attention to the source of the aham-shurana

[Guest guest]

Bhagavan in a letter to Ganapati Muni:

 

When the mind, having pure sattva as its

characteristic remains attending to the

aham-sphurana, which is the sign of the forthcoming

direct experience of the Self, the downfacing heart

becomes upward facing, blossoms and remains in

the form of that (the Self); (because of this) the aforesaid

attention to the source of the aham-sphurana alone is the

path. When thus attented to, Self, the reality, alone will

remain shining in the centre of the Heart as 'I am I'

 

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Michael Spenser: Sri Bhagavan's Letter to

Ganapati Muni

in: The Mountain Path, 1982

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Comment by Michael Spenser:

 

After describing the Heart as being a downward-facing

lily-bud that exists two digits to the right from the centre of

the chest, Sri Bhagavan says that by attending to the

source of the aham-sphurana, this lily-bud will be made to

face upwards and blossom. In this context it is worth noting

that in Spiritual Instruction (Chapter 2, Question 9) Sri Bhagavan

explains that although the Heart is described in this way in these

two verses, the true import of the word Heart (hridayam) is only

the Self in which there are no differences such as 'in' and 'out'

or 'up' and 'down'.

 

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Talk 159:

Disciple:

What is the hridaya and what the sphurana therein? How do they

appear?

 

Maharshi:

The hridaya and the sphurana are the same as the Self. The

sphurana requires a basis for its manifestation. This is explained

in the book.

 

Disciple:

How does the sphurana appear - as light, movement, or what?

 

Maharshi:

How can it be described in words? It includes all these - It is

the Self. Fix your attention on it and do not let go the idea of its

ultimate character.

 

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Maharshi:

All that you can say of the Heart is that it is the very Core of your

being, that with which you are really identical (as the word in Sanskrit

literally means), whether you are awak, asleep or dreaming, whatever

you are engaged in work or immersed in Samadhi.

 

.......

 

Truly speaking, pure Consciousness is indivisible, it is without parts.

It has no form and shape, no 'within' and 'without'. There is no 'right'

or 'left' for it. Pure Consciousness, which is the Heart, includes all;

and nothing is outside or apart from it. That is the ultimate Truth.

 

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from Maharshi's Gospel

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