THE NEW WAY

[Guest guest]

THE NEW WAY

 

Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature. If we can

attain it or be in that state, it is alright. All the age long

vasanas (tendencies) carry the mind outward and turn it to external

objects. All such thoughts are to be given up and turned inward. For

that effort is necessary. (BHAGAVAN RAMANA IN "DAY BY DAY" PAGE 89).

 

A jnani, a person of steady wisdom, is free of all vasanas. He is

desireless. His mind is silent because there is no necessity for

seeking happiness without through fulfillment of desires. His mind

lies immersed in natural bliss. If we find him acting as Jesus,

Buddha, Krishna, Ramana did, it is because of the divine plan which

casts them in the role of world teachers.

 

However, for the seeker it is a daily battle against his own

thoughts. In the course of any given day one experiences a wide

variety of thoughts; complementary, cross-purpose, positive,

negative, good, bad and so on. One does not have control over the

welter of thoughts. For it is obvious one is unable to stay with the

wanted thoughts. Nor can he prevent the intrusion of unwanted

thoughts. This is because of the massive strength of potential

thoughts which lie hidden as vasanas, tendencies. Their grip is like

a hangman tight noose round one's neck. As Ramana would

remark "thoughts cannot manifest unless they are already in the

mind. It was of course very subtle and remained imperceptible.

Because it lay repressed by more urgent or insistent vasanas. In

fact it was within all along". They constitute the content of the

mind.

 

Ramana reveals a new way of handling the thought hordes by focusing

our attention on a certain basic but hitherto not particularly

noticed fact. It is this. A vasana or potential thought will remain

buried unless the individual pays attention to it. Out of the vast

array of thoughts the individual automatically censors many by

bestowing attention on some and ignoring others, though for the

time being. For instance let us say one meets a classmate in school

after many long years. He was forgotten because one would not be

thinking about him due to lapse of time. However, the moment he

meets you a whole lot of associated thoughts are triggered. The

wonderful school years, the profile of the classmates, of the

teachers and so on is recalled at once. This pattern keeps repeating

itself. In the morning the mind's attention is on the office, in the

evening it is on the home and entertainment.

 

What follows from this? It is that the content of the mind is

unimportant. One need not go on pruning it, varying it by various

inputs. For if desire "A" is given up desire "B" takes its place.

The entire load, if rightly understood is only chaff. It is lifeless

and can be safely ignored. As Ramana remarks "just as it is futile

to examine the rubbish that is to be swept up only to be thrown away

it would be futile to examine that which has to be discarded" viz.,

the vasanas. This is subject to big proviso. The proviso is that one

should focus attention on the one whose attention gives life to any

potential thought, in the sense that they sprout and appear on the

mental horizon only because of that attention. Take it away, the

thought ceases.

 

Ramana goes further and explains that the individual is important

because the parent "I am so and so" thought alone is linked to the

source, to consciousness, to the Self within. It is this linkage

which provides the consciousness to it. The other thoughts are not

directly linked, but are in turn dependent on the individual.

 

The question "To whom do these thoughts relate?" serves the purpose

of bringing attention back from the thought to the thinker. By

practice of clinging to the "I" one's mind turns inwards and gets

merged with its source. Such merger automatically purifies the

content of the mind by reason of the resultant contact with

consciousness. Gradually, the vasanas which pull the mind out in

thought forms weaken and die. Then there is only the pure mind which

reflects the glory of fullness of consciousness.

 

Ramana's method, termed self-enquiry because it deals with what we

presently regard as ourself, is so simple and direct that it is

difficult for seekers to straightaway accept the truth that it is

the most effective means of mind control, of subsidence of the mind

into consciousness. Hence they would come up with the questions

doubting its efficacy. To them Ramana would say "Many have cast off

the inherited tendencies. Believe it. They did so because they

believed they could". For even though the tendencies are constantly

putting pressure in the form of continuous waves of thought they too

subside, as they must, by vigilant attention to the thinker, the

subject to whom they are related. By reducing the importance of the

content of the mind to zero. Ramana has enables one to breathe

freely and to pay attention to a single thought, the subject, which

has the power to lead one back to the blissful natural state.

 

However, one has to remember that one cannot achieve the

breakthrough by one's own effort alone. For the power of the past,

as vasanas, keeps cropping up as thoughts when one is off guard.

