https://www.sriramanateachings.org/Sadhanai_Saram.pdf
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1. Thinking is a vritti; being is not a vritti (thought). If we scrutinize “Who is thinking?” the thinking process will come to as standstill. Even when thoughts do not exist, do you have any doubt about your own existence as “I am”? Abiding in your own existence, which shines as “I am,” the source, from which all thoughts rise, is the state of Selfabidance. Abide thus.
2. He who thinks is the soul, or jiva. He who exists as “I am” without any thought is God. If the thinker thinks with great love of that which merely exists as “I am,” this Selfward-turned thought will become the thought-free consciousness, which will destroy all thoughts. When the thinker thus dies along with his thoughts, the state of abidance, which then remains shining as “I am,” is the state of union with God or Siva-sayujya.
3. He who thinks, “I am so-and-so” is just a thought like all the other thoughts. But of all thoughts, this thought, “I am so-and-so” alone is the first. The soul who thinks, “I am so-and-so” is merely a reflection of our real Self. When we abide and shine only as that real Self, the thought “I am so-and-so” will not rise.
4. In dreamless sleep, this thought “I am so-andso” does not at all exist. In the true state of Selfknowledge also, this thought “I am so-and-so” does not at all exist. But in the states of waking and dream, which rise in between the darkness of sleep
and the pure light of Self-knowledge, the thought “I am this body” seems to appear and disappear. Therefore this limited “I” is not real; this “I” is only a thought.
5. The flourishing of this “I” is only the flourishing of misery. This “I” is that which is called the ego. This ego-”I” rises and flourishes only because of non-inquiry (avichara). If we inquire “Who is this I?”, and thereby vigilantly scrutinize only the feeling “I,” without attending to the adjunct “so-and-so” with which it is mixed, this adjunct will disappear, since it is devoid of any real existence.
6. The second and third persons, the known objects, subsist only because of the first person, the knowing subject, who is the root. If the mind, which is ever wavering because of attending to second and third persons, turns and attends to the first person, who rises as “I am so-and-so,” the adjunct “soand-so” will cease to exist and the real Self, which always exists as “I am,” will shine forth spontaneously. That real Self, which is the indestructible base of the first person, alone is true knowledge (Jnana)
7. Thinking about second and third persons is foolishness, because when we attend to second and third persons the mental activities (mano-vrittis) rise up and multiply. But the act of attending to the first person is equal to committing suicide, because only by scrutinizing the first person will the ego die of its own accord.
8. Attending to any second or third person instead of turning and attending to this “I,” the first person feeling that is always experienced by everyone, is only ignorance (ajnana). If you ask, “The ego (the feeling ‘I am so-and-so’) is only a product of ignorance, so attending to the ego is also ignorance, is it not? Why then should we attend to this ‘I’?” Listen to what is said below:
9. Why is the ego destroyed when we scrutinize “What am I”? Because this “I”-thought (aham-vritti) is a reflected ray of Self-consciousness; and thus unlike other thoughts, which are devoid of consciousness, it is always directly connected with its source. Therefore, when our attention dives deeper and deeper within by following this reflected ray “I,” the length of this reflected ray “I” will diminish until finally it has shrunk to nothing. When the ego, the feeling “I am so-and-so,” thus disappears, the consciousness that will remain shining as “I am I” is the true knowledge of Self.
10. Do not do anything thinking, “It should be done only by me.” Nothing is done by you, because you are simply nothing. Knowing this truth from the beginning, if you refrain entirely from rising as “I am the doer,” all actions will happen of their own accord, and your peace will ever remain undisturbed.
11. If we scrutinize “What is the reality that ever exists?” we will find that nothing in this world is real. Since Self alone is real, let us mentally renounce everything else and ever abide unshakably as that reality, which will remain shining alone as “I am.” This alone is the service enjoined upon us by Lord Ramana, who ever-abides as the eternal Self.
Note: “Abiding in this state, having attained the supreme bliss which is devoid of bondage and liberation, is abiding in the service of God”, says Sri Bhagavan in verse 29 of Upadesa Undiyar.
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Note: Compare verse 2 of Supplement to Reality in Forty Verses, in which Sri Bhagavan says, “that supreme state (of liberation) that is praised (by all the scriptures) and that is attained here (in this very life) by the clear Inquiry (vichara) that arises in the heart when one gains association with a sage (Sadhu), is impossible to attain by (listening to) preachers, by (studying and learning) the meaning of the scriptures, by (doing) virtuous deeds or by any other means”.
