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[Guest guest]

Sri M.G. Shanmugam:

'During my 24 years of personal association with Bhagavan I have noticed

that He seldom preached elaborately. He would carefully give hints which

keen seekers had to absorb carefully and follow faithfully in their sadhana.

By close observation of Him and His actions and from His occasional words

and terse expressions, one could definitely learn and properly follow His

teachings.'

 

'He once said categorically: 'For practising atma vichara every day is

auspicious and every moment is good--no discipline is prescribed at all. Any

time, anywhere it can be done, even without others noticing that you are

doing it. All other sadhanas require external objects and congenial

environment, but for atma vichara nothing external to oneself is required.

Turning the mind within is all that is necessary. While one is engaged in

atma vichara one can with ease attend to other activities also. Besides,

atma vichara being a purely internal movement, one does not attract others

who are around; whereas, in sadhanas like puja, others do notice you.

One-pointed perseverence alone is essential in Self-enquiry and that is done

purely inwardly, all the time.Your attention on the Self within alone is

essential.'

(Moments Remembered, Sri Ramanasramam, 1990)

[Guest guest]

RamanaMaharshi, Miles Wright <ramana.bhakta@v...> wrote:

> Sri M.G. Shanmugam:

> 'During my 24 years of personal association with Bhagavan I have

noticed

> that He seldom preached elaborately. He would carefully give hints

which

> keen seekers had to absorb carefully and follow faithfully in their

sadhana.

> By close observation of Him and His actions and from His occasional

words

> and terse expressions, one could definitely learn and properly

follow His

> teachings.'

>

> 'He once said categorically: 'For practising atma vichara every day

is

> auspicious and every moment is good--no discipline is prescribed at

all. Any

> time, anywhere it can be done, even without others noticing that

you are

> doing it. All other sadhanas require external objects and congenial

> environment, but for atma vichara nothing external to oneself is

required.

> Turning the mind within is all that is necessary. While one is

engaged in

> atma vichara one can with ease attend to other activities also.

Besides,

> atma vichara being a purely internal movement, one does not attract

others

> who are around; whereas, in sadhanas like puja, others do notice

you.

> One-pointed perseverence alone is essential in Self-enquiry and

that is done

> purely inwardly, all the time.Your attention on the Self within

alone is

> essential.'

> (Moments Remembered, Sri Ramanasramam, 1990)

 

**************

Miles, the above post is a wonderful thing to reflect upon.

The 'hints' are the methods of the Masters. I first learned of it

from Patanjali in which he says that often the master will only give

a hint, a word, a pointed finger and we are to be alert to that. But

we like to hear a lot of words and those around us will happily

oblige and give us a lot of words to listen to. We listen but we are

still not filled up with these words. But somehow the 'one' word from

the master leads us to tear up our own best laid propositions to

follow that one word from the master.

 

Second, I visited here to read recently, only to find much back and

forth disagreement. I did not think it was a bad thing on the outset.

I thought 'well, here are spiritual people having a worldly storm in

front of the whole group.' I have been there, done that many times,

and still do. But it is a hint once again from the master that we are

all each other's teacher/guru. I know from standing back that there

are only subtle difference between groups and no difference in TRUTH

and self-realization.

 

Netemara

 

Thank you all for being here