Self Inquiry and the Heart

September 11, 2002

Dear Rob and Miles and All,

I want to continue this discussion from what I have learned over the

years from Nome. From what I have heard, Nome came to Realization in

his late teens the Ramana's teaching and specific practice of Self-

inquiry. I do not know much at all about his "story." He says that

he is not a person, so personal stories are not appropriate, so over

the years I have heard remarkably few of these stories. Self-inquiry

is the main practice taught at SAT.

In this teaching I have not seen any emphasis on the "Heart." Inquiry

is describes as "formless." This certainly fits with some of what is

recorded in Talk's about Ramana's teaching. For example, in Talks

#978 19 Nov 1935 it is written:

A gentleman for Ambala asked where the Heart is and what Realization

is.

M.: The Heart is not physical. It is spiritual. Hridayam = hrit +

ayam = this is the center. It is that from which thoughts arise, and

on which they subsist and where they are resolved. The thoughts are

the content of the mind and, they shape the universe. The Heart is

center of all. …

D.: How to realize the Heart?

M.: There is no one who even for a trice fails to experience the

Self, for no one admits that he stands apart from the Self. He is the

Self. The Self is the Heart.

D.: It is not clear.

M.: In deep sleep you exist; awake you remain. The same Self is in

both states. The difference is only in the awareness and nonawareness

of the world. The world rises with the mind and sets with the mind.

That which rises and sets is not the Self. The Self is different,

giving rise to the mind, sustaining it and resolving it. So the Self

is the underlying principle.

When asked who you are, you place your hand of the right side of the

breast and say `I am'. There you involuntarily point our the Self.

The Self is thus known. But the individual is miserable because he

confounds the mind and the body with the Self. This confusion is due

to wrong knowledge. Elimination of the wrong knowledge is alone

needed. Such elimination results in Realization.

So while this talks about the Hridayam, Ramana says that "Elimination

of the wrong knowledge is _alone_ needed." This, I have been taught,

is an invitation to practice, and discrimination of who you are and

who you are not is key to this practice. Ramana goes so far as to say

that "Such elimination results in Realization."

I spent several years using the right-hand-side-of-the chest "heart

center" as a focus in my inquiry. Certainly the sensation from this

center is the most constant `sensation' that comes from this body.

After years of practice I started to see that this physical heart

center, nice as it is, is something objective. It is something seen.

Who I am is much closer to the one who knows the seeing that that

which is seen. I my practice, moving past the Heart focus, and into

a period of discrimination and negation, then inquiry seems to be

bringing me deeper in practice. When I ask questions to Nome about

my practice, he has been generally encouraging – as long as it gets

to "Who am I?" He also talks of the progressive sense of `space'

created as the seeker inquires their way through misidentifications.

For more on this, I suggest that you read "Who am I?" the all-text

version was, from what I understand the only version actually edited

by Ramana. This is the once that I used for the commentary and

practice notes to who am I? that I contributed to this group. As I

read "Who am I?" I see the same encouragement for the seeker for

discrimination as a key element of the practice.

Paragraphs 2 and 3:

"Who am I?" I am not this physical body, nor am I the five organs of

sense perception, I am not the five organs of external activity, nor

am I the five vital forces, nor am I even the thinking Mind. Neither

am I that unconscious state of nescience which retains merely the

subtle vasanas (latencies of the mind) which being free from the

functional activity of the sense organs and of the mind, and being

unaware of the existence of the objects of sense perception.

Therefore, summarily rejecting all the above-mentioned physical

adjuncts and their functions, saying "I am not this; no, nor am I

this, nor this" — that which remains separate and alone by itself,

that pure Awareness is what I am. This Awareness is by its very

nature Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss).

Nome says that Knowledge alone bring Realization. Ramana taught how

to find that Knowledge for ones self. To find the Self for (really

as) ones self.

I write this as a seeker, though, not as one who stands in Self-

Realization, so much of my knowledge is "indirect" (that is, thrhogh

indirect means such as the mind). Ramana taught from "direct"

knowledge. Nome teaches from "direct" knowledge.

Someone who writes from more direct knowledge than I will be worth

listening to.

Your comments are appriciated, especially those that flow from your

own inquiry practice and your direct knowledge.

I think this is important to talk about. I feel fortunate to have a

live teacher, and this teaching has done much for my practice and my

life. If I can, I want to share it with those who are interested.

We are Not two,

Richard

September 12, 2002

om namo bhagavate sri ramanaya

Dear Richard,

> In this teaching I have not seen any emphasis on the "Heart." Inquiry

> is describes as "formless."

Formless/Formfull who cares? These dichotomies will resolve themselves.

Sri Ramana has said: 'The source of the 'I' is the Heart--the final goal.'

The easiest and most direct, 'the first and foremost step to be taken', is

enquiry. If one is not suited to Vicara, other means, such as meditation on

a 'centre' or 'neti neti' or pranayama etc., are adopted initially. The

Heart is the Self. That is the source of the mind. All else is mere

polemics.

> I spent several years using the right-hand-side-of-the chest "heart

> center" as a focus in my inquiry. Certainly the sensation from this

> center is the most constant `sensation' that comes from this body.

The irresistible pull of the Heart is not a sensation of mind. It is the

supreme continuity. While it can appear physical it is not reliant on the

physical. It is not objective. It becomes apparent when the contents of the

mind dissipate, when ego begins to lose hold. It is the original expression

of Self. If one can take to Self Enquiry this is the inevitable result.

Sri Ramana once said that He '...could feel the action of the physical heart

stopped and equally the action of the Heart-centre unimpaired. This state

lasted about a quarter of an hour.' Apparently '...some disciples have had

the privilege of feeling Sri Bhagavan's Heart-centre to be on the right by

placing their hands on Sri Bhagavan's chest.' (Talk 403)

>When I ask questions to Nome about

> my practice, he has been generally encouraging – as long as it gets

> to "Who am I?"

Indeed. This is the crux.

> I write this as a seeker, though, not as one who stands in Self-

> Realization, so much of my knowledge is "indirect" (that is, thrhogh

> indirect means such as the mind). Ramana taught from "direct"

> knowledge. Nome teaches from "direct" knowledge.

Direct/indirect - it makes no odds. Claims to directness or indirectness

just exacerbate the problem for the seeker. All that is necessary is to take

to Atmavicara ...

Ever Yours in Sri Bhagavan,

Miles

September 12, 2002

Dear Richard,

> I spent several years using the right-hand-side-of-the

> chest "heart center" as a focus in my inquiry.

> Certainly the sensation from this center is the most

> constant `sensation' that comes from this body.

> After years of practice I started to see that this physical

> heart center, nice as it is, is something objective.

> It is something seen.

Hurray, somebody did the experiment!

This is exactly what I imagined would happen. If you

try to focus on the heart center before it announces

itself, you take it (or take something) as an object.

The whole point of self-inquiry is to focus attention

(or try to focus attention) on the subject.

I think it probably makes a huge difference whether

you focus on the heart center before or after the

sphurana.

As Sri Ramana says in talks:

"Of course there is also the practice of meditation

on the heart centre. It is only a practice and not

investigation." (From article 131, which I just quoted

at greater length in another message.)

Best regards,

Rob

-

"Richard Clarke" <r_clarke

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 9:19 PM

[RamanaMaharshi] Self Inquiry and the Heart