The Need for Rememberance

[Guest guest]

The Need For Rememberance

>From Joel Goldsmith

 

If truth is not actively maintained in consciousness, life becomes

one of futility, a waiting for something to happen. The

hoped-for and long-awaited spiritual awakening, which many people

desire, but towards attainment of which they make no

effort, does not happen except perhaps once in a hundred years, or

possibly to one out of a million persons - and even then,

as we know from the history of many to whom it has happened, it is of

no value, because it came unexpectedly without

understanding and without any idea or knowledge of how to recapture

it ......

 

The degree in which truth is kept active in consciousness determines

not only the degree of our ultimate spiritual illumination,

but the time of it. It could be tomorrow, next week, next month or

next year; but that moment we determine by whether or not

truth is kept active in our consciousness for an hour on Sunday, an

hour every day, two or three minutes out of every hour in the

day, or ultimately with almost every breath we breathe. It is

possible to 'pray without ceasing' if we know the inspired passages

of Scripture and those of mystical or metaphysical writings, if we

are willing to remember to apply them, and, above all, if we are

able to overcome the inertia of the human mind.

 

(Our Spiritual Resources, pp. 104-106, Allen & Unwin.)

this appeared in The Mountain Path; July 1964.

[Guest guest]

Miles shared:

~~ The Need For Rememberance

~~ From Joel Goldsmith

 

~~ If truth is not actively maintained in consciousness,

~~ life becomes one of futility, a waiting for something

~~ to happen. The hoped-for and long-awaited spiritual

~~ awakening, which many people desire, but towards

~~ attainment of which they make no effort, does not

~~ happen except perhaps once in a hundred years, or

~~ possibly to one out of a million persons - and even

~~ then, as we know from the history of many to whom

~~ it has happened, it is of no value, because it came

~~ unexpectedly without understanding and without

~~ any idea or knowledge of how to recapture it ......

 

~~ The degree in which truth is kept active in

~~ consciousness determines not only the degree of

~~ our ultimate spiritual illumination, but the time of it.

~~ It could be tomorrow, next week, next month or next

~~ year; but that moment we determine by whether or not

~~ truth is kept active in our consciousness for an hour

~~ on Sunday, an hour every day, two or three minutes

~~ out of every hour in the day, or ultimately with

~~ almost every breath we breathe. It is possible

~~ to 'pray without ceasing' if we know the inspired

~~ passages of Scripture and those of mystical or

~~ metaphysical writings, if we are willing to remember

~~ to apply them, and, above all, if we are able to

~~ overcome the inertia of the human mind.

 

 

~ Gadzooks! Is this a valiant rallying call for the doer

~ or what? Reminds me of elementary management:

~ 'if a would-be objective doesn't have a target

~ completion date, then it's not a true objective.'

 

~ In any event, it gives us a yardstick for measuring

~ progress: the extent to which inspired scripture is

~ committed to memory, coupled with the frequency

~ and duration of its tenure in consciousness.

 

~ But at least we don't have to feel bad when we

~ don't make it, as possibly only one in a million attains,

~ and most of them don't know the formula to repeat

~ the experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> ~ 'if a would-be objective doesn't have a target

> ~ completion date, then it's not a true objective.'

 

Sounds about right. What's to fear here?

Targets set are guides or milestones. For the seeker this in itself

can be a valuable exercise both positive and negative. The fear

belongs to the teacher who worries that his student might see through

him and the student who is too lazy or scared to immerse himself. In

this instance the idea of a target is avoided like the plague.

 

> ~ In any event, it gives us a yardstick for measuring

> ~ progress: the extent to which inspired scripture is

> ~ committed to memory, coupled with the frequency

> ~ and duration of its tenure in consciousness.

 

I don't think that's what Joel Goldsmith meant. But even if he did

mean that what is the problem with appealing to tradition for

inspiration? Ramana used traditional sources frequently. Are we

unable to do the same?

 

> ~ But at least we don't have to feel bad when we

> ~ don't make it, as possibly only one in a million attains,

> ~ and most of them don't know the formula to repeat

> ~ the experience.

 

If you read more carefully you will see that the statement made by

Joel Goldsmith refers to those who make NO effort. i.e. without

effort you'll perhaps catch a glimpse of the Self but you'll not

understand why it happened or how it happened or if it happened or if

it'll happen again.

 

namaste, Bhed

[Guest guest]

imho, if there's no goal, there's no arriving there, and there's no failure ....

since arriving at a goal would be the same as getting nowhere, it seems much

more purposeful to forget the need for goals entirely

 

namaste,

gordon

 

there's nowhere to go and nothing to do - everything we need to know is inside

us

 

new discussion group: The Essence of One

one_essence

 

 

-

bhedabheda

RamanaMaharshi

Sunday, February 18, 2001 2:58 PM

[RamanaMaharshi] Re: The Need for Rememberance

 

 

> ~ 'if a would-be objective doesn't have a target

> ~ completion date, then it's not a true objective.'

