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ABSORBED IN RAMANA-- by Sri Muruganar

 

 

 

ABSORBED IN RAMANA

Selected verses from Ramananubhuti, by Muruganar

Self Realized disciple of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

 

 

From Ramana Maharshi's Miracles, They Happen Everyday, copyrighted and

published by the Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning, Bangalore, 1995. By kind

permission. Verses chosen by Sri A.R. Natarajan, compiler and editor, from a

translation of Ramananubhuti, Part I, by Robert Butler.

(The book is available through the SAT book service, Books Beyond Words).

 

 

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Sri Muruganar

 

 

 

I read the scriptures but my mind could not grasp their meaning. It was

only through the gracious intervention of my wise teacher and master, working

inwardly, that His own state of unbroken meditation became permanent within me

and my heart was penetrated and held in reality's eternal grasp. [50]

 

Without dissimulation He revealed to us through the absolute purity of his

grace that infinite state of pure consciousness, manifesting as a radiant

expanse of light within our hearts, so that, sitting at the feet of the Creator,

with no-one to give and no-one to receive, we enjoyed the union we so eagerly

sought. [53]

 

" In order to understand the 'I' which is my own true nature, what need is

there of any external teacher? " Even as I pondered thus, in the holy silence

born out of realization of the uncreated reality, the very question died within

my heart. [55]

 

The pure, unalloyed 'I' shining as itself alone, blazed forth in the

eternal realization of true knowledge when in divine silence all the worlds,

above as below, were revealed as impermanent illusions within the radiant

Supreme. [65]

 

Without the sublime reality of his true teaching, taking the individual

soul for the real, there remains no path to salvation. But the Lord came to rule

me, his pure being- awareness unfailingly manifesting within my heart as 'I-I'.

[70]

 

Through the victorious experience of true realization's full glory, the

confusion caused by my soul's defilement disappeared completely. Then indeed did

a tide of deep peace, which my heart could not contain, well up and spread

within me, and as the flood increased desire's thirst was quenched at last. [79]

 

Know that the true path is that which is illuminated by his perfect grace,

when we sink within in meditation at his holy feet, which are the outward

manifestation of the Self, granting life to life itself. That inner awareness

will consume and reduce to ashes the myriad insubstantial appearances which

surround us in all their wondrous diversity, deluding us through our false

understanding. [82]

 

My voice and mind He made his own, enfolding me in the majesty of his

gaze. Richly endowing me with an understanding subtler than the most subtle, He

dwelt within this devotee's heart, filling it with the overflowing grace of Lord

Siva's bliss. [88]

 

The most excellent form of worship, reflecting the most ardent devotion,

is to affirm: " The consciousness of that Divine Being who in holy silence gazes

upon you and takes you to himself is your very own consciousness' light.

Therefore surrender the fruits of your actions to That. " Thus do I offer up my

own awareness to the Lord who has accepted me as his servant. [98]

 

Through my Master's gracious revelation, sinking deep within myself, I

knew that it was pure falsehood to claim that the state of self-forgetfulness in

which thought diversifies, giving rise to the pairs of opposites, could be

inherent in the lofty condition of pure, non-dual consciousness. [120]

 

The nature of his grace, conferred through the bliss of divine silence,

was such that it established in me an unshakable devotion which I experienced as

a deep love for my Lord, wherein my bondage was ended and my mind dissolved in

the limitless expanse of the supreme Self. [123]

 

Desirous of knowing Him, we steady our minds, playing " tonokkam " [a

child's game in which the hands of players are placed on each others' shoulders]

in our inner awareness as we perform our worship. Then, through the

indestructible nature of those holy feet, does He grant us freedom from the

terror caused by our mind's defilement. Tonokkam! [129]

 

At his radiant feet the reward of true understanding was graciously

granted to me. Within my consciousness which fretted and grieved, enmeshed in

thoughts, the heavenly condition of the glorious Self, which is to dwell in the

lofty estate of noble Sivahood, unfolded at last. [131]

 

Even as I grieved over my own lack of worth, He revealed to me the

infinite heaven of his grace, purifying me with his limitless and all pervading

light. The delusion of a personal self was swept away and in that clear

awareness my existence became one with Lord Siva. [136]

 

Dwelling as the supreme Self whose nature is inherently free of all

becoming, that unique reality became established within my heart as my own true

nature, and my personal self was totally annihilated in Him. [141]

 

Through the power of his grace, I came to abide quietly in the

thought-free state of pure being awareness, firmly established in the state of

holy silence, and steadfastly absorbed in the inner peace of Lord Siva's ancient

wisdom, so that my consciousness blossomed, freed from the bonds of the ego.

