Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

[Guest guest]

While attending the SRF gathering this past week in Los Angeles,

Brother Vishwananda (sp?) gave a talk that just blasted down the

Heart-house in Joy, and he spoke of why Brother Anandamoy (a beloved

longtime monastic of SRF who knew Master personally and was trained

by him,) wasn't able to come this year, (the first time ever he's not

been a speaker at convocation).

Brother Anandamoy is ill, and he cannot take calls nor give counseling

any longer. We all feel that the time may well be drawing near that

our Beloved Brother and Friend in God, our Beloved Brother Anandamoy

.... might be on his way "out" of the physical form and into the Great

Inconceivable Immensity. He showed us this picture, which I've pasted

in below, and he told us that Brother Anandamoy relayed to him that

it was his very favorite picture of Master. (As well, it is mine.)

The Kriya Yoga ceremony, Oh! what Mercy was bestowed upon your little

friend, Mazie, by my Beloved Gurudeva. I was in great, intractable

pain, travel now being a very costly price to the bodyform that

adorns myself. So great was the pain that as I sat in my seat I was

uncertain of how, or if, I would be able to endure the crushing pain

that was gaining momentum with each passing mintue ... and then I

began to pray, to cry out to my Beloved Gurudeva with an intensity

beyond words.

And oh my Precious Lord! My Dear Loves! Something so miraculous and so

utterly-utterly marvelous occurred, that I feel compelled to share it

here with you, to share this Sweetest of Sweet experiences with you,

here, here in this Cyber-House of Love with all of you, You who make

up this Beautiful group of Soul-Friends and Heart-Lovers, and

Immortal Beloveds, for it shows the Grace of the Guru and His great

Love and Compassion for us.

If we ask in humility and faith, and trust, He DOES answer, and He

gives unceasingly from His Great Heart of Love. I am humbled to the

core of my existence in This - The Guru's Grace.

I cried out from the depths of my Heart and Soul, literally throwing

myself and my all upon the altar of Guru's Heart, speaking with all

my being this plea, silently and with the utmost fervor, on fire and

aflame in Love and Devotion:

"Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!"

In that instant, as the last word Soul-crying out for His Mercy left

my Heart's mouth, the pain ceased - entirely, spontaneously and

immediately! Such is the Grace of the Guru to the one who calls to

Him with all their Heart, Soul and Being. Sitting for four hours on

hard, hotel chairs, chairs not quite as comfortable to an arthritic

body in turmoil as might be wished for - the Door of my Heart opened

entirely, and the Divine Beloved covered me in His Mercy ...

completely, so Sweetly giving me surfeit and freedom from the intense

pain and suffering of this 'condition' called arthritis. My Gratitude

knows no bounds. Ask with all Thy Heart - and Thy Heart's longing

shall be fulfilled. Such is the Grace of the Guru.

"Weeping may endure for a night ... but Joy cometh in the Morning."

Here is the picture of Master that our Beloved Brother Anandamoy, and

myself, loves and treasures the most:

Think ye in thy Heart, Lotus-Feet of thy Guru

if you want to cross the ocean of delusion.

Shaming the white lotus in purity,

beyond all duality ...

Guru-Image of Brahma, deliver us from Delusion.

Think ye in thy Heart .... Lotus Feet of thy Guru.

>From our Beloved Sri Ramana Maharshi:

THE GURU:"Question: What is Guru's grace? How does it lead to

Self-realisation?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Guru is the Self. Sometimes in

his life a manbecomes dissatisfied and not content with what he has,

he seeks thesatisfaction of his desires through prayer to God. His

mind isgradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain

hisgrace than to satisfy his worldly desires. Then, God's grace

beginsto manifest. God takes the form of a Guru and appears to the

devotee,teaches him the truth and, moreover, purifies his mind

byassociation. The devotee's mind gains strength and is then able

toturn inward. By meditation it is further purified and it

remainsstill without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the

Self.The Guru is both external and internal. From the exterior he

gives apush to the mind to turn it inwards. From the interior he

pulls themind towards the Self and helps in the quieting of the mind.

That isGuru's grace. There is no difference between God, Guru and the

Self.Questioner: In the Theosophical Society they meditate in order

toseek masters to guide them.Sri Ramana Maharshi: The master is

within; meditation is meant toremove the ignorant idea that he is

only outside. If he is a strangerwhom you await, he is bound to

disappear also. What is the use of atransient being like that? But so

long as you think you are separateor that you are the body, an

external master is also necessary and hewill appear to have a body.

