Guest guest Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 THE HIDDEN POWER When we say something is "hidden" it means it is available but not at present for us. We have to search for it as one would if he knows a family treasure is buried in one's paddy field or one's ancestral home. But unlike personal treasures, the power for which are now looking is a universally available one, to you, to me and to everyone. This makes a lot of difference for it means that it is open to one and all to find this power and make it one's own. The power we are referring to is also of a different kind. Usually we associate power with position, political or hierarchical, or that flowing from wealth or learning or excellence in particular fields. Such power is in the hands of a few thousands only. It also has its ebbs and flows. But the power now written about can be harnessed by everyone who is earnest, vigilant, and steadfast in the effort to discover the hidden power. What is the nature of this power? It is the power of a silent mind, a mind which is alert, alive and yet passive. It is a mind whose calmness, whose repose, whose peace is undisturbed by relationships, by ideas, by the inevitable successes and failures of life. It is a mind that functions without loss of any logic or reason. It is the mind which we have lost and which we have to find. In any treasure hunt, success depends on the leading clues by following of which one can unearth the lost treasure. Otherwise, it would be a wild goose chase. Would it not? It is precisely here that Sadguru Ramana steps in with his various guidelines and his weapon of self-enquiry, which is based on his own experience. The advantage of his method is that the path avoids detours, by-lanes, and diversions and takes one straight to the goal. The first clue which Ramana gives is that one should somehow manage to squeeze at least a little time for questing, for trying to find what life is all about. Is there nothing more to life than its daily routines, its hectic holiday schedules, its endless seeking of money, position, and constant effort at pushing ahead at doing one better than the other person? If this idea is instilled into your mind, then, you may take a good look at your topsy-turvy values. Of what use is it if you conquer the whole world, if your mind is in chaos, if your heart is shriveled and you cannot even sleep without tranquilizers? If you do not put a brake to the hectic pace of life you have set for yourself, it might lead to an imbalance, overall, in your life. You may have the pride of your bank balance overflowing with funds, of watching the upward graph of the business group and so on. But you might be neglecting your wife, losing touch with your children, becoming friendless and lonely. What indeed is the net gain if as a result of your warped, sectional view you have elbowed happiness out of your life? Hence, Ramana's emphasis on taking things in their stride, on being conscious whether you have purchased anxiety and fear while grasping more than you can handle. This contemplation of fundamental values, of course, should be in the backdrop of remembering the fact that all effort is in the last analysis only for power, peace and happiness. The next basic clue of Ramana is to warn against the danger of identifications and excessive attachments. Ramana would say, "Why don't you act as an actor on the stage or the cashier in the bank? Does either of them identify himself with the role he plays or with the cash he is handling?" After all, life is not made to order. It is a dynamic flow, a divine drama in which you have the option of playing your role well or ill. Each one has a multi-role to play each day, as a boss, as a son or daughter, husband, father, friend and so on. For instance, you cannot dote on your children at the cost of ignoring your parents. A certain degree of detached- attachment needs to be cultivated, being conscious of where to draw the line, to be free from the binding aspects of identifications. Yet another vital clue Ramana gives is that thought addiction is just as bad as drug-addiction. What does one mean by thought- addiction? One can understand this by posing the question, how would we feel if we do not have thoughts, if we are thought-free? Scared stiff? Wouldn't we be? This is natural for we associate the power of the mind with its capacity to think fast, and in an orderly manner. To us the mind is the only energy source from which one derives his vitality, and zest for life. For we foist on the mind, the power to reason, infer, discriminate and remember. This universal assumptions needs examination if we are to break new ground. One has to go into the question as to whether thinking is possible without the mind. Is there "thinking without the mind"? yes, says Ramana. For, the mind is not the primary energy source. We have wrongly located it there by habit. But the primary energy source is the fullness of consciousness, the spiritual heart, from which the mind itself derives its energy. It is therefore only a secondary energy source and now it is emaciated, anaemic due to constant loss of energy in the form of million thoughts. One should, therefore search for the primary energy source, which is now hidden and untapped. If only one discovers it, one would be suffused with boundless energy and pulsating joy. How does one quest, search, go about to discover the hidden power? Quite obviously one has to get away from the mind loaded and polluted with an overcrowding of thoughts. The task is not easy for the only instrument which one has is the mind itself. Ramana tells us that if you try to deal with the