 

Sounds about right. What's to fear here?

Targets set are guides or milestones. For the seeker this in itself

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Gordon,

 

> Gordon wrote:

>> imho, if there's no goal, there's no arriving there, and there's no failure

>> .... since arriving at a goal would be the same as getting nowhere, it seems

>> much more purposeful to forget the need for goals entirely

>> namaste,

>> gordon

>> there's nowhere to go and nothing to do - everything we need to know is

>> inside

>> us

 

However...(at the risk of being untrendy)

 

There is the goal : the experience of the non-dual Self.

There is the means : Atmavicara, Self-Enquiry.

 

While we ARE the Self, for it alone is, ignorance causes us to imagine we

have not realised it.

 

The following extract is taken from the introduction to Self Enquiry:

 

> The plenary experience of the non-dual Self is the goal; enquiry into the

> nature of the self is the means. When the mind identifies the self with the

> not-self (the body, etc.), there is bondage; when this wrong identification is

> removed through the enquiry 'Who am I ?' there is release. Thus, Self-enquiry

> is the direct path taught by Bhagavan Ramana. The 'I'-experience is common to

> all. Of all thoughts, the 'I'-thought is the first to arise. What one has to

> do is to enquire into the source of the 'I'-thought. This is the reverse

> process of what ordinarily happens in the life of the mind. The mind enquires

> into the constitution and source of everything else which, on examination,

> will be found to be its own projection; it does not reflect on itself and

> trace itself to its source. Self-discovery can be achieved by giving the mind

> an inward turn. This is not to be confused with the introspection of which the

> psychologists speak. Self-enquiry is not the mind's inspection of its own

> contents; it is tracing the mind's first mode, the 'I'-thought to its source

> which is the Self. When there is proper and persistent enquiry, the

> 'I'-thought also ceases and there is the wordless illumination of the form

> 'I'-'I' which is the pure consciousness. This is release, freedom from

> bondage. The method by which this is accomplished, as has been shown, is

> enquiry which, in Vedanta, is termed jnana, knowledge.

 

Realisation is possible here... now... in this life. Of that, there is

absolutely no doubt!!!

Take up the Means!! Reach the Goal!!

 

Regards

Miles

---------

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhed,

 

> If you read more carefully you will see that the statement made by

> Joel Goldsmith refers to those who make NO effort. i.e. without

> effort you'll perhaps catch a glimpse of the Self but you'll not

> understand why it happened or how it happened or if it happened or if

> it'll happen again. namaste, Bhed

 

True.

By constant practice of atmavicara the mind sinks readily, with true

knowledge, in its source. The shepherd's search for the lamb believed lost,

which is all the time lying over his shoulders and not lost, is still a

search after all. Although close, without the search the lamb remains lost.

(see reference to 'shepherd' below)

 

>From Self Enquiry:

 

"M: The jiva itself is Shiva; Shiva Himself is the jiva. It is true that the

jiva is no other than Shiva. When the grain is hidden inside the husk, it is

called paddy; when it is de-husked, it is called rice. Similarly, so long as

one is bound by karma one remains a jiva; when the bond of ignorance is

broken, one shines as Shiva, the Deity. Thus declares a scriptural text.

Accordingly, the jiva which is mind is in reality the pure Self; but,

forgetting this truth, it imagines itself to be an individual soul and gets

bound in the shape of mind. So its search for the Self, which is itself, is

like the search for the sheep by the shepherd. But still, the jiva which has

forgotten its self will not become the Self through mere mediate knowledge.

By the impediment caused by the residual impressions gathered in previous

births, the jiva forgets again and again its identity with the Self, and

gets deceived, identifying itself with the body, etc. Will a person become a

high officer by merely looking at him? Is it not by steady effort in that

direction that he could become a highly placed officer? Similarly, the jiva,

which is in bondage through mental identification with the body, etc.,

should put forth effort in the form of reflection on the Self, in a gradual

and sustained manner; and when thus the mind gets destroyed, the jiva would

become the Self*.

The reflection on the Self which is thus practised constantly will destroy

the mind, and thereafter will destroy itself like the stick that is used to

kindle the cinders burning a corpse. It is this state that is called

release.

 

(* Though the obstacles which cause the bondage of birth may be many, the

root-cause for all such changes is ahankara. This root-cause must be

destroyed for ever.- Vivekachudamani.)"

 

Regards

Miles