When the wrong identification of oneselfwith the body ceases, the

master will be found to be none other thanthe Self.Question: Will the

Guru help us to know the Self through initiation?Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Does the Guru hold you by the hand and whisperin the ear? You may

imagine him to be what you are yourself. Becauseyou think you are

with a body, you think he also has a body and thathe will do

something tangible to you. His work lies within, in thespiritual

realm.Question: How is a Guru found?Sri Ramana Maharshi: God, who is

immanent, in His grace takes pity onthe loving devotee and manifests

himself according to the devotee'sdevelopment. The devotee thinks

that he is a man and expects arelationship between two physical

bodies. But the Guru, who is a Godor the Self incarnate works from

within, helps the man to see theerror of his ways and guides him on

the right path until he realisesthe Self within.Question: What are

the marks of a real teacher (sadaguru)?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Steady

abidance in the Self, looking at all withan equal eye, unshakable

courage at all times, in all places andcircumstances.Question: There

are a number of spiritual teachers teaching variouspaths. Whom should

one take for one's Guru?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Choose that one where you

find you get shanti(peace).Question: Should we not also consider his

teachings?Sri Ramana Maharshi: He who instructs an ardent seeker to

do this orthat is not a true master. The seeker is already afflicted

by hisactivities and wants peace and rest. In other words he

wantscessation of his activities. If a teacher tells him to do

somethingin addition to, or in place of, his other activities, can

that be ahelp to the seeker?Activity is creation. Activity is the

destruction of one's inherenthappiness. If activity is advocated the

adviser is not a master but akiller. In such circumstances either the

Creator (Brahma) or death(Yama) may be said to have come in the guise

of a master. Such aperson cannot liberate the aspirant; he can only

strengthen hisfetters.Question: How can I find my own Guru?Sri Ramana

Maharshi: By intense meditation.Question: If it is true that the Guru

is one's own Self, what is theprinciple underlying the doctrine which

says that, however learned adisciple may be or whatever occult powers

he may possess, he cannotattain Self-realisation without the grace of

the Guru?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Although in absolute truth the state of

the Guruis that of oneself (the Self), it is very hard for the self

which hasbecome the individual (jiva or embodied soul) through

ignorance, torealise its true state or nature without the grace of

the Guru.Question: What are the marks of the Guru's grace?Sri Ramana:

It is beyond words or thoughts.Question: If that is so, how is it that

it is said that the disciplerealises his true state by the Guru's

grace?Sri Ramana Maharshi: It is like the elephant, which wakes up

onseeing a lion in his dream. Even as the elephant wakes up at the

meresight of the lion, so too is it certain that the disciple wakes

upfrom the sleep of ignorance into the wakefulness of true

knowledgethrough the Guru's benevolent look of grace.Question: What

is the significance of the saying that the nature ofthe real Guru is

that of the Supreme Lord (Sarvesvara)?Sri Ramana Maharshi: First, the

individual soul, which desires toattain the state of Godhood, or the

state of true knowledge,practises incessant devotion. When the

individual's devotion hasreached a mature stage, the Lord, who is the

witness of theindividual soul and identical with it, manifests. He

appears in humanform with the help of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence,

Consciousness andBliss Absolute), his three natural features, and

form the name, whichhe also graciously assumes. In the guise of

blessing the disciple heabsorbs him in Himself. According to this

doctrine the Guru can trulybe called the Lord.Question: How then some

great persons attain knowledge without a Guru?Sri Ramana Maharshi: To

a few mature persons the Lord shines as theformless light of

knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth.Question: How is one to

decide upon a proper Guru? What is theswarupa (nature or real form)

of a Guru?Sri Ramana Maharshi: He is the proper Guru to whom your

mind isattuned. If you ask, "How to decide who is the Guru and what

is hisswarupa?", he should be endowed with tranquillity,

patience,forgiveness and other virtues; he should be capable of

attractingothers even with his eyes just as a magnet attracts iron;

he shouldhave a feeling of equality towards all. He who has these

virtues isthe true Guru, but one wants to know the swarupa of the

Guru, onemust know one's own swarupa first. How can one know the real

natureof the Guru if one does not know one's own real nature first? If

youwant to perceive the real nature or form of the Guru you must

firstlearn to look upon the whole universe as Guru rupam (the form of

theGuru). One must see the Guru in all living beings. It is the

samewith God. You must look upon all objects as God's rupa (form).