content of the mind you will go under its numerical weight. Hence he gives a technique, a method that enables one to bypass the world of thoughts by paying attention to the subject, the individual to whom this entire thought world relates. One might ask, what is the advantage in doing so? The advantage is fairly obvious for attention can be single focused instead of being multi-focused as at present. The single focus makes the mind integral, unitary and its energy is gathered together. Ramana has explained this clearly as early as 1900 to one of his earliest disciples Gambiram Seshier (called Seshayya also). Ramana explained to him that "the enquiry, "Who am I?" is the primal means. When thoughts arise due to residual impressions one should restrict the mind from flowing that way and endeavor to retain it in the Self- state. One should be vigilant before thoughts arise. If any room is given, such a disturbed mind will do us great harm. While posing as a friend, like a foe pretending to be a friend it will topple us down". The great advantage in questioning the true identity of the thinker is that one is alert to the rising thoughts and their movement in a thousand ramifications. Caught in the main stream of thought we are unable to stay with the wanted thought, the required thought. This questioning straightaway stills the mind and the thought momentum is dammed. The mind would cease to play its tricks, its games. Hence Ramana's emphasis on self-enquiry. He told Kunjuswami, who was his attendant for many years, "It is no use saying "I am serving Bhagavan, I am dusting his bed, I am looking after his needs for so long". There is no greater service than to be engaged in self- enquiry in all sincerity". We are used to dividing time into meditation time, office time, leisure time and so on. If only one is able to build into these divisions some effective substratum mechanism that prevents the seepage of mental energy, the ups and downs of the energy levels would not be there. Ramana would sometimes cajole people to practice self-enquiry by emphasizing that this is precisely what it does. Once, in 1934 a businessman came from Punjab seeking counsel from Ramana for mental quietude. He wanted to be initiated into some secret mantra, or form of worship. Ramana advised, "Please give only as much time for enquiry as you would for pooja (or puja=ceremonial worship with flowers, water, etc.) and japa (repetition of a sacred word or syllable or a name of God). It would amply repay your efforts. With practice it would operate in the busiest hours". Ramana would also warn that the alternative to "atma-vichara", self- enquiry, is "Loka-vichara" or worldly involvement. The choice should be obvious. Though constant vigilance is needed for an uncluttered and free mind, this by itself would not be sufficient. Awareness of the grace of Sadguru Ramana, who is the constant inner guide on this path, is necessary. One is clearly indebted to him for being the path-finder and helmsman on the way through his "extravagance of grace" would make it appear that it is he who is indebted to us. The path would be a bed of roses if there is constant remembrance of his unfailing support… As one progresses one would not "run with his thoughts". The mind would be always charged with primal energy. Consciousness would not be splintered or fragmented. Thoughts will come and go when they must and their particular purpose has ended. One would always be in repose, be he engaged in action or free from it. We cannot even imagine the beauty and the power of a fully conscious mind. Joy and power, what a two in one! The wondrous combination will fill our being. Though mortal we would have discovered our immortality and timelessness. NOTE: TAKEN FROM THE INTRODUCTION TO "THE HIDDEN POWER", BY A. R. NATARAJAN, 1996 EDITION. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2005 Report Share Posted January 15, 2005 --- saikali6362 <saikali6362 wrote: Thanks for this post! In the beginning of my inquiry, I read the book called, I think--The Secret Path--by Paul Brunton. It helped to to understand that the Self was a secret, untapped Source; it helped me to go deeply inside, to turn the mind really inward upon itself. The words secret, hidden, and untapped helped me to realize the Consciousness underlying the everyday thinking mind. Pure Consciousness without any object. Vichara changed my whole life! With love in Bhagavan, Sister Judith, rainbowbird~ tsisqua unvgoladv Eastern Cherokee _________> > THE HIDDEN POWER > > When we say something is "hidden" it means it is > available but not > at present for us. We have to search for it as one > would if he > knows a family treasure is buried in one's paddy > field or one's > ancestral home. But unlike personal treasures, the > power for which > are now looking is a universally available one, to > you, to me and to > everyone. This makes a lot of difference for it > means that it is > open to one and all to find this power and make it > one's own. > > The power we are referring to is also of a different > kind. Usually > we associate power with position, political or > hierarchical, or that > flowing from wealth or learning or excellence in > particular fields. > Such power is in the hands of a few thousands only. > It also has its > ebbs and flows. But the power now written about can > be harnessed by > everyone who is earnest, vigilant, and steadfast in > the effort to > discover the hidden power. > > What is the nature of this power? It is the power of > a silent mind, > a mind which is alert, alive and yet passive. It is > a mind whose > calmness, whose repose, whose peace is