Sri Ramana Maharshi

[Guest guest]

Krishna Bhikshu (speaking of the Sage of Arunachala)

 

I asked Bhagavan: "Bhagavan, kindly show me a good

path.What are you doing now ?" he asked. "When I am

in the right mood, I sing the songs of

Tyagaraja and I recite the holy Gayatri. I was also

doing some pranayama but these breathing exercises

have upset my health."

 

"You had better stop them. But never give up the

Advaita Dristhi (non dual vision)." At that time I

could not understand his words.

 

I went to Benares for a month, returned to Pondicherry

and spent five months there. Wherever I would go

people would find some fault or other with me:

"You are too weak, not fit for yoga, you do not know

how to concentrate, you cannot hold your breath, you

are unable to fast, you need too much sleep,

you cannot keep vigils, you must surrender all your

property . . ." Only Bhagavan asked for nothing, found

fault with nothing. As a matter of truth, there was

nothing in me that entitled me to his grace. But it

did not matter with Bhagavan. He wanted me, not my

goodness. It was enough to tell him "I am yours", and

for him to do the rest. In that way he was

unsurpassed.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

advaitin, Harsha <harshaimtm> wrote:

> Krishna Bhikshu (speaking of the Sage of Arunachala)

Only Bhagavan asked for nothing, found

> fault with nothing. As a matter of truth, there was

> nothing in me that entitled me to his grace. But it

> did not matter with Bhagavan. He wanted me, not my

> goodness. It was enough to tell him "I am yours", and

> for him to do the rest. In that way he was

> unsurpassed.

 

Namaste,

 

Some more Gems:

 

http://www.sentient.org/maharshi/janfeb02.htm

 

Meditation

By S. S. Cohen

 

"....Bhagavan: Patanjali's first sutras are indeed the climax of all

systems of Yoga. All yogas aim at the cessation of the vritti

(modification of the mind). This can be brought about in the variety

of ways mentioned in the scriptures through mind control, which frees

consciousness from all thoughts and keeps it pure. Effort is

necessary. In fact effort is itself yoga.

 

Visitor: I am taught that Mantra Japam is very potent in practice.

 

Bhagavan: The Self is the greatest of all mantras and goes on

automatically and eternally. If you are not aware of this internal

mantra, you should take to it consciously as japam, which is attended

with effort, to ward off all other thoughts. By constant attention to

it, you will eventually become aware of the internal mantra, which is

the state of Realization and is effortless. Firmness in this

awareness will keep you continually and effortlessly in the current,

however much you may be engaged in other activities. Listening to

Vedic chanting and mantras has the same result as conscious

repetitions of japam — its rhythm is the japam.

 

Visitor: As far as I can see it, it is impossible to realize the Self

until one has completely succeeded in preventing the rushing

thoughts. Am I right?

 

Bhagavan: Not exactly. You do not need to prevent other thoughts. In

deep sleep you are entirely free from thoughts, because the `I-

thought' is absent. The moment the `I-thought' rises on waking, all

other thoughts rush out spontaneously. The wisest thing for one to do

is therefore to catch hold of this leading thought, the `I-thought',

and dissect it — who and what it is —giving thereby no chance to

other thoughts to distract one. There lies the true value of the

vichara and its efficacy in mind control. "

 

— from Guru Ramana, Chapt. XI, Meditation

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Another gem from Ramana Maharishi and a note on Ekagratha

 

As for Sadhana, there are many methods. You may do Vichara, asking

yourself "Who am I?" or if that does not appeal to you, you may do

Dhyana or you may concentrate on a Mantra or name in Japa. The

object is to make the mind one-pointed , to concentrate it on one

thought and thus exclude our many thoughts, and if we do this,

eventuallly even the one thought will go and the mind will get

extinguished in its source.

(from the book "Day by Day with Bhagavan")

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

 

P.S. A note

one-pointedness - In Sanskrit, this is called ekagrata. Eka

means "one," agra means "point" or "edge."

One-pointedness" is a very vivid expression, because it assumes

quite accurately that the mind is an internal instrument which can

either be brought to a single, powerful focus or left diffuse.

Light, as you know, can be focused into an intense beam through the

use of reflectors. But if holes and cracks lace the reflecting

surface, the light will spill out in all directions. Similarly, when

the mind is diffuse and many-pointed, it cannot be effective. The

mental powers are divided up, and less remains available for the

task at hand.

(http://www.nilgiri.org/Html/Books_Audios_Videos/Meditation/attention

_ex1.html)