[147]

 

Through that grace which may only be gained by the subtlest inner

scrutiny, and through that true love which miraculously arises in the vast

firmament of Lord Siva's infinite being, the constant companion of these, true

realization, ripened within my heart, bringing the clarity of true knowledge, so

that my delusive identification with the body was destroyed. [160]

 

My natural duty, as I perceive it, is to remain absorbed beyond thought at

his feet, my consciousness flooded with bliss, so that there at the holy feet of

the real, all mental activity, along with the egotism, anger, and sorrow that

flourishes in the mind's confusion, subsides and disappears. [161]

 

When I perceived the Self manifesting in his radiant form, fulfilling my

heart's deepest yearning, I was humbled by the full flood of his grace which

cleansed me of obscuring desires, and as my ego fell away, I bowed my head in

profound humility. [173]

 

The Self is that all embracing true reality, which in the clear light of

holy silence, dissipates the dark cloud of desires which is the ego. And it is

through that divine silence alone that the conceit of the 'I', arising out of

false understanding, can be absorbed into that radiant void beyond the mind's

understanding, and finally abolished. [174]

 

Sharing His own inner awareness, how easy it has become for me to grasp

the supreme reality of his self manifesting as pure knowledge, free of names,

qualities, and inner divisions! [178]

 

For those whose very existence has been subsumed in the realization of

Lord Siva, of what use are images or poetry, steeped in the world's corruption?

For they have gone beyond desires and the myriad pleasures they offer, and

embraced a discipline which is not of the mind. [185]

 

Now that He has ensnared me with his seductive charms, He no longer

tolerates my mischief, no longer allows me to throw back my head and dance,

forgetting the truth. The breathless whirl of the Kummi, the Kummalam,

[children's dances] all those childhood dances has been stilled, and is no more.

[189]

 

It is indeed a wonder how, established in holy silence, this whole

universe evolves therefrom and returns thereto, and how, even now, in the midst

of its cycle, that universe has been absorbed and merged into that holy

silence--his very nature, through which He took my understanding's full measure.

[191]

 

Well it was that the fair Lord Siva restrained me and subjected me to his

love, so that I was captivated by the grace of his own immaculate Selfhood. For

there, in the absolute state, which is the heavenly condition of his all

transcending grace, the triad of the phenomenal world [the knower, the known,

and knowledge] faded like an insubstantial dream. [192]

 

Becoming established in the clarity of true knowledge I, his humble

servant, have attained to the consummate state of holy silence. Abandoning the

ego, I have forsaken all company other than that of the Self, whose glorious

nature is none other than my own.

 

 

 

 

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Selected from Verses 1-99 of

The Garland of Guru's Sayings

(Guru Vachaka Kovai) by Sri Muruganar

Translated from the Tamil into English by Prof. K. Swaminathan

Copyrighted and published by Sri Ramanasramam, 1990. By kind permission.

 

Note: Sri Muruganar, the renowned Tamil poet, offered the verses as a

garland to his Guru, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. They can be truly regarded as

scripture for, as the title indicates, they are all based on the Guru's sayings.

Although the English verses are Sri Ramana's words twice removed, to Tamil

poetry and to English verse, the essence shines through all translations.

 

Verses were transcribed and sent to us in electronic form by Ramana

devotees Satish Natarajan and Balachandran in Bangalore--a service much

appreciated. The book (Guru Vachaka Kovai) is available through SAT's book

service, 'Treasures of the Heart.'

 

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Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

 

1. Invocation to the Guru

1

To save from dire despondency

Those who yearn for, and yet are, far,

Far from the goal of final Freedom,

This Lamp of Guru's wisdom lit

To put to flight the illusion of " I "

And " mine, " shines as the very Self.

 

2

While I lay writhing in the body

Mistaking it for me, the gracious,

Silent guru took pity on me

And made me see that I was not

This form inert, decaying, but

Imperishable true Awareness.

With His twin Feet I crown my head.

 

3

The Sage accomplished who reveals

With clarity and certitude

The ultimate Truth which reconciles

All the discordant creeds and doctrines,

His Feet my head wears as a crown.

 

. . .

 

6. The Author

13

Some sayings of the guru, Kanna

Muruga stored and strung together

As a garland bright of Being supreme

His Eye of grace, at his Master's Feet,

Had found the meaning, beauty and bliss

Of all this universe.

 

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From Part I: The Quest

Invocation

14

The ocean-girdled maiden Earth's

Hard, long penance has borne fruit,

Pure Being, glorious Siva Himself,

Embodied in human form as Guru

Ramana of flawless wisdom

Has come to us. Let us in the heart

Cherish His sacred Feet.

 

15

One of the benedictions fits

This Garland of Guru's Sayings, which

Seeks to dispel delusion. That

One word is " I " , the Self, abiding

In every being as the Heart.

 

16

Awareness pure, true Being shining

In silence, Self-experience of

The real I behind the false,

Conceptual " I " , is God transcendent,

With His Feet we crown our heads.

 

17

To those who look within, the highest

Good gained by the Master's grace

Is wakeful sleep, the turiya state,

The undying flame, the sweet, uncloying

Fruit forever fresh.

 

18

Heart free from liking and disliking,

Form comely with comeliness

Of perfect wisdom, He, my Master,

The goal of all true goodness, has

Destroyed my ignorance and fear.

His feet are my last refuge.

 

19

From cause alone proceeds effect.

The big world, which the scriptures say

Is only names and forms, proceeds

From pure Awareness which is real,

Clear as the berry is one's palm.

Hence you may say this big world too

Is real.

