Think of the man who sees only the cloth and not the cotton of which it is made; or of the man who sees the pictures moving on the screen in a cinema show and not the screen itself as the background; or again the man who sees the letters which he reads but not the paper on which they are written. The objects are thus Consciousness and forms. But the ordinary person sees the objects in the universe but not Siva in these forms. Siva is the Being assuming these forms and the Consciousness seeing them. That is to say, Siva is the background underlying both the subject and the object, and again Siva in Repose and Siva in Action, or Siva and Sakti, or the Lord and the Universe. Whatever it is said to be, it is only Consciousness whether in repose or in action. Who is there that is not conscious? So, who is not realised? How then can questions arise doubting realisation or desiring it? If ‘I’ am not pratyaksha to me, I can then say that Siva is not pratyaksha.
These questions arise because you have limited the Self to the body, only then the ideas of within and without, of the subject and the object, arise. The objective visions have no intrinsic value. Even if they are everlasting they cannot satisfy the person. Uma has Siva always with Her. Both together form Ardhanariswara. Yet she wanted to know Siva in His true nature. She made tapas. In her dhyana she saw a bright light.
She thought: “This cannot be Siva for it is within the compass of my vision. I am greater than this light.” So she resumed her tapas. Thoughts disappeared. Stillness prevailed. She then realised that Be-ing is Siva in His true nature.
Muruganar cited Appar’s stanza:- “To remove my darkness and give me light, Thy Grace must work through ME only.”
Sri Bhagavan mentioned Manickavachagar’s:
“We do bhajana and the rest. But we have not seen nor heard of those who had seen Thee.”
One cannot see God and yet retain individuality.
The seer and the seen unite into one Being. There is no cogniser, nor cognition, nor the cognised. All merge into One Supreme Siva only
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