Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam," Suri Nagamma quotes Ramana Maharshi as follows: "But there is one thing more; unless one looks upon death as a thing that is very near and might happen at any moment, one will not be aware of the Self. " (From Volume II, Letter 6, 12 September 1947 -- it's at the end of the letter.) I was surprised to read this. I can't recall any other place where Sri Ramana says that we can be aware of the Self only when we have a certain attitude about the proximity of death. Can anybody think of some examples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 Dear Rob: This Ramana quote gave me quite a hit as I have been preoccupied with the nearness of death all my life. I shall use this quote for deepening, deepening, deepening. LOL. These fonts are death fonts. Aloha, Thou Sayest "I" formerly Alton - Rob Sacks RamanaMaharshi Tuesday, March 18, 2003 11:35 AM [RamanaMaharshi] Death must be near In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam," Suri Nagammaquotes Ramana Maharshi as follows:"But there is one thing more; unless one looks upon death as a thing that is very near and might happen atany moment, one will not be aware of the Self. "(From Volume II, Letter 6, 12 September 1947 --it's at the end of the letter.)I was surprised to read this. I can't recall any otherplace where Sri Ramana says that we can be aware ofthe Self only when we have a certain attitude about theproximity of death. Can anybody think of someexamples? Post message: RamanaMaharshi Subscribe: RamanaMaharshi- Un: RamanaMaharshi List owner: RamanaMaharshi-ownerShortcut URL to this page: http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi Your use of is subject to the Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 I can think of only one example - the Maharshi's own experience of awakening. Granted, he never taught that one should reproduce the relative conditions surrounding his awakening - the sudden fear of death, laying on the floor, etc. But he made it clear that the paths of enquiry and surrender which he did teach, must be followed with all of one's energy. I believe he compared it to the energy with which one would fight for air if being held underwater. In that sense, looking at death as being very near will supply the necessary motivation to apply that effort. So while I wouldn't interpret the quote to mean that the thought of physical death must immediately precede awakening, I think it does suggest that taking comfort in the idea that death is at a distance, is a good indication that the spiritual intensity is not adequate for realization. -John RamanaMaharshi, "Rob Sacks" <editor@r...> wrote: > "But there is one thing more; unless one looks upon > death as a thing that is very near and might happen at > any moment, one will not be aware of the Self. " > > (Letters From Sri Ramanasram, Vol II, Sep 9,1947 end of the letter.) > > I was surprised to read this. I can't recall any other > place where Sri Ramana says that we can be aware of > the Self only when we have a certain attitude about the > proximity of death. Can anybody think of some > examples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2003 Report Share Posted March 18, 2003 Hello, yes I always thought of the proximity of death as the "background to sadhana", and that it was commonly known; maybe this is from spending so much time in India. Thank you for pointing out this letter from Nagamma (12th September 1947). It is very wonderful to read again. Yesterday we went for a walk in our village. Seeing a black cat, we had to stop to see whether it was "real" or stone. it was "real" [but refused to move, despite repeated callings!]; a few yards later we saw some rather unconvincing stone dogs. So in the light of this, it has been a revelation to be referred to this wonderful letter. [Need to read the Nagamma letter to understand the context and Sri Bhagavan's story of the stone dog!] Thanks and many pranams for setting up a wonderful awareness for today! John.... PS: Sorry, couldn't immediately think of other examples of "proximity of death". The Iraq war assists in this awareness.... RamanaMaharshi, "Rob Sacks" <editor@r...> wrote: > In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam," Suri Nagamma > quotes Ramana Maharshi as follows: > > "But there is one thing more; unless one looks upon > death as a thing that is very near and might happen at > any moment, one will not be aware of the Self. " > > (From Volume II, Letter 6, 12 September 1947 -- > it's at the end of the letter.) > > I was surprised to read this. I can't recall any other > place where Sri Ramana says that we can be aware of > the Self only when we have a certain attitude about the > proximity of death. Can anybody think of some > examples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 Dear Rob and ALL: Another example of the "proximity" death and realization would be the experience of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He was about to commit suicide in the Kali temple of Dakshineshwar, when he received the Supreme Experience. Also, Swami Rama Tirtha, a little known contemporary of Vivekananda became despondent during his Sadhana and decided to end it all by throwing himself into the Ganges high in the Himalayas. The river through him up onto a rock in the midst of the river where he received the EXPERIENCE. The Gautama, became discouraged after trying various Sadhanas and finally just gave up and sat down under the now famous Bodhi tree. Although the legends don't say that he was about to end it all, the legends do state