[RamanaMaharshi] 'Where could I go? I am always here.''

[Guest guest]

That is so beautiful Miles. The energy of love swam though my body and my

eyes were filled as I read it.

I will pass it on to my list as well.

Grateful to you Miles for sharing.

Ever Yours in Sri Bhagavan,

Love to all

Harsha

Miles Wright wrote:

'Where could I go? I am always here.''

om namo bhagavate sri ramanaya

Dear All,

> Richard wrote:

> I have a living teacher. Many seekers do not.

This is something that's been written about on numerous occasions. I trust

you will be patient as it seems pertinent to write about it again. I also

have a 'living' teacher, His name is Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.

The living v. dead controversy seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding

(certainly fundamental in my sadhana) of the philosophy

of Sri Ramana Maharshi. If I could relate a little of my own sadhana regarding

this.

When I was a child I came across the name of Ramana Maharshi in a

book about yoga. While I began to practice hatha yoga, (with

relative ease, and to the amusement of my parents) the mere name 'Ramana

Maharshi' set up waves of joy which seemed to permeate my entire being.

In the book there is only one paragraph about the Sage, but this one paragraph

sufficed to leave its mark (linga):

'Pursue the enquiry 'Who am I?' relentlessly,' advised an

Indian guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi. 'Analyse your entire personality. Try to

find out where the I-thought begins. Go on with your meditations. Keep turning

your attention within. One day the wheel of thought will slow down and an

intuition will mysteriously arise. Follow that intuition, let your thinking

stop and it will eventually lead you to the goal.'

Interestingly the book was called 'Teach Yourself Yoga' (by

James Hewitt). While I read this paragraph over and over again, I

never knew, nor did I consider, His status was anything other than alive.

Although It was not possible to travel to see Him,

as I was only 13 and living in Scotland, I did consider finding out where

He lived with a view to travelling as soon as I was independent. Some months

later, as my small Yoga Library began to take shape, the realisation 'He

was dead' came about (after reading Paul Brunton perhaps).

It was initially traumatic. But very soon I began to understand that the

Teaching (as revealed in the paragraph above) was none

other than Bhagavan Himself, and That had had a profound effect. It was some

years before I eventually contacted the Ashram and purchased Talks, and other

publications. During this time vicara continued unabated. I met various yogis

and spiritual teachers of the time (early 70s) but

none seemed to offer any teaching which hit directly at the Heart of the

matter, as the paragraph above did.

Vicara became sadhana. Sadhana was vicara. While in the early years it was

limited to a certain time and place, very soon it became the primary occupation

of mind throughout the working day as well. Bhagavan's vivid Teaching occupied

my entire life. Even a glance at His photo drove the mind deep inwards

(bhaktirasa). Various plans were made to travel to Arunachala,

on various occasions. I worked in the travel business so there was really

no problem organising the trip at very reasonable rates to suit budget. Each

time arrangements were made, catastrophe struck in the form of illness or

death in the family. So the trip to Arunachala was never physically completed.

However, in my mid 20s, in effect, Sri Arunachala came to me. I changed my

type of work and place of work. Every morning as I travelled towards this

new place of work a solitary hill was visible for quite a few miles prior

to arrival in the town. It occurred to me that this was none other than Arunachala,

itSelf. Since that moment all hills reminded me of Arunachala and immediately

forced the mind inwards.

(There are more, many more such stories and 'strange' happenings

as those who visit know.)

Bhagavan was a jivanmukta. So why this confusion about 'living'?

A friend recently sent me a book, 'Surpassing Love and Grace', An offering

from His devotees. In it Chadwick says,

'The whole mistake is initial, in the interpretation they put

on the word jivanmukta; or in what they think a jnani really

is and how he functions. When it is found that a jivanmukta is already

absorbed in the Infinite and that for him the apparent change he undergoes

is no change at all, there should be no more misapprehension. There is no

further step for a jnani to take; he lost all sense of doership or

association with a particular body when he finally knew himself to be jnani.

The physical death is only just a happening in the myriad strange happenings

in maya. He was in no way limited to a body while it was functioning.

It was there, one might almost say, for us. We needed something that we could

see, somebody who could speak to us. Now we must get along without the comfort

of the physical presence, but it does not mean Bhagavan has gone anywhere,

indeed, as he said himself: 'Where could I go? I am always here.'' (p. 260)

The Ashram remains for those who still feel the need to travel to it. The

Ashram publications reveal the teachings. Guru stands resplendent as Sri

Arunachala. To quote Chadwick again, 'To what after all, did his spoken instructions

amount? 'There is only one Self. You are that.' Amplifying it slightly

it becomes:there is nothing to do, nothing to seek. There is only false identification

with limitation to discard and that is done by concentration on the eternal

witness, the One behind all phenomena. Know who you are and there is no more

to know.' (p. 261) And this is also the instruction

revealed (above) to the young lad reading his first book on Yoga.

>From Talks; 434:

D. : Sadguru is necessary to guide me to understand it.

M. : The Sadguru is within.

D. : I want a visible Guru.

M. : That visible Guru says that He is within.

D. : Can I throw myself at the mercy of the Sadguru?

M. : Yes. Instructions are necessary only so long as one has not surrendered

oneself.

This is the Truth. Of that there is absolutely no doubt.

Ever Yours in Sri Bhagavan,

Miles