Some words from RAMANA MAHARSHI [tof] RAMANA1.TXT *********************************************************************** Excerts from the book talks with Ramana Maharshi vol 1-2-3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Words in brackets [ ] were added by the editor of this text. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In this day and age countless people write books about spiritual growth and how to attain it. Many call these books "new age books". To me, by writing such books most of the authors are claiming to be "spiritual authorities". It appears the authors have decided their beliefs are truths and they present their information in their books as truths. I believe that most of these authors are living in delusion for a person's beliefs are not truths ! Beliefs are ideas, concepts and assumptions of "how it all MAY be here", not "how it all IS here." I believe Enlightenment [also called God Consciousness and or Self-Realization] does exist and I personally have been in the actual physical presense of a few beings who I believe were/are Enlightened. And that you can not be partly Enlightened. You either are or you are not. It is said, that an Enlightened Being has all the real answers to any question a person can ask and can share at least part of how things are here with those who ask questions. [In my humble understanding, they can not share some things or answer some questions because these things and answers to these questions are beyond the limited capability of the human mind to understand.] So if a person wants real spiritual growth and real spiritual knowledge their seeking would be better served by finding an Enlightened One and hanging out with that one, or if that is not possible at least read the books that have come into existance from those reconized to be Enlightened ones by the world. And use the new age books to start fires with. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- RAMANA MAHARSHI always stressed, "the one essential truth that was necassary for realization that there is only one Self and nothing but the Self." Know that and everything else is known. To know a thing absolutely, not just superficiaslly, one must be that thing, otherwise knowledge is incomplete. You are the Self, nothing but the Self, anything else is just imagination. There is no need to run off into a forest or or shut oneself in a room; carry on carry on with your essential activities but free yourself from association with the doer of them. Self is the witness, you are that. Do not delude yourself, you are already that, there is nothing more to be obtained only false to be shed, limitation to be recognised as illusionary. Ramana Maharshi's method of of doing this is well known: Self-inquiry. Always and at all thimes seek for the sourse of the ego, the apparent actor, and on the attainment of that goal, he tells us the ego will drop away of its own accord, and will be left but the all-blissful self. A child and a Sage are simular in a away. Incidents interest a child only so long as they last. The child ceases to think of them after they have passed away. So then it is apparent that they do not leave any impression on a child and is not affected by them. So it is with a Sage. The weaker the body becomes, the stronger the mind becomes. In making spiritual progress: In the absence of enquiry and devotion, the natural sedative pranayama (breath regulation may be tried. This is know as yoga marga.) Q: What is the nature of reality ? A: Existance without beginning or end. Existance everywhere, endless, infinate. Existance underlying all forms, all changes, all forces,all matter, all spirit. Reality is that which remains the same always and witout change. Breath control properly performed shouild increse one's strenght. Q: How can the mind be controlled ? A: These are the two methods. One is to see what the mind is, then it subsides. The second is to fix your attention on something: then the mind remains quiet. Mouna as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities due to speach. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mounua is unnessassary. For mounua becomes natural. [Mouna is taking a vow of silence for defined time periods.] The present difficulty is that man thinks he is the doer. But it is a mistake. It is the Higher Power which does everything and man is only the tool. If he accepts that position he is free from troubles: otherwise he courts them. [Muktananda, the Siddha Yoga Master stated clearly, "There are three basic types of ignorance; 1. Believing you are the doer. 2. Believing there is separtness. 3. Believing this (the physical world) is reality.] It is the mind that stands between and veils our happyness. Your "business" is to find the real nature of the mind. All bad qualities center around the ego. The quest of "who am I ?" is the axe with which to cut off the ego. A simple development of pranayama alone may confer siddhis which so many hanker for. When you concentrate on one point you merge in it and this merging is called trance. The other features disappear and the self alone remains over. The soul can be without the ego: but the ego can not be without the soul. The mind is only an aggregate of thoughts... Q: How to get peace ? A: That is the natural state. The mind obstructs the inate peace. Our investigation is only in the mind. Investigate the mind; it will disappear. Q: What happend to a man after death ? A: Engage yourself in the living present. The future will take care of itself. Do not worry about the future. Some are born immediately after (death), others after some lapse of time, a few are not reborn on this earth but eventually get salvation in some higher region and a very few get absolved here and now. Q: It is said the Guru can make his disciple realize the Self by transmitting some of his power to him. Is this true ? A: Yes. The Guru does not bring about