How to adjust to the pace of modern life?

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

I am a bit worried about a problem relating to meditation. First,

when I have time to meditate longer, I feel I am progressing, my

identity may wanish for short periods, I may be filled with peace and

bliss. But the return to normal life Western style is often very

painful, because my mind slows down to such an extent, that the pace

of life around me feel acutely painful. I feel oversensitive, too

slow and unwilling to communicate. Actually, any kind of talking

feels pretty unnecessary, after the lucidity one has experienced

during meditation. I start to wish I would be living in an Indian

village of Ramana Maharshi´s time, when the stimulus-input level

was far lower than nowadays, and life very simple.

 

So, my question is: How to manage a spiritual life in the West

nowadays? Is withdrawing into solitude as Paul Brunton did in his

later years the only answer? Would Ramana Maharshi, if he lived at

present, still exhort his followers not to renounce the world?

[Guest guest]

Hello Marianne,

 

Nothing is as it appears...It is not renouncing the world, per se, but

rather a mental renunciation, not being fooled by appearances/maya; not

taking the acting and actors in the 'dream' as 'real'.

 

The world (and all it beholds), is none other than the Self playing all the

parts in a myriad disguises. No aversion, no preference. There is only One

and we are that : )

 

 

Love,

jessica

 

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-

<Marianne.Uhrendorf

<RamanaMaharshi>

Saturday, August 04, 2001 10:06 AM

[RamanaMaharshi] How to adjust to the pace of modern life?

 

 

Hello,

 

I am a bit worried about a problem relating to meditation. First,

when I have time to meditate longer, I feel I am progressing, my

identity may wanish for short periods, I may be filled with peace and

bliss. But the return to normal life Western style is often very

painful, because my mind slows down to such an extent, that the pace

of life around me feel acutely painful. I feel oversensitive, too

slow and unwilling to communicate. Actually, any kind of talking

feels pretty unnecessary, after the lucidity one has experienced

during meditation. I start to wish I would be living in an Indian

village of Ramana Maharshi´s time, when the stimulus-input level

was far lower than nowadays, and life very simple.

 

So, my question is: How to manage a spiritual life in the West

nowadays? Is withdrawing into solitude as Paul Brunton did in his

later years the only answer? Would Ramana Maharshi, if he lived at

present, still exhort his followers not to renounce the world?

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachalaramanaya

****************************************

 

 

 

 

Marianne,

 

Greetings and love to you.

 

One of the most importent things to remember is you are

not your body that includes mind that includes emotions, thoughts,

memories.

 

You are not responsible for the feeling of being

oversensitive.

 

As for going to live in solitude, if the prarabdha karma

of the body is to live in solitude it will happen no matter what, if

it is to live in the middle of New York city then that will happen no

matter what.

 

The thing to remember is you are not the body but the

Self which is present equally in the city or in solitude.

 

Try not to confine meditation(enquiry) to set times but

continue it throughout day and night. Continue to enquire even when

activites are happening.

 

 

Yours in Sri Ramana,

Adam

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- In RamanaMaharshi, Marianne.Uhrendorf@s... wrote:

> Hello,

>

> I am a bit worried about a problem relating to meditation. First,

> when I have time to meditate longer, I feel I am progressing, my

> identity may wanish for short periods, I may be filled with peace

and

> bliss. But the return to normal life Western style is often very

> painful, because my mind slows down to such an extent, that the

pace

> of life around me feel acutely painful. I feel oversensitive, too

> slow and unwilling to communicate. Actually, any kind of talking

> feels pretty unnecessary, after the lucidity one has experienced

> during meditation. I start to wish I would be living in an Indian

> village of Ramana Maharshi´s time, when the stimulus-input level

> was far lower than nowadays, and life very simple.

>

> So, my question is: How to manage a spiritual life in the West

> nowadays? Is withdrawing into solitude as Paul Brunton did in his

> later years the only answer? Would Ramana Maharshi, if he lived at

> present, still exhort his followers not to renounce the world?

[Guest guest]

Hello Marianne,

 

> So, my question is: How to manage a spiritual life in the West

> nowadays? Is withdrawing into solitude as Paul Brunton did in his

> later years the only answer? Would Ramana Maharshi, if he lived at

> present, still exhort his followers not to renounce the world?

 

This is a reply Sri Bhagavan gave to a similar question. I trust it will

help.

 

"You may remain where you are and go on with the work. What is the

undercurrent which vivifies the mind, enables it to do all this work? It is

the Self. So that is the real source of your activity. Simply be aware of it

during your work and do not forget it. Contemplate in the background of your

mind even whilst working. To do that, do not hurry, take your own time. Keep

the remembrance of your real nature alive, even while working, and avoid

haste which causes you to forget it. Be deliberate. Practice meditation to

still the mind and cause it to become aware of its true relationship to the

Self which supports it. Do not imagine it is you who are doing the work.

Think that it is the underlying current which is doing it. Identify yourself

with the current. If you work unhurriedly, recollectedly, your work or

service need not be a hindrance." (from Conscious Immortality)

 

Kind regards

Miles