RAMANA GITA STUDY GROUP Ch 3 - Vs 1,2,3.[Natarajan]

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Ramana Gita Ch 3 'The Paramount Duty'

[AR Natarajan's translation & commentary (abridged).]

 

Chapter 3

Vs 1

For the delight of the wise, the conversation between Daivarata and

Acharya Ramana is recorded in this chapter.

Vs 2

"Bhagavan, what is the paramount duty of a human being caught up in

the cycle of births and deaths? Please decide on one and expound it

to me."

 

Commentary

Three things are said to be rare: human birth, desire for liberation

& the grace of a Sadguru. Human birth follows umpteen ups & downs in

karmic cycle. Humans alone are endowed with discriminative faculty,

capacity to choose between alternatives: ethical and nonethical,

pursuit of temporary pleasures and freedom from tyranny of karma.

Therefore, human birth provides opportunity to regain knowledge

about oneself. Hence the importance of single-mindedly getting to

know the paramount duty, performance of which, brings about Self-

knowledge.

 

Vs 3

Bhagavan replied, `For those desiring the highest, discovering one's

own true nature is most important. It is the basis of all actions

and their fruits.'

 

Commentary

Note that Ramana's reply is specifically `for those desiring the

highest'-- not the ordinary man unconcerned with liberation. When

sights are set on the highest, only direct experience of the truth

would suffice.

To be in `one's own true nature' is to be in the natural state

ie. `sahaja'. Ramana himself was always in that state. It

is `natural' because it is inherent; a state of bliss in which

consciousness shines in all its fullness. It is to be discovered,

found out anew, because, awareness of it is not possible with the

mind externalised. When the mind turns inward through self-enquiry,

what was lost is found again.

Ramana also explains why this discovery is to be regarded as most

essential. Since all spiritual practices have as their goal, Self-

knowledge, discovering ones own true nature determines all one's

actions and their fruit. Further, actions are only possible because

the mind is being ignited by consciousness.

 

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