57. Though your mind lacks the strength of discrimination or dispassion (viveka and vairagya) required to withdraw itself from the false attraction of the pleasures of this unreal world, your mind will naturally and spontaneously become mature to the extent to which you humbly and lovingly come very close and associate with enlightened sages (Jnanis), who abide as the reality (sat)
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58. If you ask how, just as even a fresh plantain tree will become dry and catch fire when it comes in close proximity to a raging forest fire, so the minds of those who associate with Jnanis will, unknown to themselves, be made by that association to attain great love to attend to and abide in Self.
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59. When we gain association with a person who knows and abides as the reality (called a Satpurusha), we will be able to know very clearly that real devotion to God, and steadfast discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral, are steadily rising up and increasing in our hearts automatically, and without our own effort.
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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
What is TRue tApas?
89. Since the ego itself is everything (as revealed by Sri Bhagavan in verse 26 of Reality in Forth Verses), giving up the ego, the feeling “I am this body,” by surrendering it to God, is lovingly surrendering everything to Him. Having once surrendered the ego to God, abiding in Self without taking it back again (that is, without again identifying the body as “I” or “mine”) is true tapas.
90. Having surrendered the ego to God, if one takes it back again, that is the sin of stealing back what has once been given. Therefore, in order to avoid committing such a sin, practice Self-attention unfailingly, because only if one attends to the ego vigilantly and unceasingly will it drown in the heart so as never to rise again. Garland of Guru’s Sayings verse 317)
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91. Destroying the ego through Self-attention is alone the excellent path of self-surrender. Therefore, scrutinizing and knowing one’s own Self is alone the proper method of practicing both selfsurrender, the path of devotion, and Self-inquiry, the path of knowledge.
Note: In one of His stray verses, Garland of Guru’s Sayings (or Guru Vachaka Kovai) verse B13, Sri Bhagavan says, “Attention to Self is supreme devotion to God, because God exists as Self.”
99. The state of our existing as “I am”, which shines in all the three states continuously and without ever coming to an end, is our exalted state of real knowledge; it is the state of purna (the Whole). Objects other than “I” do not exist in all the three states. Hence our own nature, the Self-existence “I am,” alone is the reality which ever exists.
100. Since objects other than “I,” such as the body and world, do not exist unceasingly in all the three states, but rise and appear to exist only in between in the waking and dream states, they cannot be the reality, which exists always and without being obstructed. This conclusion arrived at by scrutinizing our experience in these three states, is the foundation for the practice of Self-inquiry.
102. That state, in which any object seen is not experienced as other than the one who sees, is alone the state of reality. If the seer, who is an unreal ego, rises, then only will all the unreal objects other than “I” rise, and seem to exist.
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. If you, with a one-pointed mind keenly and incessantly attend to the consciousness of your existence, which shines as pure “I am,” the root-tendency “I am the body,” and all its products and other tendencies, will cease to exist.
108. Just as sleep alone is the cause for the appearance of dream, so the sleep of forgetfulness of our true Self-Knowledge is alone the cause for the appearance of this waking state. In this long sleep of Self-forgetfulness, many dreams in the form of countless births come and go.
109. Know that just like a person who without coming to the waking state, merges in deep sleep after the dream he was seeing has come to an end, if the dream of the present birth that this person has taken is brought to an end by death, before he attains the true waking state of Self-knowledge, he will merge again into the underlying ancient sleep of Self-forgetfulness.
110. Just like a person who was seeing a dream and who then leaves that dream and falls into deep sleep without coming to the waking state, if the waking-body dies before we attain the state of Selfknowledge, we will fall into a state like deep sleep. Just as a dream appears as soon as the mind of a person immersed in sleep rises and begins to wander, so after the death of this waking-body, as soon as the mind rises and begins to wander on account of its former tendencies, a waking state will again arise in which a body will seemingly exist as if “I”
111. Taking birth again, having come out of the delusion-enfolded state of death, and living a life of whirling about in this waking state, and finally dying without attaining Self-knowledge, is just like a person rising as “I” from deep sleep, seeing a dream again, and finally once again merging in sleep. You will not take birth again only if you awaken into the true state of Self-knowledge. Awaken thus.
112. If a person who has fallen asleep and is seeing a dream suddenly wakes up, by his awakening he will attain a state in which sleep and dream have both been dispelled. Similarly, if a person awakens from the present so-called waking state by attaining the exalted state of Self-knowledge, the
dream of birth and death and the underlying sleep of Self-forgetfulness will both be dispelled, and he will thereafter never again undergo either birth or death. The state of real awakening (turiya), which he thus attains, and which transcends the three ordinary states of waking, dream and sleep, is the state of liberation.
113. If the power of attention, which sees the second and third person objects existing in dream, turns to attend to itself, both the first person (who sees the dream) and the dream will disappear; the sleep that is the cause for the rising of that first person will be dispersed, and the worthy state of true awaking will be experienced.
