Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 Dear Friends , I have received the following from Sri.V.Ganesan and wish to pass it on to you all ..In Sri Ramana's Grace , Alan > May this day turn out to be a 'Happy Day' for you, in an all-round way ! May He bless it so ! > > M E D I T A T I O N > > > Meditation means many things to many individuals and ranges from quiet brooding on a concept > or an ideal to the beatitude of the highest spiritual contemplation. But in the sadhana > propounded > by the Maharshi it strictly means, whatever the method, the attempt to still the thinking > faculty, the > perpetually-surging waves of the mind, in order that the calm ocean of Pure Awareness, from > which > they rise and on which they move, may be experienced. > > To beginners, this mind control appears to be a formidable feat, yet, the Maharshi encourages > them > to go ahead and practice - to make a beginning. He constantly dins into us the inspiring > notion that > we are already Self-realiseed and that, if we are not aware of it, the obstruction to that > awareness > should be removed by investigation - Vichara - which is as logical as it is simple. > > To hear it direct from him this "Self-Knowledge", rather the way to Self-Knowledge, is "the > easiest > thing there is" (Atma Vidhya Kirtan); but, judging from the questions consstantly asked of him, > and > later of his disciples, there appears to be the need for much spade work before its central idea > > takes a firm hold on the seeker. The Master's obvious meaning seems to be that, preoccupying > the mind with a single theme to the exclusion of all others, if studiously practised, will not > fail to > produce beneficial results. It will tend to reduce the oscillations of the thinking processes, > and > thus render the mind amenable to concentration, which by itself is a splendid achievement. > Stability > and fixity of the restless, mercurial mind is the first aim and this can be achieved by constant > practice. > > When the mind has attained an appreciable degree of concentration, which refer to depth, it > is able > to go straight to the application of the Vichara, and thus make a more or less rapid progress, > according to the intensity of determination, without much strain. A diligent search and keen > observation eventually lead to the mind as the perceiver, desirer and enjoyer of a world which > is > entirely its own thoughts; for, the mind cognises naught but its own ideas. > > The final aim refers to the most vital stage of the Vichara - the seeker unabatingly > continues his > enquiry into the very nature of the mind, from which he has discovered the 'I'-thought to have > arisen. > Meditation has by then taken a firm grip and has turned from an erstwhile painful and apparently > fruitless effort to a joyful, eagerly-looked-forward-to performance, which can no longer be > abandoned > or even slackened. The thinking processes have by now considerably slowed down and with it, > naturally, the restlessness of the mind. Profound peace and inner joy impel more frequent and > longer meditation, which in turn reduces thinking still further, till the moment of full > maturity is > reached, when all of a sudden all thoughts completely cease, and the meditator, the 'I', having > nothing > to disturb or preoccupy him, spontaneously finds himself in his pure Being, which is the > Absolurte State or the Substratum. > > And, what is that Self in actual experience ? Sri Bhagavan tells us that it is the Light > which ever > shines in the Cave of the Heart, as the flame of the Consciousness 'I'-'I' . This is the answer > to the > Vichara and its fulfilment. The 'I', which has carried out a determined and protracted search > into > its own nature, has at long last found itself to be not other than the Pure Mind, the immaculate > Being, > wrapped in blissful stillness. > > Sadhakas should take courage from the personal assurance of Sri Maharshi and the testimony > of the Old Devotees who have found the Ultimate Peace. It is possible. Vichara is the only > way - the Royal Path ! > > * * * * * * * > -- collected > from the writing of S.S.Cohen > ______________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Messenger http://uk.messenger./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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