Guest guest Posted January 29, 2002 Report Share Posted January 29, 2002 Fitness for Self-enquiry I was reading through one of the letters where a devotee asks the question, "Is this path Self-enquiry suited for everybody," to which Bhagavan Ramana replies that it is "...only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds." My question is, how do I know whether I am ready to take up this path or not? Somehow, the Maharshi's answer is a little discouraging for me. Please explain what all this means. Ramakrishna New Jersey The path of Self-enquiry includes all other paths. Whatever practice you take up, Self-enquiry will be its necessary end. So you need not worry whether you are fit for the path of Self-enquiry. One should do those spiritual practices that seem most natural and gives peace, always keeping in mind that Self-enquiry is the essence of that practice and the supreme path we all must tread. With sincere prayer, openness of heart and guilelessness one can never go wrong. Bhagavan watches over us and guides us. That is certain. - Editors of the Mountain Path (The Mountain Path, Vol. 2, 1997) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2002 Report Share Posted January 29, 2002 The path of self-inquiry requires that there be a place to situate a self who can inquire about the nature of a self. It requires that there be conceived a self that is assumed to have the ability to look into itself. If there is no place to situate a self who can inquire into its nature, what is this? If there is no assumption of a self that can look into itself, what now? The basic question involved in self-inquiry has no place to arise now, no one for whom it could be relevant, and no attempt to look into self results. With no placement of a self, there is no sense of another. Hence, there is no question arising regarding who am I, or who are you ... With no question, there is no answer to be provided. Just stillness, peace, Love, Dan > Fitness for Self-enquiry > > I was reading through one of the letters where a devotee asks the question, "Is this path Self-enquiry suited for everybody," to which Bhagavan Ramana replies that it is "...only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds." > > My question is, how do I know whether I am ready to take up this path or not? Somehow, the Maharshi's answer is a little discouraging for me. Please explain what all this means. > > Ramakrishna > New Jersey > > The path of Self-enquiry includes all other paths. Whatever practice you take up, Self-enquiry will be its necessary end. So you need not worry whether you are fit for the path of Self-enquiry. One should do those spiritual practices that seem most natural and gives peace, always keeping in mind that Self-enquiry is the essence of that practice and the supreme path we all must tread. With sincere prayer, openness of heart and guilelessness one can never go wrong. Bhagavan watches over us and guides us. That is certain. > > - Editors of the Mountain Path > > (The Mountain Path, Vol. 2, 1997) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2002 Report Share Posted January 29, 2002 , "dan330033" <dan330033> wrote: > The path of self-inquiry requires > that there be a place to situate > a self who can inquire about the nature > of a self. If understood correctly, it also requires awareness 'aware of' awareness -- which could be called a meditative state of affairs. Not bad, not bad :-). > It requires that there be conceived a > self that is assumed to have the ability > to look into itself. The definitions of 'self' are all over the map... > If there is no place to situate a self > who can inquire into its nature, what > is this? It is: "no place to situate a self who can inquire into its nature." > If there is no assumption of a self that > can look into itself, what now? What now? Now, of course :-). > The basic question involved in self-inquiry > has no place to arise now, no one for whom > it could be relevant, and no attempt > to look into self results. It happens anyway (or appears to), fancy that :-). > With no placement of a self, there is no sense > of another. Given... > Hence, there is no question arising regarding who > am I, or who are you ... Careful... to negate Ramana's recommendations on this list makes people unhappy. > With no question, there is no answer to be provided. Big deal. Most would say "I have questions" anyway... and take any suggestion otherwise as a suggestion to drop all questions (e.g. yet another action creating further questions). Round & round we go... Cheers, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 , "Gabriele Ebert" <g.ebert@g...