Ramana Maharshi - the first steps to spiritual practice

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Vicki,

 

Glad to see this post. I think this comment for "beginners" probably

applies to most western seekers, certainly to most American eekers).

My teacher, Nome at SAT in California, teaches standing in Self-

Realization, and teaches very much from Ramana'a teachings. He says

that many places in Ramana's teaching one can see Ramana saying that

the mis-identification with the body is the primary misidentification

for most people.

 

I have been meditating on this for some time now: to see what passes

(or changes, jada) as not real, and to see what does not change

(chit) as real. This meditation is really one of discrimination. I

have a sense that this meditation is a productive approach for me,

and for others who want to find a way to deepen their practice.

 

For myself, I am sure that my practice is still in the first steps,

even though I have been practicing for years. The step of knowing

that my existence is not bound by the phenomena of the body (senses,

mind, world, prajna, mental states like waking/sleep/dreamless sleep)

seems a BIG step. I know that this step is one in the right

direction for realization, though.

 

RamanaMaharshi, "viorica weissman" <viorica@z...> wrote:

>

> Q : What are the first steps to spiritual practice ?

>

> Maharshi :

> In the beginning , people have to be told that they are not

the body

> because they think they are only the body , whereas they are

> the body and everything else.

>

> The body is only a part. The aspirant should know this firmly .

>

> He must first discern chit [ the sentient ] from jada [ the

insentient ]

> and be the chit only . Later let him realize that jada is

nothing other than

> chit. This is discrimination . The initial viveka

[discrimination] must

> persist to the end , and its fruit is moksha [ liberation] .

>

>

> from Conscious Immortality

>

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