'Tapas'

July 13, 2005

"Tapas ( austerity ; to burn )

Though Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni had practiced numerous kinds of

'tapas' according to the scriptural injunctions, he realised that his

understanding was inadequate and requested Bhagavan to explain the

true meaning of 'tapas'.

Bhagavan replied: "If one watches whence the notion 'I' arises, the

mind is absorbed into That; that is 'tapas'. When a mantra is

repeated, if one watches the Source from which the mantra sound is

produced the mind is absorbed in That; that is 'tapas'."(Ramana

Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge by A.Osborne p.108.)

What is the means recommended by Bhagavan?

"When one investigates the source of 'I' within, the 'I' will die.

This is self enquiry." (Upadesa Undiyar, v.19.)

When we seek the source of our 'I' there is no definitive 'place'

where it resides. It is elusive like trying to catch the wind in your

hands. It is not a fixed entity that is dependent on time and space as

we know it. So then, how are we to find the source of 'I' with our

mind when it does not exist in any conventional locality?

Who asks this question? Who is the one who searches for oneself?

Bhagavan requests us to remain in the source of that consciousness

which asks the question. To turn the attention of the mind within so

that it is fixed upon the sence of existance of its source is

'tapas'. It is not the thoughts, which reveal the truth; it is the

pure consciousness (chit) which reveals the truth of being (sat).

" There is no other consciousness to know that which exists (the

reality or sat). Therefore existance(sat) is also consciousness(chit)

and we are that (the real Self)." (Upadesa Undiyar, v.23.)

'Tapas' is the abidance in the Self. It is not abidance by the mind in

the Self, because that presupposes the mind and the so-called Self are

different. Rather, in that pure state of consciousness:

" Being the Self is knowing the Self, because the Self is (one

and) not two. This is Self abidance." (Upadesa Undiyar, v.26.)

( Source: The Mountain Path, Vol.42, No.3; Advent, July-Sept 2005 ;

Published by Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai. )

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