Fw: [RamanaMaharshi] good article Times of India News paper/Be like a child

[Guest guest]

- arunaramanasai

RamanaMaharshi

Sunday, August 11, 2002 8:41 AM

[RamanaMaharshi] good article Times of India News paper/Be like a child

RAMNATH NARAYANSWAMYChildren have a special place in all the wisdom

traditions of the world. The gospel according to Saint Luke says that

people brought their babies to Jesus, asking him to place his hands on

them in blessing. When his disciples tried to prevent the people from

approaching their teacher, Jesus said, "Let the children come to me.

Do not stop them because the Kingdom of God belongs to them. Remember

this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will

never enter it".In a child, the thought of the ego, the first primal

I-thought is present only at an infinitesimal level. Identification

with the body, the mind or the intellect is absent. As we grow older,

these identifications result in misery, unhappiness and suffering.

That is why we often rue the passing of childhood. The primal

I-thought is responsible for reinforcing the notion of I-am-the-doer,

I-am-the-body, I-am-the-ego or I-am-the-intellect. All these

identifications result in suffering as they bring with them desire

and attachment. The phenomenal world is mistaken for reality. The

child is the father of man because the child does not suffer from

ego, identity or fear — the characteristic concomitants of adulthood.

That is why there is something divine in the innocence of a child.Sri

Ramana Maharishi, looking at a child in the prayer hall, reportedly

remarked: "One can attain the bliss of Brahman only when the mind

becomes pure and humble, like the mind of this child". The image of

the child in world scripture is therefore a powerful symbol of

purity, innocence, simplicity and humility. As St Augustine said,

"Let your old-age be childlike and your childhood like old age; so

that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without

wisdom".The Brihadaranyaka Upa- nishad exhorts the Brahman or the one

who is steeped in Brahman, to "reject erudition and live as a child".

Sri Ramakrishna affirmed the same counsel when he said, "So long as

one does not become simple like a child, one does not get divine

illumination. Forget all the worldly knowledge that thou has acquired

and become as `ignorant' as a child and then you will get divine

wisdom".Swami Ramdas recollects that, "When we were children we were

innocent. But there was in us a seed of ignorance which grew as we

grew, and finally overpowering us, cast away our innocent nature and

led us astray. We were thereafter caught in the toils of desire and

action and we move in a vicious circle of transitory pleasure and

pain. It is necessary to hand ourselves over to the Divine and

through His grace burn up the seed which is the cause of our misery

and bondage and regain our lost childhood. Once we get it back, it

cannot be taken away from us. The burnt seed does not germinate. We

will remain pure children for all our lives".We find similar

evocations in the Buddhist tradition as well. "Abandon thought and

thinking", said the Sage Saraha. "Be just like a child. Be devoted to

your master's teaching and the Innate will become manifest". Indeed,

the essence of Zen according to Takuan, founder of the Tokaiji Zen

temple in Tokyo, is having "the heart and soul of a little child".

Finally, a Tibetan master declares that the pupil "must regain the

child state he hath lost before the sound can fall upon his ears". In

a way, the Divine Musician sings to us through the purity of the

hearts of children — we can hear Him if we only listen. So, the way

to enlightenment lies in rediscovering the child in ourselves.

[Guest guest]

, "Gloria Lee" <glee@c...> wrote:

>So, the way to enlightenment lies in rediscovering the child in

ourselves.

 

 

In the heart of Original Innocence

there is a child wandering through the

wonder of all of this. In the body

of this child, there is no sense of any

limitation or collapse of attention

into fantasies of knowing, since all is felt

as the ecstatic expression of

Infinite/Being/Happiness.

A sweet dear light radiates from this

child in all directions, filling all space

with the Song of Itself.

When our ears can Hear,

this is the sound we Hear.

We can See this light,

our own bright beauty,

when our eyes have been

washed with the Love

awake within us and beyond us.

Such a wonderful Light

has always surrounded us!

We are never apart from This Light!

It is the Light of all of us,

holding all of us, kissing all of us

with the Bliss of Itself.

This is why our refusal of the Light

is so poignant,

for when we have exhausted our reluctance,

then how Happy is this Light!

Our ears become so happy,

because they can see this Light.

Our eyes become happy,

because they can hear this Song.

This Song of the Child.

This Light of Itself.

This blessed Child.

This blessed Life.

And now we see,

This Child is ours,

and now we see,

This Child is us.

We have always been this

Happiness, this ChildHeart!

We have the trust of a child, and

this trust has no beginning or ending.

Our Light extends forever as This Love.

This Wonder is our fleshy garment.

This Song shall always play upon our tongue.

This child at play in the fields of the Lord

holds both palms high above the head,

a head of golden radiant bliss,

and smiling laughing singing weeping

reminds us all with gestures Sweet

to never grow so old again that

we forget our Dancing Feet!

[Guest guest]

Dear Gloria,

> So, the way to enlightenment lies in

> rediscovering the child in ourselves.

 

Yes, picking up from where we left off, and then... having us grow-on-up of

course, but never losing again our naiveté, playfulness, innocence,

unquestioned faith and love, wonder, curiosity, friendliness, imagination,

activity, directness, enthusiasm...

our clear eyes to see and seek only crystalline truth in everyone and see

all their facets sparkling,

our finely tuned ears to hear the harmonies of a singing and dancing

universe and all its inhabitants,

our tender touch to embrace whom and whatever enters our intimate sphere of

openness and welcome,

our exquisite taste for the goodness of sustenance and nurturing of

everything offered for our well-being,

our fine nose of intuition which moves us into directions where fear never

led us, to foster trustworthy interaction.

 

Wim

 

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