Guest guest Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 RamanaMaharshi, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs> wrote: > Translation of Visvanatha Swami and Prof. K.Swaminathan > > > > Chapter 3-THE PARAMOUNT TASK > > > > 4.Daivarata:What in brif is the means to know one's Real nature ? > > > > What is the effort that can bring about the sublime inner vision ? > > > > 5.Strensulosly withdrawing all thoughts from sense objects , one should remain fixed in steady, > > non-objective Enquiry . > > > > 6.This in brief ,is the means of knowing one's own Real nature ;this effort alone brings about > > the sublime inner vision . > > > > > > > ===== > alan - [AR Natarajan's translation & commentary ] Chapter 3 contd. Vs 4 `Briefly, by what spiritual practice does one become aware of one's own true nature? What effort brings about the exalted inner vision?' Commentary The natural state is supreme. Scriptures prescribe several spiritual practices as the way to be conscious of it. Hence the question, which practiced is for abidance in the natural state. The tendencies in the mind must be eradicated if the mind is to be free of the outward movement. The practice which makes this possible is set out in vs 5 & 6. Vs 5 Withdrawing all thoughts from sense-objects through effort, one should remain fixed in steady non-objective enquiry. Vs6 This in brief, is the practice for knowing one's own nature; this effort alone brings about the exalted inner vision. Commentary Latent tendencies and the false notion that happiness lies only in sense objects, keep the mind externalised. However, happiness is our inherent nature, to be tapped by turning the mind inward. Raman says that through enquiry related to the individual or self, such in- turning would take place. One can only enquire about the familiar, the known. The unknown cannot be enquired into although it can be imagined, conceptualised. The spirit of enquiry, a strong urge to find out the truth about oneself, is the first essential ingredient. Elsewhere Ramana asks, `What is the use of this life without the spirit of enquiry?'* Then alone one would seek to find out whether the individuality, the `I'-thought, the ego, is the totality of us or whether our true `personality' has an altogether different dimension. This approach makes the self-enquiry an adventure,*~ and sustains it despite the journey being often seemingly long & endless, the ceaseless thought movements so hard to quieten. Here Ramana emphasises the need for steadfastness and faith in pursuing the enquiry to its logical end, - Self-knowledge. [*Marital Garland of Letters-vs 46. …*~ `Why Ramana' by Kumari Sarada – Ramana Smrithi] It should be noted that since the centre of attention is the seer, the individual, the subject, - what is suggested is a non-objective enquiry. In all spiritual practices there is a subject-object relationship of the individual carrying a particular name, form or sound. Ramana's method of enquiry is about the source of the ego, the subject. Since the individual `I'-thought functions always in association with other thoughts, when the rising of other thoughts is controlled through self-enquiry, in a sense it is deprived of its habitual support. Then there would be no alternative for the individual except to look within, for its true support. Other methods employ a subject-object relationship in practice -- it is only in the end that the `ego', the subject, is tackled. In self– enquiry however, the practice is to find out the truth about the subject, the individual, from the very beginning. It is therefore a direct path or a straight path. anu > > > > > > _________ > Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" > your friends today! Download Messenger Now > http://uk.messenger./download/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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