Howcan he who does not know his own Self perceive the real form of

Godor the real form of the Guru? How can he determine them?

Therefore,first of all know your own real form and nature.Question:

Isn't a Guru necessary to know even that?Sri Ramana Maharshi: That is

true. The world contains many great men.Look upon him as your Guru

with whom your mind gets attuned. The onein whom you have faith is

your Guru.Question: What is the significance of Guru's grace in the

attainmentof liberation?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Liberation is not

anywhere outside you. It isonly within. If a man is anxious for

deliverance, the internal Gurupulls him in and the external Guru

pushes him into the Self. This isthe grace of the Guru.Question: Some

people reported you to have said that there was noneed for a Guru.

Others gave the opposite report. What does Maharshisay?Sri Ramana

Maharshi: I have never said that there is no need for

aGuru.Questioner: Sri Aurobindo and others refer to you as having had

noGuru.Sri Ramana Maharshi: It all depends on what you call a Guru. He

neednot be in a human form. Dattatreya had twenty-four Gurus

includingthe five elements- earth, water, etc. Every object in this

world washis Guru.The Guru is absolutely necessary. The Upanishads

say that none but aGuru can take a man out of the jungle of intellect

and senseperceptions. So there must be a Guru.Questioner: I mean a

human Guru- Maharshi did not have one.Sri Ramana Maharshi: I might

have had one at one time or other. Butdid I not sing hymns to

Arunachala? What is a Guru? Guru is God orthe Self. First a man prays

to God to fulfil his desires. A timecomes when he will no more pray

for the fulfilment of materialdesires but for God Himself. God then

appears to him in some form orother, human or non-human, to guide him

to Himself in answer to hisprayer and according to his needs.Question:

When loyal to one master can you respect others?Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Guru is only one. He is not physical. So long asthere is weakness the

support of strength is needed.Questioner: J.Krishnamurti says, "No

Guru is necessary."Sri Ramana Maharshi: How did he know it? One can

say so afterrealising but not before.Question: Can Sri Bhagavan help

us to realise truth?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Help is always

there.Questioner: Then there is no need to ask questions. I do not

feel theever-present help.Sri Ramana Maharshi: Surrender and you will

find it.Questioner: I am always at your feet. Will Bhagavan give us

someupadesa (teaching) to follow? Otherwise how can I get help living

600miles away?Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru (the Guru who is one

with Being) iswithin.Questioner: Sadguru is necessary to guide me to

understand it.Sri Ramana Maharshi: The sadguru is within.Questioner:

I want a visible Guru.Sri Ramana Maharshi: That visible Guru says

that he is within.Question: Is success not dependent on the Guru's

grace?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Yes, it is. Is not your practice itself

due tosuch grace? The fruits are the result of the practice and

follow itautomatically. There is a stanza in Kaivalya which says, `O

Guru! Youhave been always with me, watching me through several

incarnations,and ordaining my course until I was liberated.' The Self

manifestsexternally as the Guru when the occasion arises, otherwise he

isalways within, doing what is necessary.Question: Some disciples of

Shirdi Sai Baba worship a picture of himand say that it is their

Guru. How could that be? They can worship itas God, but what benefit

could they get by worshipping it as theirGuru?Sri Ramana Maharshi:

They secure concentration by that.Question: That is all very well, I

agree. It may be to some extent anexercise in concentration. But

isn't a Guru required for thatconcentration?Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Certainly, but after all, Guru only means

guri(concentration).Questioner: How can a lifeless picture help in

developing deepconcentration? It requires a living Guru who could

show it inpractice. It is possible perhaps for Bhagavan to attain

perfectionwithout a living Guru, but is it possible for people like

myself?Sri Ramana Maharshi: That is true. Even so, by worshipping a

lifelessportrait, the mind gets concentrated to a certain extent.