114. Similarly, if the power of attention, which knows the second person objects existing in the waking state, turns to attend to itself (the “I” who sees this waking state), the waking state will disappear; the long sleep of Self-forgetfulness which is the cause for the rising of the individual sense of “I” will be dispersed and the true waking state of Selfknowledge will be attained. Therefore, attend only to yourself, the first person consciousness “I.”
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.
117. When such intense fear or suffering are experienced, if the mind with mature discrimination (viveka) at once earnestly scrutinizes, “To whom does this fear or suffering arise?” then the extroverted power of attention, which was till then being dragged out towards objects other than itself, will turn inwards to face itself, whereupon the truly awakened life of Self-abidance will immediately be attained.
118. Just as all that happens in dream is experienced as real so long as one is seeing that dream, so all that is now happening in this waking state is experienced as real. If the dream comes to an end, all that was seen there will be known to be unreal. Similarly, for those who have awakened from this so-called waking state by attaining Self-knowledge, all the happenings in this state are clearly known to be unreal
119. As soon as the inwardly awakened state of Self-abidance is attained, all the adjuncts in the form of the wrong identification that the actions of the
body are one’s own actions will become devoid of reality, being found to be mere superimpositions upon one’s nameless and formless nature, just like the blue color superimposed upon the colorless sky; and the truth, that one is only the adjunct-free Self, will clearly shine forth.
120. Only in this real waking state of Selfabidance will true knowledge blossom in the form of the ajata experience,
“No mundane dual activity such as birth and death has ever touched me; I am Self, the existence-consciousness which is ever devoid of the body and the senses.”
121. The pure consciousness “I,” which exists in sleep devoid of all adjuncts, is the Supreme Reality (Brahman). If we do not slip down from that state of pure consciousness due to attachment to the body (dehabhimana), that itself is the Supreme Abode (parandhama). If we remain, without leaving Self, that itself is liberation.
128. Except the knowledge of the first person singular, the existence “I am,” all the multifarious knowledge which shine in the waking state, and which pertain to names and forms, are only knowledge belonging to the unreal ego. But the knowledge of one’s own existence “I am,” is the property of Self
129. Though this insentient ego, which rises and dances like a ghost only in the waking state, cheats itself by making the Self-consciousness “I am,” which Self alone experienced previously in sleep, appear to be its own here in the waking state, know that in truth that Self-consciousness “I am” is a quality belonging only to the Self.
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143. Having understood, “If death is only the destruction of the body, then it is merely the state in which I, the soul, am separated from the insentient body,” the mind of the aspirant will come to a bold determination, accepting thus, “Let me remain in the
same manner as I would be when death occurs in practice.”
144. This bold determination is dispassion (vairagya). Only when it arises will true renunciation be attained. When true renunciation is thus attained as a result of the fear of death, then and there the divine Grace of the Guru will arise and function so as to separate us as other than this body – as Self, the nature of existence-consciousness (sat-chitswarupa). Thus, the attachment to the body as “I” (dehabhimana) will perish.
145. When the power of divine Grace functions thus, the true light of Self-consciousness, the one peerless reality, will shine forth, expanding and blossoming in the heart, whereupon in front of that brilliant light this world and our life as an individual in this world will disappear, being found to be a mere false appearance, just as in front of the sun the yellow stain of turmeric disappears from a white cloth.
146. Since the truth, “The death which comes is only for this filthy body, and is not in any way for us,” will thus shine forth as one’s own experience, the fear of death will thereafter never rise again.
147. Then patient forbearance (udasina) or indifference to mundane happenings, absence of all base qualities, fearlessness, the steadfast power of true love, and all the six exalted divine qualities (bhagavat-gunas) divine splendor, valor, glory, pure knowledge, divine prosperity and desirelessness, will shine in one clearly and harmoniously.
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). If one achieves success
in this sadhana, then there will be no more birth or death.
152. In order not to experience either birth or death, let us arrive at the exalted practice (sadhana) of abiding in the natural state, which is devoid of thinking and forgetting. If we learn correctly how to abide thus, then for what reason will we take birth or die? The art of abiding without doubt in the state of Self is alone worthy for us to learn.
153. This vast world, God, souls, bondage and liberation all appear to exist only in the waking and dream states, in which thoughts exist; but do they exist in sleep, which is devoid of thoughts? Similarly, they do not exist in the state of Self-knowledge (turiya). If one scrutinizes, “To whom do they appear to exist in waking and dream?” they will cease to exist.