 

20

Considering that the primal cause

Of all three or all seven worlds *

Exists unbroken, all these worlds

Have also some reality.

But when this form derivative

Is viewed as infinite and eternal,

The ground, the whole, Awareness pure,

Seems to be non-existent, void.

 

* The universe is [traditionally] conceived as three: upper, middle and

nether worlds, or as seven celestial and seven subterranean worlds.

21

For those who take the world appearance

As real and enjoy it, it is

The Lord's creation. But for those

Who free from fear have known the Truth,

The undeluded Self, it is

No more than mere mental image

Projected by desire.

 

22

The world of trivial names and forms

Perceived by the five senses is

A mere appearance in the Self,

Awarenes pure. It is the sport

Of maya, of images projected

By the mind, itself a thought

Arising in Being-Awareness.

 

23

Seers who know the Self as pure

Awareness know that nothing but

The Self exists. They cannot treat

As wholly real the world that has

No being in the sight of God supreme.

 

33

By names and forms the universe

Is split into objects. When

These names and forms are whisked away,

Pure Being, Brahman, abides. Concealing

God with these conceptual

Names and forms, the poor fool is

Deluded into seeing a world

Of which, alas, he is afraid.

 

34

The mind bewildered which mistakes

The body for oneself conceives

The transient world of names and forms,

Makes it seem real and lovable,

And promptly entraps one in the strong,

Illusive bondage of desire.

 

39

Seen in the light of Self-experience

All this phenomenal world is mere

Appearance, like the sky's deep blueness.

What the deluded, body-bound ego

Perceived 'out there' is mind-created,

Nothing more.

 

40

This villainous vast world so false

That cheats and churns the minds of all,

How did it come to be?

By nothing else but by the fault

Of falling from the Self instead

Of clinging firmly to It.

 

42

When in Awareness pure supreme

The mind is merged and lost, then all

Three drives--desiring, doing, knowing--

Are seen as but conceptual movements

In the one Self's abiding Being

As Awareness, and hence slip

Away and bind no more.

 

46

By This world That world is concealed.

And This world is by That concealed.

Names and forms one sees, or else

One sees pure Being-Awareness-Bliss.

Looking at a granite dog,

One sees the dog or else the stone,

Not form and substance both together.

 

53

This world which seeems to be a sea

Of sorrow is transformed into

An ocean filled with bliss transcendent

If one's defective vision is

Corrected and one sees it fresh

With the clear eye of true Awareness

As the form of the Supreme.

 

54

Still, waveless Being-Awareness-Bliss

Alone is what the true seer sees

And is. Since seer and sight are one

It follows surely that this world

Is also Being-Awareness-Bliss.

 

55

The nature of this mind-created

World, now seen in dream-light dim,

Is truly known only in that

Bright Being-Awareness which transcends

The mind's illusion.

 

58

Those who have sought and gained the goal

Of true Awareness do not see

This world as variegated forms.

The whole world filled with crowds of objects

Is for them but the gracious play

Of one sole Sakti, one sole power,

The power of pure Awareness.

 

61

If you abide at heart established

As Being-Awareness, which shines also

As this world, then this world becomes

One with your Self, its frightening, false

Duality having disappeared.

 

62

He who sees this phenomenal world

As all Awareness, Self-Awareness,

This sage indeed enjoys with all

Five senses fully his own Self.

 

81

Knowing your identity

And ever in the heart abiding

As the Self supreme alone,

Play perfectly your human role,

Tasting every pain and pleasure

In common with all creatures.

 

82

Though after examining everything

They have attained the ultimate truth,

The wise put on no strange behaviour.

Therefore let your outward conduct

Conform to that of your own people.

 

85

The Self becomes itself the world

Of multitudinous names and forms.

Hence it is not a mere efficient

Cause which creates, preserves, and then

Destroys the world.

 

86

Don't ask, " How did this error rise,

Why this ignorance that the Self

Itself is as the world transformed? "

Seek rather and find out to whom

This happened, and the error will

Persist no more.

 

91

Did the Self lapse from its own wholeness

As Being, you ask, " How else did this

World come to be? " It came from

Ignorance False. The Self can never suffer

Any change at any time.

 

92

Experiencing the unbroken oneness

Of pure space, one sees no separate

Pot at all. From seeming movement

Of the seeming pot, it is folly

To infer some movement of the space

Within the pot.

 

93

In plenitude of Self-awareness

Body and world as other than Self

Are seen no more. Because of their

Apparent changes, it is folly

To say the Self is mutable.

 

94

Vast, whole, immutable, the Self

Reflected in the mind's distorting

Mirror may appear to move.

Know that it is the image moving,

The true Self never moves or changes.

 

95

How can the dark, delusive sense

Of separateness affect the Self

Which is non-dual? It is mind's

Divisive vision which sees difference.

Awareness knows no separateness

At all.

 

99

Without the body, the world is not.

Without the mind, the body is not.

Without awareness, there is no mind.

And without being there is no

Awareness.

 

. . .

 

(There are 1254 verses in the printed book, The Garland of Guru's Sayings,

by Muruganar, which is available from the SAT book service, Books Beyond Words

 

 

 

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OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SRI RAMANAYA

 

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