Guest guest Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 I think there is no separate functionary like 'brain' other than mind. While practicing self - enquiry, sometimes to prevent thoughts involuntary physical effort is made which puts pressure on the brain leading to head ache. This happens involuntarily. Sometimes Enquiry goes on smoothly and thoughts subside easily without any pressure on brain. Whenever I have such heat or head ache I remeber Sri Bhagavan's words 'be still' or just ' be' and relaxe. The movement this comes to the mind pressure is eased on brain ( I feel that it is the grace coming from Bhagavan that brings the words to mind and the following relaxation correcting my approach). When enquiry goes on smoothly, I think it is an indication that mind is in the heart ( or becomes heart ). I do not know whether I conveyed effectively what I wanted to convey. Jai Sri Ramana Ramana Sarma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2002 Report Share Posted October 24, 2002 Dear Don, My teacher, Nome, teaches that the "direction" of self-inquiry is non- objective. So use of an objective focus can be a problem. What the seeker is trying to do in inquiry is to look beyond all objective thoughts, sensations, etc. That is difficult if the seeker is tied to some objective focus. The use of some such device may be good, though, as one is beginning one's practice, so that one can improve their concentration. Still one needs to then "point" one's inquiry beyond ANYTHING that can be percieved or thought, to the source of one's own sense of identity -- "From where does this sense of "I" arise" is one source of this inquiry. A basic approach for the inquirer can be called negation or discrimination. This uses the faculties of the mind to "point" beyond the mind. Ramana, in "Who am I?" says: Paragraph 2 "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. Paragraph 3 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). The basic idea is this: Who you are must always be true. Who you are is always present. So to be who you are, all that is needed is to remove those false ideas that obscure your real identity. These obstructions are composed of your mis-identifiactions, where you have projected your identity onto some objective thing or some thought or set of thoughts. We are Not two, Richard RamanaMaharshi, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs> wrote: > Dear fellow Enquirers , eveyone will find a different way of opening the Heart > for Enquiry .Ramana suggested - find that way which is easiest for you .All we can do is share our > approaches and see what appeals .From my own experienc I know Self Enquiry is not cerebral .For > probing , diving , plunging into the heart , I first collect attention and focus - like a good > artist would do before drawing an object or concentrate on an object like the blue wick of a lit > candle .Then this focus which seems to come for me from the chakra between the brows {pineal > gland] moves down to the right side of the chest like a laser beam of attention .This is picked > up by the pulsation or energy centre there and taken deeper into the heart where there is no > centre .This energy {heart energy } then tries to reach the source of the' I - Thought Complex > 'and with a questioning intention or attentiveness probe single pointedly as deep as it can .No > answer or result is expected . The effort is the answer as this gradually undermines the Spurious > I .My experience that this , with perseverence opens up understanding at a different level to the > conceptual mind .This is my approach , continually modified by the Sat Guru in My heart .It may > appeal to some - but one must find one's own way .Sometimes I combine this with breath retention. > Guidance is given in Ramana's Essays , Self Enquiry , Who Am I and Talks . etc. etc. The earnest > Enquirer can never fail eventually - Gurus Grace is always there, Love in Him Alan . --- > P.S.Please Richard what is theaddress of the site you mention - > > > <HR> > <html><body> > > > <tt> > Dear Don,<BR> > <BR> > May I suggest that you look in the "files" sections of this <BR> > newsgroup. I have posted a document, named something link "Who am I <BR> > with practice notes from a seeker."<BR> > <BR> > This takes you from the most basic teaching of Ramana (What is the <BR> > source of your happiness) to the deepest. In just a few pages. <BR> > <BR> > It might provide you with some practice insights and approaches. <BR> > <BR> > Keep asking questions of this group, too. There are contributors who <BR> > might have something to offer.