Ramana Gita I,

[Guest guest]

Verse 9

After hearing my questions, my guru, the repository of mercy,

Bhagavan Sri Ramanan Rishi, dispeller of doubts, replies thus:

[i repeat the questions to the answers.]

 

Verse 4

Will the discrimitation between the 'Real' and the 'Unreal'

itself be enough to liberate? Or is there any other spiritual

practice for it?

 

Verse 10

Self-abidance alone can release one from all bondage.

However, the discrimination between the 'Real' and 'Unreal' leads

to distaste for the transient.

 

[last sentence in the Ramanasramamam-edition:

Discrimination between the real and the unreal leads to

non-attachment.]

 

Commentary

This reply to the first question is categoric. It is only the fire of

knowledge which can burn away karma and liberate. Such knowledge

would be firm only if based on experience, based on Self-abidance.

Does it mean that the discrimination between 'Real' and 'Unreal',

which is a time-honoured spiritual practice, is of no use? The answer is

'No'. Because, bondage is born of attachment to the pleasureable and

dislike for the unpleasant. The discrimination aforesaid produces a

firm intellectual conviction of the lack of value of all things transient.

It therefore ripens the mind for single minded pursuit of the effort

necessary for Self-abidance. A clarification given by Ramana to a

question is worth noting. He says that "an examination of the ephemeral

nature of external phenmena leads to 'vairagya'."

Hence this discrimination is "the first step to be taken and will result

in contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure etc. The 'I'-thought becomes

clearer for inspection."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ramana Gita, transl. and commentary by A.R. Natarajan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Gabriele,

 

Thank you for this post. The primary role of Self-knowledge in

liberation is clear.

 

For my own practice, the negation inquiry that I had done for the

last year was most important. What is happening during this negation

is really discrimination. The internal view of this negation is, "Is

this who I am?" "No, it is objective to me." Then one can commence

with "For whom is this?" or "Who knows this?" and then return to the

inquiry, "Who am I?"

 

Froim my own practice I am starting to see that detachment and then

renunciation really come from this discrimination.

 

First one starts to see what is real and what is tranisient. Then

naturally the detachment from what is transient begins. It takes no

effort. The Self-knowledge that has grown through the discrimination

makes this process one that is natural, and without (ego) effort.

 

We are Not two,

Richard

 

 

RamanaMaharshi, "Gabriele Ebert" <g.ebert@g...> wrote:

> Verse 9

> Hence this discrimination is "the first step to be taken and will

result

> in contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure etc. The 'I'-thought

becomes

> clearer for inspection."

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Ramana Gita, transl. and commentary by A.R. Natarajan

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

>

>

>

>

>