Thatconcentration will not remain constant unless one knows one's

ownSelf by enquiring. For that enquiry, a Guru's help is

necessary.Question: It is said that the Guru can make his disciple

realise theSelf by transmitting some of his own power to him? Is it

true?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Yes. The Guru does not bring about

Self-realisation. He simply removes all the obstacles to it. The Self

isalways realised.Question: Is it absolutely necessary to have a Guru

if one is seekingSelf-realisation?Sri Ramana Maharshi: So long as you

seek Self-realisation the Guru isnecessary. Guru is the Self. Take

Guru to be the real Self and yourself as the individual self. The

disappearance of this sense ofduality is the removal of ignorance. So

long as duality persists inyou the Guru is necessary. Because you

identify yourself with thebody, you think that the Guru is also a

body. You are not the body,nor is the Guru. You are the Self and so

is the Guru. This knowledgeis gained by what you call

Self-realisation.Question: How can one know whether a particular

individual iscompetent to be a Guru?Sri Ramana Maharshi: By the peace

of mind found in his presence andby the sense of respect you feel for

him.Question: If the Guru happens to turn out incompetent, what will

bethe fate of the disciple who has implicit faith in him?Sri Ramana

Maharshi: Each one according to his merits.Question: May I have

Guru's grace?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Grace is always there.Questioner:

But I do not feel it.Sri Ramana Maharshi: Surrender will make one

understand the grace.Questioner: I have surrendered heart and soul. I

am the best judge ofmy heart. Still I do not feel the grace.Sri Ramana

Maharshi: If you had surrendered the question would

notarise.Questioner: I have surrendered. Still the questions

arise.Sri Ramana Maharshi: Grace is constant. Your judgment is

thevariable. Where else should the fault lie?Question: May one have

more than one spiritual master?Sri Ramana Maharshi: Who is a master?

He is the Self after all.According to the stages of development of

the mind the Self manifestsas the master externally. The famous

ancient Dattatreya said that hehad more than twenty-four masters. The

master is one from whom onelearns anything. The Guru may be sometimes

inanimate also, as in thecase of Dattatreya. God, Guru and the Self

are identical.A spiritually minded man thinks that God is all

pervading and takesGod for his Guru. Later, God brings him in contact

with a personalGuru and the man recognises him as all in all. Lastly

the same man ismade by the grace of the master to feel that his Self

is the realityand nothing else. Thus he finds that the Self is the

master."~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, from "Be As You Are," edited by David

Godman

As I Am,

Mazie

[Guest guest]

Zenbabaji, Mazie and all ...

> There is one other picture of Yogananda that I love...

> it is of him playing the autoharp and looking like a

> delighted young boy...despite the fact that he must

> have been 55 or 60 in the photo!

 

this isn't an autoharp but certainly his face expresses

the boyish delight you speak of:

http://www.guruji.it/galleria/yogananda/nuove3/esraj.jpg

 

there are 11 pages of photographs here:

http://www.guruji.it/galleria/yogananda/page_001.htm

 

-ts-

 

 

 

, zen2wrk@a... wrote:

> Dearest Mazie:

>

> What a lovely sharing of love and fine realization. I am sorry to

hear of

> the serious illness of Brother Anandanoy, as I also, benefited much

from his

> loving discourses and discussions. I will meditate and perform my

humble form

> of Darshan on his behalf...as well as send you also my blessings.

>

> How lovely and true are Sri Ramana's words to the questioning

> student/visitors. Always, his humor, patience and love are

expressed as genuine caring

> rather than superiority and he always gently guides the student

back to their

> own understanding of their own heart, experience and inner

knowing...for that

> is how a true teacher leads a student to comprehend a greater truth

and to

> find understanding...we can all be shown a thing or technique in a

book, but

> until that lesson or thing has been made "alive" within us, it has

no truth...it

> has no fixed reality and it never becomes a part of us.

>

> It is funny to me that Americans often ask, "What do you think

about so and

> so?" rather than to ask, "What do you feel about so and so?" as the

latter

> form invites them to engage in a deeper emotional process of

validating the

> truth and also examining one's heart.

>

> There is one other picture of Yogananda that I love...it is of him

playing

> the autoharp and looking like a delighted young boy...despite the

fact that he

> must have been 55 or 60 in the photo! perhaps you have seen this?

I have

> his recordings somewhere...packed away of course. Must dig them

out. Always

> enjoyed the "Divine Mother" and "Blue Lotus Feet" chants best of all.

>

> Well, must trundle off to sleepy land as I have had restless sleep

all week.

> Cannot explain why, as I am usually always a very sound napper.

>

> Much Love & Peace,

>

> Zenbabaji