Guest guest Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Hari Om! Disciple: What is the nature of the heart? Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi: The sacred Texts describing it say: “Between the two breasts, below the chest and above the abdomen, there are six organs of different colours (these are not the same as the charkas). One of them resembling the bud of a water lily and situated two digits to the right is the heart. It is inverted and within it is a tiny orifice which is the seat of dense darkness (ignorance) full of desires. All the psychic nerves (nadis) depend upon it. It is the abode of the vital forces, the mind and the light (of consciousness). But although it is described thus, the meaning of the word heart (hridayam) is the Self (Atman). As it is denoted by the terms existence, consciousness, bliss eternal and plenum (sat, chit, anandam, nityam, purnam) it has no differences such as exterior and interior or up and down. That tranquil state in which all thoughts come to an end is called the state of the Self. When it is realized as it is, there is no scope for discussions about its location inside the body or outside. Disciple: Why do thoughts of many objects arise in the mind even when there is no contact with external objects? Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi: All such thoughts are due to latent tendencies (purva samskaras). They appear only to the individual consciousness (jiva) which has forgotten its real nature and become externalized. Whenever particular things are perceived, the enquiry, “who is it that sees them?” should be made; they will then disappear at once. Disciple: How do the triple factors (knower, known and the knowledge), which are absent in deep sleep, Samadhi, etc., manifest themselves in the Self (in the states of waking and dreaming)? Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi: From the Self there arise in succession: 1) Chidabhasa (reflected consciousness) which is a kind of luminosity; 2) Jiva (the individual consciousness) or the seer or the first concept. 3) Phenomena, that is the world. Disciple: Since the Self is free from the notions of knowledge and ignorance how can it be said to pervade the entire body in the shape of sentience or to impart sentience to the senses? Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi: Wise men say that there is a connection between the source of the various psychic nerves and the Self, that this is the knot of the heart, that the connection between the sentient and the insentient will exist until this is cut asunder with the aid of true knowledge, that just as the subtle and invisible force of electricity travels through wires and does many wonderful things, so the force of the Self also travels through the psychic nerves and, pervading the entire body, imparts sentience to the senses, and that if this knot is cut, the Self will remain as it always is, without any attributes. Disciple: How can there be a connection between the Self which is pure knowledge and the triple factors which are relative knowledge? Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi: This is, in a way, like the working of a cinema. In a Cinema Show: Self 1) The lamp inside (the apparatus) - the Self 2) The lens in front of the lamp - The pure (Sattvic) mind close to the Self. 3)The film which is a long series of The stream of latent tendencies consisting separate photos - of subtle thoughts. 4)The lens, the light passing through it The mind, the illumination of it and the and the lamp, which together form the - Self, which together form the seer or the focused light. Jiva. 5)The light passing through the lens The light of the Self emerging from the and falling on the screen. - mind through the senses, and falling on the world. 6) The various kinds of pictures The various forms and names appearing appearing in the light of the screen. - as the objects perceived in the light of the world. 7) The mechanism which sets the film - The divine law manifesting the latent in motion. tendencies of the mind. Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens, so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sprout-like tendencies into tree-like thoughts and shows in a second innumerable worlds. Again just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and Samadhi. Just as the lamp illumines the lens, etc., while remaining unaffected, the Self illumines the ego (chidabhasa), etc., while remaining unaffected. Pranams, Vanaja Ravi Nair Meet people who discuss and share your passions. Join them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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