self-realization. He merely removes the obstacles to it. The Self is always realised. The ego in its purity is experienced in intervals between two states or two thoughts. Ego is like a 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. The mind without an aim is restless, with an aim it remains at peace. Concentrating on one thought, all other thoughts disappear: finally that thought also disappears. It is necessary to be aware while controling thoughts, otherwise it will lead to sleep. Q. Why is the world so wrapped in ignorance ? A: Take care of yourself. Let the world take care of itself. See your Self. If you are your body there is the gross world also. If you are spitit all is spirit alone. Q. Why then is regulation of the breath necessary ? A. Control of breath or its reglation is only for controling the mind so that the mind does not wander away. Q. Is it for control of the mind only ? A. It is not enough that the light is seen; iy is also necessary to have the mind engaged in a single activity. [Note: The discussion in progress is in reference only to the mental effects of breath control. Breath control also has effects on the physical body and its operation too.] The mind is want to move externally. It must be checked and turned within. Its habit is to dwell on names and forms. Seeing and knowing are the functions of the mind. Everything happens in its own time. The one who is ready for the absolute knowledge will be made somehow to hear of it and follow it up. He will realize that atmavidya ( ) is the highest of all virtures and also the end of the journey. 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. Satvic ( ) food in moderate quanity is helpfil to spiritual spiritual development. A person must be enlightened to understand an enlightenen one. His words or actions or appearances are no indication of his greatness, for they are ordinarily beyond the comprehension of common people. Q. Has man any free-will or is everything in his life pre-destined and pre-ordined ? A. Free-will holds the field in association with individuality. as long as individuality lasts so long there is free-will. Q. In the practice of meditation are there any signs of the nature of subjective or otherwise, which will indiacte the aspirants progress towards self-realization ? A. The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of conccentration on a single thought are the measure to gauge the process. The mind is maya ( ). Reality lies beyond the mind. So long as the mind functions there is duality, maya, etc. Once it is transended the reality shines forth. Q. Is a teacher necessary for instruction ? A. Yes, if you want to learn something new. But here you have to unlearn. Q. Yet a teacher is necessary. A. You have already got what you seek elsewhere. So not teacher is necessary. Q. Can you help us to realize the truth ? A. Help is always there. Q. Then there is no need to ask questions. I do not feel the ever- present help. A. Surrender and you will find it. Answers are given according to the capacity of the seeker. God, Guru and the Self are not different. They are one and the same. Surrender can take effect only when done with full knowledge. Such knowledge comes after enquiry. It ends in surrender. Surrender to be complete must be unquestioning. Q. I practice pranayama (breath control).It generates heatin the body. What should I do ? A. The heat will pass away when the mind gains calm. You can never find the mind through the mind. Pass beyond it in order to find it non-existant. Q. Then one must directly go to seek the ego. Is it so ? A. Thats it. Mind, ego, intellect are all different names for one single inner organ (antankarana). The mind is only the aggregate of thoughts. Thoughts cannot exist but for the ego. So all thoughts are pervade by ego (aham). Seek wherefrom the "I" rises and the other thoughts will disappear. Q. What then is the mind ? A. Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are orginally unlimited and perfect. Later you take on limitations and become the mind. Finally Realization amounts to elimation of ignorance and nothing more. What should one do to overcome the present ignorance ? Be eager to have the true knowledge. As this eagnerness grows the wrong knowledge diminishes in strenth until it finally disappears. Q. It is said that karma (desire), and krodha (anger), etc. , vanish in the presence of the Satguru (enlightened teacher). Is it true ? A. It is correct. Karma and krodha must vanish before self-realization. What is your true nature ? How can you ever forget it ? Waking, dream and sleep are mere phases of the mind. They are not of the self. You are the witness of these states. Your true nature is found in sleep. Effort is needed as long as there is mind. Q. Is a Guru necessary ? A. So long as you consider yourself as an individual a Guru is necessary to show you that you are not bound by limitastions and that your nature is to be free from limitations. The object of mantra japa [repeations] is to realize that the same japa is already going on in oneself even without effort. Q. What is the purpose of life ? A. To seek to know the significance of life is itself the result of good karma in past births. Those who do not seek such knowledge are simply wasting their lives. When thoughts arise duality is present. The degree of the absence of thoughts is the measure of your progress toward Self-Realization. The Gita [a spiritual scripture text in india] starts saying you are not the body, that you are not therefore the karta [doer]. Q. What is the significance ? A. That one shoud act without thinking that oneself is the actor. The actions go on despite his egoness. The person has come into manefestation for a certain purpose. That purpose will be accomplished wether he considers himself the actor or not. The intellect delights in investigating the past and the future but does not look to the present.