that he was profoundly discouraged. I know that there are other examples; but these are the ones that come to mind. Regards. michael --- Rob Sacks <editor wrote: > In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam," Suri Nagamma > quotes Ramana Maharshi as follows: > > "But there is one thing more; unless one looks upon > death as a thing that is very near and might happen > at > any moment, one will not be aware of the Self. " > > (From Volume II, Letter 6, 12 September 1947 -- > it's at the end of the letter.) > > I was surprised to read this. I can't recall any > other > place where Sri Ramana says that we can be aware of > the Self only when we have a certain attitude about > the > proximity of death. Can anybody think of some > examples? > > > > > Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 --- Dear Rob and ALL: I find it worth pondering on the proximity of Death and Realisation .My feeling is that it exposes the very deep rooted nature of the 'I thought'planted way down, well into the subconscious ..Normally few of us go about contemplating the inevitably of our own certain death - but some spiritual teachers advocate it .When circumstances present us with a near death situation the ultimate vasana - the fear of feath pops up and Realisation may or may not follow ,but in a number of celebrated cases it has resulted in awakening..The last thing the ego at the subconscious level wants to do is let go of its hold on experiencing the dream of life .This is why I feel such a radical strenuous practice as atma vichara is very necessary to weaken the knot which binds one through identification with the mind and body.So it is a form of Grace to be at the threshold of death ,paradoxically .Are there any other views ?Regards , In Him , Alan > > Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 Dear Alan, Rob, et al, In the Zen tradition one sees the use of fear of death as well. There is a famous story (which I cannot remember all the details) where a Zen Master gives a seeker the task of Awakening in some specific period of time (6 months?), and says that if Awakening does not come within that time, then the seeker should kill themselves. As the story goes, the seeker awakened, a few hours before the DEAD-line. Also, there is a Zen monistery in Japan near a cliff. An important part of their practice is for the monks to go to the cliff, and crwwl down it to the precipice, and face into the void. They do this initially with ropes attached. After a while there are no more ropes. Their meditation is facing the abyss directly, facing their own death directly. We are not two, Richard RamanaMaharshi, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs> wrote: > --- Dear Rob and ALL: > > I find it worth pondering on the proximity of Death and Realisation .My feeling is that it exposes > the very deep rooted nature of the 'I thought'planted way down, well into the subconscious > .Normally few of us go about contemplating the inevitably of our own certain death - but some > spiritual teachers advocate it .When circumstances present us with a near death situation the > ultimate vasana - the fear of feath pops up and Realisation may or may not follow ,but in a > number of celebrated cases it has resulted in awakening..The last thing the ego at the > subconscious level wants to do is let go of its hold on experiencing the dream of life .This is > why I feel such a radical strenuous practice as atma vichara is very necessary to weaken the knot > which binds one through identification with the mind and body.So it is a form of Grace to be at > the threshold of death ,paradoxically .Are there any other views ? Regards , In Him , Alan > > > > > > > > Everything you'll ever need on one web page > from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts > http://uk.my. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2003 Report Share Posted March 19, 2003 We all have images about death. If one eats pure, sattvic food, offers all one's acts to the Divine, practices Self Inquiry, trains the mind to stay in the heart in silence and listening, finds and obeys the Inner Guru, then it is possible for the mind to be sucked into the heart and the body to be dissolved by pure, radiant Love. Then there is no one left to die. Dive deeper. Allow the Heart to teach the mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2003 Report Share Posted March 20, 2003 Dear Alan, <.This is > why I feel such a radical strenuous practice as atma vichara is very necessary to weaken the knot > which binds one through identification with the mind and body.So it is a form of Grace to be at > the threshold of death ,paradoxically .Are there any other views ? Regards , In Him , Alan > > > > Yes, indeed. Fear of death is surely the greatest human trauma. There stays nothing to hold on. It is a mere shock. Then only it becomes obvious how strong this bounds and identification with mind and body really are. With each fibre you want to cling on it - but hold will be lost as much as you want to cling to and as much as you resist. It is inevitable. This causes great anguish. If once this is experienced, out of this shock, Vichara gets quite another importance to make it a continuous practice, so that it will become natural one day by Grace of the One and that it can cling in when death (in whatever form) comes, cost it what it wants. There is no other way out. This is what has be seen - though the Ego makes all kinds of troubles to avoid. Love Gabriele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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