> wrote: > Fitness for Self-enquiry > > I was reading through one of the letters where a devotee asks the question, "Is this path Self-enquiry suited for everybody," to which Bhagavan Ramana replies that it is "...only for ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds." > > My question is, how do I know whether I am ready to take up this path or not? Somehow, the Maharshi's answer is a little discouraging for me. Please explain what all this means. > > Ramakrishna > New Jersey > > The path of Self-enquiry includes all other paths. Whatever practice you take up, Self-enquiry will be its necessary end. So you need not worry whether you are fit for the path of Self-enquiry. One should do those spiritual practices that seem most natural and gives peace, always keeping in mind that Self-enquiry is the essence of that practice and the supreme path we all must tread. With sincere prayer, openness of heart and guilelessness one can never go wrong. Bhagavan watches over us and guides us. That is certain. > > Try Transcendental Meditation first. It cuts right through the mind via the power of the mantra. That's the end of SelfEnquiry as a mental technique. Then Heart meditation begins. And don't forget to get the audio tapes (CD's or regular casettes) from www.arunachala.org.; including the Veda Parayana, and Sanskrit Hymns from Ramanasramam. I assume everybody has the video. Play the audios as much as possible. Don't leave your uncertain position up to solutions by anything less than the most powerful and effective techniques. Techniques begin, then in due time the Heart takes over. Sincerely, jiva > > (The Mountain Path, Vol. 2, 1997) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 , "dan330033" <dan330033> wrote: > The path of self-inquiry requires > that there be a place to situate > a self who can inquire about the nature > of a self. > > It requires that there be conceived a > self that is assumed to have the ability > to look into itself. > > If there is no place to situate a self > who can inquire into its nature, what > is this? > > If there is no assumption of a self that > can look into itself, what now? > > The basic question involved in self-inquiry > has no place to arise now, no one for whom > it could be relevant, and no attempt > to look into self results. > > With no placement of a self, there is no sense > of another. > > Hence, there is no question arising regarding who > am I, or who are you ... > > With no question, there is no answer to be provided. > > Just stillness, peace, > > Love, > Dan > >There's a certain amount of circular reasoning here. Bhagavan is saying that one can abide in the Self through the Self; but countless people have asked him about this. If they are unaware of the Self to begin with (by "they" is meant Joe or Mary); then they are likely to be discouraged. I recommend Transcendetnal Meditation. It cuts right through the mind quickly so that "one" is Self-aware. Dispense with the intellectual approach of Self-Enquiry altogether. It's not necessary to "look" for the Source of thought since TM takes the mind to its Source right away. Sincerely, Jiva > > > Fitness for Self-enquiry > > > > I was reading through one of the letters where a devotee asks the > question, "Is this path Self-enquiry suited for everybody," to which > Bhagavan Ramana replies that it is "...only for ripe souls. The rest > should follow different methods according to the state of their minds." > > > > My question is, how do I know whether I am ready to take up this > path or not? Somehow, the Maharshi's answer is a little discouraging > for me. Please explain what all this means. > > > > Ramakrishna > > New Jersey > > > > The path of Self-enquiry includes all other paths. Whatever practice > you take up, Self-enquiry will be its necessary end. So you need not > worry whether you are fit for the path of Self-enquiry. One should do > those spiritual practices that seem most natural and gives peace, > always keeping in mind that Self-enquiry is the essence of that > practice and the supreme path we all must tread. With sincere prayer, > openness of heart and guilelessness one can never go wrong. Bhagavan > watches over us and guides us. That is certain. > > > > - Editors of the Mountain Path > > > > (The Mountain Path, Vol. 2, 1997) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 > With no placement of a self, there is no sense> of another.Given...> Hence, there is no question arising regarding who> am I, or who are you ...Careful... to negate Ramana's recommendations on this list makes people unhappy. ---We have survived worse events happening. For some reason this really struck me as funny, Tim. > With no question, there is no answer to be provided.Big deal. Most would say "I have questions" anyway... and take any suggestion otherwise as a suggestion to drop all questions (e.g. yet another action creating further questions). Round & round we go... ---I see your point here too. Still, Ramana actually "answered" many questions by making the questions disappear. Or so people reported. Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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