<BR> > <BR> > We are Not two,<BR> > Richard<BR> > <BR> > RamanaMaharshi, "Don and Joanne" jodon@n... wrote:<BR> > > I'm not sure if this is anything like an answer, Alton, but maybe <BR> > some of my<BR> > > experiences as a beginner might provide some perspective on this. <BR> > And if<BR> > > anybody recognizes some of these bumblings around, and has some <BR> > tips I<BR> > > could use, I'd be really grateful.<BR> > > <BR> > > When I have done what I think of as concentrating with my brain, I<BR> > > experience a contracted concentration on the interior space which <BR> > seems to<BR> > > be in my head. Thinking about the ego consciousness located there, <BR> > I draw<BR> > > myself up into my head , and the energy flow in my body, <BR> > particularly up my<BR> > > spine is directed into this head space and focussed there, <BR> > resulting in a<BR> > > rapid buildup of pressure and heat because I'm blocking anything <BR> > going<BR> > > anywhere else. Really concentrating on my head- located ego <BR> > consciousness<BR> > > produces intense pressure, mild headache, often a ringing in my <BR> > ears, and<BR> > > at times even cracking and popping sounds in my skull joints. My <BR> > thoughts<BR> > > are very focussed, but not quieted. It's more like a stunning than <BR> > an<BR> > > awakening. The tension that accompanies this gets transmitted to <BR> > my whole<BR> > > body, and I feel hot all over.<BR> > > <BR> > > Concentrating with my heart, I experience an expanded attention to <BR> > a space<BR> > > which seems to include my entire body. This space is centered in <BR> > the region<BR> > > of my heart, and I attend to it with my heart. I'm not talking <BR> > about the<BR> > > meat pump in my chest. It's more like an energy center, and because <BR> > the<BR> > > interior space includes my physical body, the energy center matches <BR> > the<BR> > > outward space's organ location. My head mind is there, but as a <BR> > witness to<BR> > > this. I have a sense of extension outward and I approach a <BR> > resting,<BR> > > waiting state, attending the heart in anticipation of an opening. I <BR> > think of<BR> > > it as being like a still hunter, learning to relax into motionless<BR> > > attentiveness. When I do that, my mind tends to become quieter, but <BR> > more<BR> > > alert.<BR> > > <BR> > > In the early stages, because I tend to continue to look out through <BR> > my<BR> > > eyeballs, I have a sense of being an "I" at some distance from and <BR> > above the<BR> > > heart. As I continue to direct attention to the heart, there is a <BR> > sense of<BR> > > moving back, and the world takes on more of the quality of a movie <BR> > one is<BR> > > watching. A little more, and I have the sense of being something <BR> > located at<BR> > > the heart, but outside it, and the awareness of eye sight, ear <BR> > sound, and<BR> > > the whole set of body awarenesses are distractions. At this point, <BR> > I find it<BR> > > really hard to maintain attention. I feel like I'm balanced on a <BR> > rail, and<BR> > > to fall to either side means either to become caught up in some <BR> > thought<BR> > > process and carried back outward into the world of objects or to <BR> > become<BR> > > caught up in a dream process and to be carried downward into sleep.<BR> > > <BR> > > When I'm on, I'm on; when I'm not, I eventually wake up in the <BR> > chair with a<BR> > > crick in my neck.<BR> > > <BR> > > Don<BR> > <BR> > </tt> > > <br> > > <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> > > <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> > <tr bgcolor=#FFFFCC> > <td align=center><font size="-1" color=#003399><b> Sponsor</b></font></td> > </tr> > <tr bgcolor=#FFFFFF> > <td align=center width=470><TABLE WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 border=0 cellpadding=0 > cellspacing=0><tr><td align=center><font face=arial size=- 2></font><br> > <TR> > <TD> > <a > href="http://rd./M=212804.2460941.3878106.2273195/D=egroupweb /S=1705060955:HM/A=810373/R=0/* > Terms of Service</a>.</tt> > </br> > > </body></html> > > > > > Everything you'll ever need on one web page > from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts > http://uk.my.''>http://uk.my.'>http://uk.my. 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