Maharshi on the use of will power

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christiane cameron

RamanaMaharshi

Cc: RamanaMaharshi ;

Thursday, May 05, 2005 10:39 PM

Maharshi on the use of will power

Devotee: Is not will power necessary for success. It should ensure

success and also rule out failure. ...Bhagawan said its necessary for

strength of mind.No answerDevotee: I try to gain will power. After

these years (three) I find myself only where I began. There is no

progress.No answerDevotee: What are the means of gaining will

power?Maharshi: Your idea of will power is success insured. Will

power should be understood to be the strength of mind which makes it

capable for meeting success or failure with equanimity. It is not

synonymous with certain success. Why should one' attempts be always

attended with success? Success develops arrogance and the man's

spiritual progress is thus arrested. Failure on the other hand is

beneficial, inasmuch as it opens the eyes of the man to his

limitations and prepares him to surrender himself. Self-surrender is

synonymous with eternal happiness. Therefore one should try to gain

the equipose of mind under all circumstances. That is will power.

Again, success and failure are the results of prarabdha and not of

will power. A man my be doing only good and noble actions and yet

prove a failure. Another may do otherwise and yet be uniformly

successful. This does not mean that the will power is present in the

one and not in the other.....................

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It’s not the what

But how it’s done

That makes the difference…

And self assured arrogance

Is not daring

Self confidence….

All teach how to win, my friend

Seek the one who knows how to loose.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Devotee: Is will power gained by divesting oneself of

thoughts?Maharshi: Rather by confining oneself to a single thought.

Ultimately this will also disappear, leaving Pure Consciousness

behind. Concentration helps one to it.Devotee: So then, it is gained

by directing the mind and concentrating it. The personality has

nothing to do with it.Maharshi: Personality is the root-cause of

external activities. It must sink for gaining the highest good.Talks

390.2