Even if a single thoughts infiltrates, other thoughts will keep

crowding in. Therefore awareness of the need for Ramana's grace is

necessary. That alone can pull one out of dispiritedness,

listlessness and boredom which are part of each seeker`s darker

moments. Ramana's grace is paramount. On our part steadfast effort

at self-enquiry and gradual surrender would enable the tapping of

the grace which is readily available. Then Ramana's strength becomes

one's own. One abides in joyous stillness.

 

NOTE: TAKEN FROM "RAMANA MAHARSHI, THE LIVING GURU", BY A. R.

NATARAJAN, 1996 EDITION, PAGES 26 TO 29.

[Guest guest]

thank you......very appropriate.....you are That from which the thought

arises....paying attention to the thought is movement away from the

Source.....the power of the mind is strong.....but when one follows the

thought back inward to the 'thinker' the thought dissolves......so

beautiful......so humbling for the mind.....thank you

 

 

 

 

 

"Surrendering all the concepts of love is, in fact, surrendering to love.

Surrendering all demands for love is surrendering to love. Surrendering all

hopes is surrendering to love." ~ Gangaji

----Original Message Follows---- "saikali6362" <saikali6362

RamanaMaharshi RamanaMaharshi

[RamanaMaharshi] THE NEW WAY Tue, 25 Jan 2005 22:40:13 -0000

THE NEW WAY Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature. If we

can attain it or be in that state, it is alright. All the age long vasanas

(tendencies) carry the mind outward and turn it to external objects. All

such thoughts are to be given up and turned inward. For that effort is

necessary. (BHAGAVAN RAMANA IN "DAY BY DAY" PAGE 89). A jnani, a person of

steady wisdom, is free of all vasanas. He is desireless. His mind is silent

because there is no necessity for seeking happiness without through

fulfillment of desires. His mind lies immersed in natural bliss. If we find

him acting as Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Ramana did, it is because of the

divine plan which casts them in the role of world teachers. However, for the

seeker it is a daily battle against his own thoughts. In the course of any

given day one experiences a wide variety of thoughts; complementary,

cross-purpose, positive, negative, good, bad and so on. One does not have

control over the welter of thoughts. For it is obvious one is unable to stay

with the wanted thoughts. Nor can he prevent the intrusion of unwanted

thoughts. This is because of the massive strength of potential thoughts

which lie hidden as vasanas, tendencies. Their grip is like a hangman tight

noose round one's neck. As Ramana would remark "thoughts cannot manifest

unless they are already in the mind. It was of course very subtle and

remained imperceptible. Because it lay repressed by more urgent or insistent

vasanas. In fact it was within all along". They constitute the content of

the mind. Ramana reveals a new way of handling the thought hordes by

focusing our attention on a certain basic but hitherto not particularly

noticed fact. It is this. A vasana or potential thought will remain buried

unless the individual pays attention to it. Out of the vast array of

thoughts the individual automatically censors many by bestowing attention on

some and ignoring others, though for the time being. For instance let us say

one meets a classmate in school after many long years. He was forgotten

because one would not be thinking about him due to lapse of time. However,

the moment he meets you a whole lot of associated thoughts are triggered.

The wonderful school years, the profile of the classmates, of the teachers

and so on is recalled at once. This pattern keeps repeating itself. In the

morning the mind's attention is on the office, in the evening it is on the

home and entertainment. What follows from this? It is that the content of

the mind is unimportant. One need not go on pruning it, varying it by

various inputs. For if desire "A" is given up desire "B" takes its place.

The entire load, if rightly understood is only chaff. It is lifeless and can

be safely ignored. As Ramana remarks "just as it is futile to examine the

rubbish that is to be swept up only to be thrown away it would be futile to

examine that which has to be discarded" viz., the vasanas. This is subject

to big proviso. The proviso is that one should focus attention on the one

whose attention gives life to any potential thought, in the sense that they

sprout and appear on the mental horizon only because of that attention. Take

it away, the thought ceases. Ramana goes further and explains that the

individual is important because the parent "I am so and so" thought alone is

linked to the source, to consciousness, to the Self within. It is this

linkage which provides the consciousness to it. The other thoughts are not

directly linked, but are in turn dependent on the individual. The question

"To whom do these thoughts relate?" serves the purpose of bringing attention

back from the thought to the thinker. By practice of clinging to the "I"

