Dakshinamurti and Bhagavan - 2

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heaven to earth.' In this verse Bhagavan goes straight to the heart of

our dilemma as human beings. Who is it really who is conscious? Who

knows that they exist? What is this knowledge which streams forth

from an impenetrable region of the intellect which reveals us who we

are? What is also interesting here, is Bhagavan's statement that the

reason for Arunachala's existence is to shine forth conveying by

silence the transcendent state of being. Bhagavan states that Siva

appeared in the form of Dakshinamurti in order to teach the sons of

Brahma - Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanathkumara and Sanatsujata: "They

desired guidance for realisation of the Self. They were the best

equipped individuals for Self-Realisation. Guidance should be only

from the best of Masters. Who could it be but Siva - the yogiraja.

Siva appeared before them sitting under the sacred banyan

tree. Being yogiraja should He practice yoga? He went into samadhi as

He sat; He was in Perfect Repose. Silence prevailed. They saw Him.

The effect was immediate. They fell into samadhi and their doubts

were at an end."(Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramanasramam,

Talk No.569.). In short, we associate the non-dual realisation - the

advaitic tradition - with Dakshinamurthi because the ultimate truth

cannot be conveyed in words or concepts. It is in silence that we

hear the truth. Dakshinamurti epitomises that act of potent silence

which awakens jnana in us. For the many who have experienced the

grace of Bhagavan's silence this is perfectly understood. Once we

have tasted this mysterious, addictive silence we realise it is what

we have always been seeking: it resolves the conflicts of the mind;

it heals the heart. It is the true north which guides us home. What

we are meant to

understand from the legend of Dakshinamurti is that we too are 'sons

of Brahma' - we too are a blend of desires and like those four mythic

sons we seek understanding. We all stand in wonder before this

singular hill which stands silent, inspirational and entirely

distinct from the other hills on the plain. We wonder how it is

possible to come into contact with this divine mystery. Up close it

is a paradox: it intimidates us with its stern aloofness and yet its

mild slopes invite us to come closer. It appears to be an inert pile

of rock and yet exerts a subtle and energetic influence on all of us.

In the end, intellect and the power of articulation are defeated and

we are led to crucial insight: we slowly begin to appreciate that

concepts are not important - it does not matter how much knowledge we

acquire, Arunachala will strike us dumb each time we attempt to

identify it with a thought or feeling. The best approach is a quiet

mind because we can then, free of concepts,

identify with this universal consciousness, which by some miracle

beyond human understanding, has manifested itself as an edifice of

rock. Bhagavan told us that Arunachala was his guru. It was

Arunachala that opened the eyes of the young Venkataraman and

absorbed him into its sacred mystery. Bhagavan moved down from

Skandasramam in 1922 to what is the present day site of the ashram.

The coincidence of choosing the southern side of Arunachala for his

abode is intriguing in the context of Dakshinamurti traditionally

facing south. Near the ashram is the small, rare shrine dedicated to

Dakshinamurti. And though we should not read too much into it, in the

Old Hall and other places where he lived, Bhagavan sat facing more or

less south giving darshan. Bhagavan was so identified with Arunachala

and the expression of its sakti as Dakshinamurti he was spontaneously

in accord with its expression. Bhagavan quoted quite often from the

Dakshinamurti Stotra composed by Sankara, which was his very first

translation from Sanskrit into Tamil during his Virupaksha days. In

the invocatory verse which he composed for his translation he wrote:

" That Sankara who came as Dakshinamurti to grant peace to the great

ascetics, who revealed his true state of silence, and who has

expounded the nature of the Self in this hymn, abides in me." This is

a very clear and definite statement about how Bhagavan saw his role as

a guru. The manner of Bhagavan's teaching 'method' is consonant with

Dakshinamurti. He taught in silence. Let us listen in silence.

Unquote Source : Mountain Path Vol.43,No.2 ; Editor & Publisher

V.S.Ramanan, Sri Ramanasramam P.O, Tiruvannamalai. email:

m_path (AT) ramana-maharshi (DOT) org . (Please note that the passage quoted

above is only an excerpt and not the full editorial. I humbly suggest

that we all should read this editorial in its entirety). Shri

ramaNaarpaNamasthu

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