undisturbed > by relationships, > by ideas, by the inevitable successes and failures > of life. It is a > mind that functions without loss of any logic or > reason. It is the > mind which we have lost and which we have to find. > > In any treasure hunt, success depends on the leading > clues by > following of which one can unearth the lost > treasure. Otherwise, it > would be a wild goose chase. Would it not? It is > precisely here that > Sadguru Ramana steps in with his various guidelines > and his weapon > of self-enquiry, which is based on his own > experience. The advantage > of his method is that the path avoids detours, > by-lanes, and > diversions and takes one straight to the goal. > > The first clue which Ramana gives is that one should > somehow manage > to squeeze at least a little time for questing, for > trying to find > what life is all about. Is there nothing more to > life than its daily > routines, its hectic holiday schedules, its endless > seeking of > money, position, and constant effort at pushing > ahead at doing one > better than the other person? If this idea is > instilled into your > mind, then, you may take a good look at your > topsy-turvy values. > > Of what use is it if you conquer the whole world, if > your mind is in > chaos, if your heart is shriveled and you cannot > even sleep without > tranquilizers? If you do not put a brake to the > hectic pace of life > you have set for yourself, it might lead to an > imbalance, overall, > in your life. You may have the pride of your bank > balance > overflowing with funds, of watching the upward graph > of the business > group and so on. But you might be neglecting your > wife, losing touch > with your children, becoming friendless and lonely. > What indeed is > the net gain if as a result of your warped, > sectional view you have > elbowed happiness out of your life? Hence, Ramana's > emphasis on > taking things in their stride, on being conscious > whether you have > purchased anxiety and fear while grasping more than > you can handle. > This contemplation of fundamental values, of course, > should be in > the backdrop of remembering the fact that all effort > is in the last > analysis only for power, peace and happiness. > > The next basic clue of Ramana is to warn against the > danger of > identifications and excessive attachments. Ramana > would say, "Why > don't you act as an actor on the stage or the > cashier in the bank? > Does either of them identify himself with the role > he plays or with > the cash he is handling?" After all, life is not > made to order. It > is a dynamic flow, a divine drama in which you have > the option of > playing your role well or ill. Each one has a > multi-role to play > each day, as a boss, as a son or daughter, husband, > father, friend > and so on. For instance, you cannot dote on your > children at the > cost of ignoring your parents. A certain degree of > detached- > attachment needs to be cultivated, being conscious > of where to draw > the line, to be free from the binding aspects of > identifications. > > Yet another vital clue Ramana gives is that thought > addiction is > just as bad as drug-addiction. What does one mean by > thought- > addiction? One can understand this by posing the > question, how would > we feel if we do not have thoughts, if we are > thought-free? Scared > stiff? Wouldn't we be? This is natural for we > associate the power of > the mind with its capacity to think fast, and in an > orderly manner. > To us the mind is the only energy source from which > one derives his > vitality, and zest for life. For we foist on the > mind, the power to > reason, infer, discriminate and remember. This > universal assumptions > needs examination if we are to break new ground. One > has to go into > the question as to whether thinking is possible > without the mind. Is > there "thinking without the mind"? yes, says Ramana. > For, the mind > is not the primary energy source. We have wrongly > located it there > by habit. But the primary energy source is the > fullness of > consciousness, the spiritual heart, from which the > mind itself > derives its energy. It is therefore only a secondary > energy source > and now it is emaciated, anaemic due to constant > loss of energy in > the form of million thoughts. > > One should, therefore search for the primary energy > source, which is > now hidden and untapped. If only one discovers it, > one would be > suffused with boundless energy and pulsating joy. > How does one > quest, search, go about to discover the hidden > power? Quite > obviously one has to get away from the mind loaded > and polluted with > an overcrowding of thoughts. The task is not easy > for the only > instrument which one has is the mind itself. Ramana > tells us that if > you try to deal with the content of the mind you > will go under its > numerical weight. Hence he gives a technique, a > method that enables > one to bypass the world of thoughts by paying > attention to the > subject, the individual to whom this entire thought > world relates. > One might ask, what is the advantage in doing so? > The advantage is > fairly obvious for attention can be single focused > instead of being > multi-focused as at present. The single focus makes > the mind > integral, unitary and its energy is gathered > together. > > Ramana has explained this clearly as early as 1900 > to one of his > earliest disciples Gambiram Seshier (called Seshayya > also). Ramana > === message truncated === Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail./mail_250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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