one's mind turns inwards and gets merged with its source. Such merger

automatically purifies the content of the mind by reason of the resultant

contact with consciousness. Gradually, the vasanas which pull the mind out

in thought forms weaken and die. Then there is only the pure mind which

reflects the glory of fullness of consciousness. Ramana's method, termed

self-enquiry because it deals with what we presently regard as ourself, is

so simple and direct that it is difficult for seekers to straightaway accept

the truth that it is the most effective means of mind control, of subsidence

of the mind into consciousness. Hence they would come up with the questions

doubting its efficacy. To them Ramana would say "Many have cast off the

inherited tendencies. Believe it. They did so because they believed they

could". For even though the tendencies are constantly putting pressure in

the form of continuous waves of thought they too subside, as they must, by

vigilant attention to the thinker, the subject to whom they are related. By

reducing the importance of the content of the mind to zero. Ramana has

enables one to breathe freely and to pay attention to a single thought, the

subject, which has the power to lead one back to the blissful natural state.

However, one has to remember that one cannot achieve the breakthrough by

one's own effort alone. For the power of the past, as vasanas, keeps

cropping up as thoughts when one is off guard. Even if a single thoughts

infiltrates, other thoughts will keep crowding in. Therefore awareness of

the need for Ramana's grace is necessary. That alone can pull one out of

dispiritedness, listlessness and boredom which are part of each seeker`s

darker moments. Ramana's grace is paramount. On our part steadfast effort at

self-enquiry and gradual surrender would enable the tapping of the grace

which is readily available. Then Ramana's strength becomes one's own. One

abides in joyous stillness. NOTE: TAKEN FROM "RAMANA MAHARSHI, THE LIVING

GURU", BY A. R. NATARAJAN, 1996 EDITION, PAGES 26 TO 29.

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[Guest guest]

Excellent passage from Sri Natarajan and excellent summary by you

Michelle.

 

 

 

RamanaMaharshi, "Michelle O'Neill"

<lifeisrosey@h...> wrote:

> thank you......very appropriate.....you are That from which the

thought

> arises....paying attention to the thought is movement away from

the

> Source.....the power of the mind is strong.....but when one

follows the

> thought back inward to the 'thinker' the thought dissolves......so

> beautiful......so humbling for the mind.....thank you

>

>

>

>

>

> "Surrendering all the concepts of love is, in fact, surrendering

to love.

> Surrendering all demands for love is surrendering to love.

Surrendering all

> hopes is surrendering to love." ~ Gangaji

> ----Original Message Follows---- "saikali6362"

<saikali6362>

> RamanaMaharshi To:

RamanaMaharshi

> [RamanaMaharshi] THE NEW WAY Tue, 25 Jan 2005

22:40:13 -0000

> THE NEW WAY Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real

nature. If we

> can attain it or be in that state, it is alright. All the age long

vasanas

> (tendencies) carry the mind outward and turn it to external

objects. All

> such thoughts are to be given up and turned inward. For that

effort is

> necessary. (BHAGAVAN RAMANA IN "DAY BY DAY" PAGE 89). A jnani, a

person of

> steady wisdom, is free of all vasanas. He is desireless. His mind

is silent

> because there is no necessity for seeking happiness without

through

> fulfillment of desires. His mind lies immersed in natural bliss.

If we find

> him acting as Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Ramana did, it is because of

the

> divine plan which casts them in the role of world teachers.

However, for the

> seeker it is a daily battle against his own thoughts. In the

course of any

> given day one experiences a wide variety of thoughts;

complementary,

> cross-purpose, positive, negative, good, bad and so on. One does

not have

> control over the welter of thoughts. For it is obvious one is

unable to stay

> with the wanted thoughts. Nor can he prevent the intrusion of

unwanted

> thoughts. This is because of the massive strength of potential

thoughts

> which lie hidden as vasanas, tendencies. Their grip is like a

hangman tight

> noose round one's neck. As Ramana would remark "thoughts cannot

manifest

> unless they are already in the mind. It was of course very subtle

and

> remained imperceptible. Because it lay repressed by more urgent or

insistent

> vasanas. In fact it was within all along". They constitute the

content of

> the mind. Ramana reveals a new way of handling the thought hordes

by

> focusing our attention on a certain basic but hitherto not

particularly

> noticed fact. It is this. A vasana or potential thought will

remain buried

> unless the individual pays attention to it. Out of the vast array

of

> thoughts the individual automatically censors many by bestowing

attention on

> some and ignoring others, though for the time being. For instance

let us say

> one meets a classmate in school after many long years. He was

forgotten

> because one would not be thinking about him due to lapse of time.

