PLACE OF PRACTICE IN ADVAITA VEDANTA - Ramana Maharshi on Jnana and Bhakti

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Excerpts from the book 'SPIRITUAL ISTRUCTION' (Chapter II -Abhyasa)

of Shri Ramana Maharshi:

 

 

QUESTION 9: What is the end of devotion (bhakti) and the path of

Siddhanta (i.e. Saiva Siddhanta).

 

BHAGAVAN SHRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: It is to learn the truth that all

one's actions performed with unselfish devotion, with the aid of the

three purified instruments (body, speech and mind), in the capacity

of the servant of the Lord, become the Lord's actions, and to stand

forth free from the sense of 'I' and 'mine'. This is also the truth

of what the Saiva Siddhantins call parabhakti (supreme devotion) or

living in the service of God (irai-pani-nittral).

 

 

QUESTION 10: What is the end of the path of knowledge (jnana) or

Vedanta?

 

BHAGAVAN SHRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: It is to know the truth that the 'I'

is not different from the Lord (Ishwara) and to be free from the

feeling of being the doer (kartritva, ahamkara).

 

 

QUESTION 11: How can it be said that the end of both these paths is

the same?

 

BHAGAVAN SHRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: Whatever the means, the destruction of

the sense 'I' and 'mine' is the goal, and as these are

interdependent, the destruction of either of them causes the

destruction of the other; therefore in order to achieve that state of

silence which is beyond thought and word, either the path of

knowledge which removes the sense of 'I' or the path of devotion

which removes the sense of 'mine', will suffice. So there is no doubt

that the end of the paths of devotion and knowledge is one and the

same.

 

 

Warm regards,

Chittaranjan

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

The title of the previous post was 'PLACE OF PRACTICE IN ADVAITA

VEDANTA - Ramana Maharshi on Jnana and Bhakti', but somehow the tail

words 'and Bhakti' has got truncated. Now, it seems such a waste of a

post to say this much only, so I add the following question and

answer from the same book of Shri Ramana Maharshi:

 

 

QUESTION: Is the state of 'being still' a state involving effort or

effortless?

 

BHAGAVAN SHRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: It is not an effortless state of

indolence. All mundane activities which are ordinarily called effort

are performed with the aid of a portion of the mind and with frequent

breaks. But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or

remaining still inwardly is intense activity which is performed with

the entire mind and without break.

Maya (delusion or ignorance) which cannot be destroyed by any other

act is completely destroyed by this intense activity which is

called 'silence' (mauna).

 

 

Warm regards,

Chittaranjan