Outside the scriptures

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends:

The difficulty in many of our conversations is that the

true understanding is not intellectual or conceptual

but absolutely direct. Clear and direct without the

medium of the mind. It is certainly true that Sri

Ramana was not a traditional Advaitin. In fact, Sri

Ramana's comments on other religions and philosophies

tend to be generous and he showed great regard for

Buddha when his name came up.

We have all had many conversations about which path is

superior, which path is true (the short one or the long

one or the one that is neither short nor long). Yes, we

want to know which path or samadhi leads to Jnana which

one fall just a little short, which works truly belongs

to Shankra, etc. But where can we find the answers

other than the mind. And yet, it is the mind, the

conflicted nature of our mind, that clouds our

Self-nature. The dilemma is clear even to our wretched

mind! Scriptures say the mind (self) is the best friend

and mind (self) can also be the worst enemy. Seldom a

more profound truth has been uttered. Reaching the

highest peak, the scene is the same for everyone. One's

Own Being It Self Is the Scene! Call it Fullness or

Emptiness. It is the same sameness everywhere.

Great sages indicate that the arguments in the name of

religion, spirituality, one's tradition happen at the

ground floors, at the intermediate levels, and not at

the highest height. At the highest peak only the vision

of silence pervades. In order to go high, one has to be

light, without burden. Without the burdens of notions

of this and that...fill in the blank.. That is the

essential teaching of pure Advaita. Neti, neti, neti.

Not this, not this. When we find an idea attractive,

when we are stuck to a belief, an opinion, we can enjoy

it but when the time comes we smile and say neti, neti,

neti. If not, we have achieved the status of good

debaters only. If we are too much attached to

conceptual luggage, it will weigh us down. To go to the

height, one has to be light.

I have told this story before and I like telling it

because I heard it when I was 21 and very young and

impressionable. The story has this message that there

is no need to look elsewhere other than where you are,

your own heart.

My teacher used to visit Sri Ramana as a teenager. On

one of the visits Sri Ramana was silent. Sometimes Sri

Ramana liked to keep silent for periods. My teacher

asked him about the nature of the highest reality. Sri

Ramana did not respond right away. Then the Sage smiled

and without speaking, pointed with his finger, first to

the sky and then the same finger to his (Sri Ramana's)

chest.

When I heard the story, it seemed to me that the

highest height is the same as the deepest depth. My

experience is that all paths converge when the mind

loses its preferences to a path. Shakti Yoga becomes

Jnana Yoga. How could it not? Shakti unerringly finds

its own Source and reveals It Self to be Shiva. The

dynamic and the static become identical. Becoming

merges with Being to reveal its own Reality as the One

without as second. Whatever path one takes, one can

only come to where One Already Is. Call it by any name.

It is simply recognition of who we are with immediacy

and directness. Sat-Chit-Ananda-Nityam-Poornum. The

light seems small and far away but as we approach it we

are consumed by it. As long as the individual self has

not been swallowed up by Pure Being, there is fear and

separation. When through grace the individual is

allowed to gives itself up and surrender fully to the

Heart, it is magic. Small fish gets eaten by the Whale

and then sees that It has always been the Whale It

Self.

Love to all

Harsha

 

The next volume of the HS magazine will be out in a few

weeks.

Many writers from the Advaitin, RamanaMaharshi, and

lists are represented.

 

 

 

 

 

"Love itself is the actual form of God."

 

Sri Ramana

 

In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam" by Suri Nagamma

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