154. Since they are known only when thoughts exist, and since they do not shine when one abides firmly in Self, the creator of the soul, God and world is only the mind, which is the aggregate of all thoughts. Is this creation a work done by Self? No.
156. Know that the world, soul and God have all seemingly come into existence only because of our pramada or slackness in Self-attention.
157. The entire universe composed of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air and space, appears only due to our error of mistaking as “I,” the ego that rises from Self like a spark rising from fire, and which appears as different from Self whose nature is Being, and as identical with the mind, whose nature is rising.
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158. The entire appearance of this world that is seen, including we (the individual or jiva) who see it, is a mere false appearance like a dream. If we keenly scrutinize the source (the real “I am”) from which the seeing ego rises, and thereby enter the heart and firmly abide there, the reality will shine forth (and the appearance of the triad – the seer, seeing and object seen – will disappear).
159. If we attain the otherness-free knowledge (ananya jnana), that this world is nothing but our own Self, seen wrongly in our self by our self through our power of imagination, then the delusion of desire for or fear of the world (the objects we see in front of us), will never rise again; and we will merge in and become one with Self. This alone is our natural state.
160. Self alone exists. Except oneself, nothing exists. But if one takes this pure consciousness,
which exists and shines as “I,” to be the body, everything will assume a form and appear to exist. If one inquires, “Is this ‘I’ only the body, or is it something else?” and thereby sees the true nature of “I,” everything will cease to exist. See thus
162. The “I,” which cannot shine without being joined with a body-form, is alone the ghost-like ego- ”I,” the great illusion (maya). If one courageously and without fear inquires, “Who is this I?” it will become non164. The “I” which is the Whole, which is the true import of “I”, which shines by its own light without appearing due to the functioning of the five sense-knowledges (and disappearing when they cease to function); which is the exalted and everunleaving experience of Self, and which is the true nature of everyone, alone is the one non-dual reality; it alone is true knowledge. -existent, and along with it everything else will cease to exist.
I=True knowledge
163. If this “I,” the self-rising ego-appearance, is destroyed by the inquiry “Who am I?”, then everything else, which till then appeared only in him (in the mind) but which was seen as if existing outside of him, will cease to exist. The ever-existing Whole or purna, which then shines forth as “I-I,” the blissful existence which neither appears nor disappears, is the real Self, the true import of the word “I.”
167. After being destroyed in the ordinary destruction at the end of an eon (yuga-pralaya), the heaven and earth will appear again at the proper time. The state in which the Fire of Knowledge (Jnanagni), which blazes forth on being ignited as the churning process of investigation “Who am I?” pervades and shines everywhere, having destroyed the feeling, “I am this body” (dehatma-buddhi), is
alone the absolute destruction (maha-pralaya); because the ego, which is thus destroyed by the Fire of Knowledge (Jnana) will never appear again.
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170. If one has the ability to deny oneself and thereby to destroy the rising of the ego in its very source, what other tapas need one perform? The real Self, the source in which the ego thus subsides and dies, alone is the state which is worth to purchase and attain by selling (or renouncing) all the three worlds.
173. If you first attend to yourself, by investigating within yourself “To whom has this illusory appearance of the world (maya) come? To whom does it exist?” then in the mind that has merged in the state of Silence due to such Self-attention, the truth that you exist as the mere consciousness “I am,” devoid of any differentiation, diversity or imagi
nation (vikalpa), will spontaneously reveal itself to you.
178. Do you merely want an apt reply to the doubt that has come to you? Or do you wish to attain the state in which no doubt can ever rise again? Know that to become pure consciousness, in which there is no place for any doubt to rise, is alone the state that is acceptable to wise people.
180. Doubts arise only about objects other than oneself; but no doubt can ever arise about one’s own existence, “I am,” (That is, no one can ever doubt “Do I exit or not?”). If one mistakes the body’s existence to be one’s own existence, then innumerable doubts will arise about the world and God (which appear to exist only when the wrong identification “I am the body” rises); but if one knows oneself to be Self, the one real existence, then no doubt will arise about anything
181. Before this doubt “Am I this body, or am I something else?” is removed, why should one raise doubts about other things? Know that the only inquiry that is worthy for wise people to undertake, is to turn within and scrutinize in oneself, “What am I?”
184. Doubts arise about the reality of the world and God only because of one’s error of not knowing the reality of oneself. When one’s own reality shines as Self, the real “I” that is devoid of any other thing, what doubt can rise?
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189. One’s learning to abide as the indestructible existence-consciousness “I am,” having known it to be different from the existence of the body, is alone true learning, (the supreme science or paravidya). Abiding thus, having clearly known this existence-consciousness, and having thereby subsided in Self, is alone the state of true knowledge (jnana
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