However,

> the moment he meets you a whole lot of associated thoughts are

triggered.

> The wonderful school years, the profile of the classmates, of the

teachers

> and so on is recalled at once. This pattern keeps repeating

itself. In the

> morning the mind's attention is on the office, in the evening it

is on the

> home and entertainment. What follows from this? It is that the

content of

> the mind is unimportant. One need not go on pruning it, varying it

by

> various inputs. For if desire "A" is given up desire "B" takes its

place.

> The entire load, if rightly understood is only chaff. It is

lifeless and can

> be safely ignored. As Ramana remarks "just as it is futile to

examine the

> rubbish that is to be swept up only to be thrown away it would be

futile to

> examine that which has to be discarded" viz., the vasanas. This is

subject

> to big proviso. The proviso is that one should focus attention on

the one

> whose attention gives life to any potential thought, in the sense

that they

> sprout and appear on the mental horizon only because of that

attention. Take

> it away, the thought ceases. Ramana goes further and explains that

the

> individual is important because the parent "I am so and so"

thought alone is

> linked to the source, to consciousness, to the Self within. It is

this

> linkage which provides the consciousness to it. The other thoughts

are not

> directly linked, but are in turn dependent on the individual. The

question

> "To whom do these thoughts relate?" serves the purpose of bringing

attention

> back from the thought to the thinker. By practice of clinging to

the "I"

> one's mind turns inwards and gets merged with its source. Such

merger

> automatically purifies the content of the mind by reason of the

resultant

> contact with consciousness. Gradually, the vasanas which pull the

mind out

> in thought forms weaken and die. Then there is only the pure mind

which

> reflects the glory of fullness of consciousness. Ramana's method,

termed

> self-enquiry because it deals with what we presently regard as

ourself, is

> so simple and direct that it is difficult for seekers to

straightaway accept

> the truth that it is the most effective means of mind control, of

subsidence

> of the mind into consciousness. Hence they would come up with the

questions

> doubting its efficacy. To them Ramana would say "Many have cast

off the

> inherited tendencies. Believe it. They did so because they

believed they

> could". For even though the tendencies are constantly putting

pressure in

> the form of continuous waves of thought they too subside, as they

must, by

> vigilant attention to the thinker, the subject to whom they are

related. By

> reducing the importance of the content of the mind to zero. Ramana

has

> enables one to breathe freely and to pay attention to a single

thought, the

> subject, which has the power to lead one back to the blissful

natural state.

> However, one has to remember that one cannot achieve the

breakthrough by

> one's own effort alone. For the power of the past, as vasanas,

keeps

> cropping up as thoughts when one is off guard. Even if a single

thoughts

> infiltrates, other thoughts will keep crowding in. Therefore

awareness of

> the need for Ramana's grace is necessary. That alone can pull one

out of

> dispiritedness, listlessness and boredom which are part of each

seeker`s

> darker moments. Ramana's grace is paramount. On our part steadfast

effort at

> self-enquiry and gradual surrender would enable the tapping of the

grace

> which is readily available. Then Ramana's strength becomes one's

own. One

> abides in joyous stillness. NOTE: TAKEN FROM "RAMANA MAHARSHI, THE

LIVING

> GURU", BY A. R. NATARAJAN, 1996 EDITION, PAGES 26 TO 29.

> ------------------------ Sponsor --------------------

~--> In

> low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for

Good,

> help bridge the Digital Divide!

> http://us.click./hjtSRD/3MnJAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM

> -

-~->

> Post message:

RamanaMaharshi

> Subscribe: RamanaMaharshi- Un:

> RamanaMaharshi List owner:

> RamanaMaharshi-owner Shortcut URL to this page:

>