Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 > > "Jeff Belyea" <jeff > 2005/10/09 Sun AM 10:39:21 EDT > > Re: Ramana's single inquiry > > Hi Beloved Jeff, Haven't 'seen you' for a while;-) My experience was similar, I lay down and watched all parts of me disappear except for being conscious and something that resembled my breath. I realized that I must be consciousness and I identified myself as Consciousness. As a child, I was always aware of my self-consciousness which contributed to an innate shyness, this was an adult re-experiencing and re-cognizing this in the experience of being an adult. Just part of the journey, although a crucial and integral part. Love, Anna Ramana laid down to experience utter stillness - death. Would that not be "standing in the quiet"? (OK, it's laying, not standing, but metaphorically it is the same.) Not not two, Jeff , "Richard Clarke" <rclarke@s...> wrote: > > This was posted on > PracticeofSelfInquiry/ > And I thought it would be or interest to this group. > > Richard > ------------------------------ > > Dear Group, > > I have read this account many times. I think it is worth considering > it when one thinks about practice. > > First, Ramana started with a great 'desire,' a desire 'to find out > the truth for himself.' > > Sankara said that desire, desire for liberation, is the most > important of the spiritual 'requisites.' Here Ramana's story > reinforces what Sankara taught. > > Next Ramana did a deep discriminative inquiry on his identification > with the body. In this inquiry he came to see that, in fact, he was > not the body. > > Ramana taught again and again that misidentification with the body > was the chief misidentification, and if this be cleared up, then > spiritual freedom comes. > > The 'conclusion' of this inquiry was Self-Knowledge: "So I am the > Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the Spirit that > transcends it cannot be touched by death. That means I am the > deathless Spirit" > > This Self-Knowledge remained after this, always. > > So Ramana's own practice was this discriminative inquiry. It was > not 'standing in the quiet' or any such as that. His own story, I > think, provides great guidance to the seeker: find out for yourself, > are you the body? If you are not the body, then just who are you? > Keep this up until Self-Knowledge comes. If there is even the hint of > body identification or identification with as some kind of > individual, then keep inquiring. If, in inquiry, I notice the sense > that I am 'this person' or in 'this location' then I understand this > is just body identification, and though I have asked "Who am I? Am I > this body?" in many forms, for a number of years now, I know that I > have to keep asking, investigating, inquiring, discriminating the > Real from the unreal. How can I be the unreal? > > This story gives straight forward guidance. If we listen carefully, > contemplate deeply, and meditate to see the Truth within. > > Not two, > Richard > > PracticeofSelfInquiry, "Xan" <xanma9> > wrote: > > > > . > > It was about the middle of the year 1896; Venkataraman was > seventeen > > then. One day he was sitting up alone on the first floor of his > > uncle's house. He was in his usual health. There was nothing wrong > > with it. But a sudden and unmistakable fear of death took hold of > > him. He felt he was going to die. Why this feeling should have come > > to him he did not know. > > > > The feeling of impending death, however, did not unnerve him. He > > calmly thought about what he should do. He said to himself, "Now, > > death has come. What does it mean? What is it that is dying? This > > body dies." Immediately thereafter he lay down stretching his limbs > > out and holding them stiff as though rigor mortis had set in. He > > held his breath and kept his lips tightly closed, so that to all > > outward appearance his body resembled a corpse. Now, what would > > happen? > > > > This was what he thought : "Well, this body is now dead. It will be > > carried to the burning ground and there burnt and reduced to ashes. > > But with the death, of this body am I dead? Is the body I? This > body > > is silent and inert. But I feel the full force of my personality > and > > even the voice of the 'I' within me, apart from it. So I am the > > Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the Spirit that > > transcends it cannot be touched by death. That means I am the > > deathless Spirit". > > > > As Bhagavan Sri Ramana narrated this experience later on for the > > benefit of his devotees it looked as though this was a process of > > reasoning. But he took care to explain that this was not so. The > > realization came to him in a flash. He perceived the truth > > directly. 'I' was something very real, the only real thing. Fear of > > death had vanished once and for all. > > > > From then on, 'I' continued like the fundamental sruti note that > > underlies and blends with all the other notes. Thus young > > Venkataraman found himself on the peak of spirituality without any > > arduous or prolonged sadhana. The ego was lost in the flood of Self- > > awareness. > > > > from www.ramana-maharshi.org > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.