Guest guest Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Thanks Chris. Bhagavan is always crystal clear and knows the path inside and out, the beginning, the end and the middle is all the same for Sri Ramana. The Heart of all is the same Heart, shining forth as pure awareness, self satisfied, that is all beauty abiding in its own nature as It Self. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Sometimes people on these lists are heard to say such and such person or master has explained the method of realization or the path better, etc., etc. Each to their own. It never occurs to me to give importance to anyone else’s words other than Bhagavan and his genuine devotees. I do not know how if someone is a devotee of Bhagavan, and understands the pure teachings of the Self, they can turn to anyone else. I am very biased on this but how fortunate I feel. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">God bless you all with all good things 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Yours in Bhagavan 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> Love to all 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Harsha 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">christiane cameron [christianecameron (AT) mac (DOT) com] Tuesday, January 11, 2005 6:47 PM advaitajnana Cc: RamanaMaharshi [RamanaMaharshi] jnana 12.0pt"> 12.0pt"> Q. Can be Jnana be lost after being once attained? M. Jnana, once revealed needs time to steady itself. The Self is certainly within the direct experience of everyone, but not as one imagines it to be. It is only as it is. This Experience is Samadhi. Just as fire remains without scorching against incantations or other devices but scorches otherwise, so also the Self remains veiled by vasanas and reveals itself when there are no vasanas. Owing to the fluctuations of the vasanas, jnana takes time to steady itself...........To remain unshaken in it, further efforts are necessary... talks 141 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">This concerns a recent message that I wrote. The spirit of the message was that the devotees of Bhagavan are content with the pure teachings of the Self. Certainly, all of us enjoy reading and hearing about great souls and spending time in the company of devotees. My favorites are St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Theresa, Bishop Tutu, Mahatama Gandhi, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Sivananda, really too many to mention. Sri Ramana himself showed much interest in the lives of other saints and read about them. Once a devotee brought some of Sri Aurbindo’s works and Sri Ramana stayed up and read them all in one night. He said basically that this was same stuff mentioned in some of the scriptures but using different names and words. For a devotee interested in Self-Realization, the words and teachings of Sri Ramana are enough. With spiritual maturity and realization, one is naturally interested in other saints and good people. So there is no contradiction there in following other people. One has to know what is being sought, who is being followed, and who is following who. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">A person is most comfortable in his or her own home. Home is where the Heart is. So one has to know where one’s home is. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Even children know. When one has a good home and a wonderful mother, one does not wish to stay in other places too long. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Knowing the Heart, One becomes the Heart. Knowing the Heart, one cannot follow or be followed. Even well known teachers do not know the Self because their teaching in some subtle way focuses on consumption of experience, mental, physical, psychic, spiritual, etc. These may be great people but an aspirant of truth is not interested in mere greatness. Knowledge of Self is simply Reality and beyond all experience. Finding that Reality to be the Self, one will not be attracted or impressed with anything no matter how enchanting and magical the description. This is the beauty of the Heart that is one’s Own Being. Turning towards It, one cannot turn away from it, seeing it everywhere as one’s own Being. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Love to all 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Harsha 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">Harsha [harsha (AT) cox (DOT) net] Wednesday, January 12, 2005 3:04 PM atma_vichara RE: [atma_vichara] Re: [RamanaMaharshi] jnana 12.0pt"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">I also love reading about other saints and their stories. Bhagavan was like that too. He liked nothing better than to recite stories of the devotees of the Lord and himself sometimes wept while telling them. I do not think there is any contradiction at all here. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Love to all 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Harsha font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">asridhar19 [asridhar19 ] Wednesday, January 12, 2005 10:09 AM atma_vichara [atma_vichara] Re: [RamanaMaharshi] jnana 12.0pt"> Namaste Just a thought provoked by what is written below. 'I' consider myself a devotee of Bhagwan but do find delight in occasionally reading say the life and teachings of Shirdi Saibaba or Ramakrishna Paramahamsa too. There are devotees of Bhagwan who were also devotees of Mahatma Gandhi or Kanchi Paramachraya ( of those days) -example Kanakammal. We cannot believe that these people benefit from Bhagwan's Grace any less? I hope I am not causing any hurt, just to say that we need not be piqued by some devotees of bhagwan also showing devotion to , let me try and put it this way, .. other manifestations of self. In his grace Many humble pranams to all Sridhar atma_vichara, > > > etc., etc. Ea ch to their own. It never occurs to me to give importance > > to anyone else's words other than Bhagavan and his genuine devotees. I > > do not know how if someone is a devotee of Bhagavan, and understands > > the pure teachings of the Self, they can turn to anyone else. I am > > very biased on this but how fortunate I feel. > > > > > > > > God bless you all with all good things > > > > Yours in Bhagavan > > > > > > > > Love to all > > > > Harsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 Harsha Thanks. The unique beauty of Ramana is that he took to the heart of his teaching and stayed very close to it. Even after mentioning other teachings and techniques he would immediately say 'this will eventually strengthen Vichara!' In his great compassion, he encouraged even 'new people' to follow Vichara, which was hitherto considered to be only for the 'most mature souls' after several lifetimes (preferentially in the Karma bhoomi of India ) of desireless work, devotion to God and perfecting of body and mind (karma, bhakti and raja) and even then only after contemplation of the Great Scriptural declarations (Traditional jnana marga) and metaphysical arguments. He said, "if all these is going to lead you to the practice of Self Attention and being your Self, why not try it out and do it right away. After all, do all of us not be there every night in deep sleep? And do we all not feel the Self every moment? All we need to do is to ignore everything else and hold onto this without a gap until all the else drops off." Those who have understood his teachings find so attracted to this consistency and simplicity and the power of its logical sharpness that they get the maturity not to be distracted by other Gurus and other teachings and tricks.... They become 'devoted' to it, emotionally. You are right! *** My questions on Ramana path are not doubts about his teachings or his techniques. It is my attempt to integrate and simplify MY understanding. But then after yesterday's discussion, the insight popped at me saying, "Self is not the satisfied state of the ego, but realizing its nonexistence." Thank you for the direction... Ravi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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