Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-74

[Guest guest]

Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-74

 

The mind is likened to a monkey rushing from tree to tree, ever

restless, never content to be still. It has to be checked from its

restlessness and held firmly to enquiry. But it is not the

wandering nature of the mind and the unending succession of thoughts

that is the obstruction; it is also the ego-drive behind many of the

thoughts. This gives them power and makes them far harder to

dispel. You may convince yourself doctrinally that there is no ego

and have occasional brief glimpses of the being-consciousness which

is unruffled happiness when the ego is in fact absent; but you are

drawn to this girl or want to impress this friend or dominate this

group; you resent this criticism or feel slighted by this person;

you feel insecure in your job, cling to your possessions, hanker

after money or power; and all of these are affirmations of the ego

which you believe not to exist. So long as they exist, it does. If

there is no ego who can feel anger or desire, resentment or

frustration. This means that enquiry is not merely a cold

investigation but a battle; every path is, in every religion. The

ego, or apparent ego, has to be destroyed. That is the one

essential common to all of them. If the ego itself is dissolved

(disappear or cause to disappear gradually), the vices in which it

found expression will collapse like deflated balloons. But it is

constant warfare until the ego really is dissolved.

 

Source: Various reliable publications of / on Sri Ramana Maharshi's

teachings.

[Guest guest]

Dear Saikali,

 

In this is important merterial for a practitioner of Self-inquiry.

 

Each thought is based an the 'I'-thought.

 

So we can, for any thought, look to see what identity is being held,

then inquire to see if that is really who we are.

 

This way we can dissolve vasanas, which are like the branches the

monkey holds to. Dissolution of vasana beings freedom.

 

Not two,

Richard

 

RamanaMaharshi, "saikali6362"

<saikali6362 wrote:

>

> Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-74

>

> The mind is likened to a monkey rushing from tree to tree, ever

> restless, never content to be still. It has to be checked from its

> restlessness and held firmly to enquiry. But it is not the

> wandering nature of the mind and the unending succession of

thoughts

> that is the obstruction; it is also the ego-drive behind many of

the

> thoughts.