Fwd: Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-24

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ThePowerOfSilence , " saikali6362 "

<saikali6362 wrote:

 

Help on the Quest for Self-realization-Reminders-24

 

From Surging Joy

By Dr Sarada Nataragan

 

The " I'-thought will not give up its independent identity, limited

and illusory though it be, so easily. Although it has no

consciousness of its own and derives its awareness only from the

Self, as the moon reflecting the light of the sun, yet by long habit

it has forgotten this truth and has assumed for itself an

independent identity. This apparent sovereignty it is now unwilling

to resign without the struggle. The moment the attempt is made to

turn it Selfward, for a merger there, it prepares for battle. Here

we encounter its first commander – the over active thought world.

Thoughts and thoughts and thoughts, like an overgrown garden, appear

and grow. Good thoughts may be, positive thoughts, constructive

thoughts, perhaps thoughts about one's work, thought about what to

eat, on helping a friend, thoughts about solving a problem,

thoughts, maybe, about how best to serve Bhagavan, about how to

worship Him, thoughts on the discipline with which one plans to

perform self-enquiry, thoughts on thoughts…

 

As the gardener carefully prunes the rose-bush that the leaves may

be few and the roses bloom large, so must we prune these (135)

thoughts. And pruning scissors we must use are the scissors of self-

enquiry. Bhagavan says that as every thought arises one must strike

it down, patiently, attentively, with self-enquiry. Not allowing the

thought to branch out in numerous directions and become a large

tree, one must snip it at its very inception. As it rises, as one

becomes aware of the " I " -thought associating itself with another

thought, immediately one must pose the question, " For whom is this

thought? " The answer naturally is, " For me " . Then is the time to put

the question, " Who am I? " This question must be posed not merely as

a verbal, mechanical question but as a searching, searing attitude

of doubt. So serious must be the doubt about one's identity that

entertaining any other thought related to that identity becomes

absurd and attention is automatically and wholly focused on finding

the source of the identity, the " I " -thought alone:

 

" The mind is only a bundle of thoughts.

They are dependent on the " I " -thought.

Know the " I " -thought to be the mind. "

" Wherefrom does the " I " -thought arise?

If one enquires thus, it vanishes.

This is self-enquiry. "

 

Upadesa Saram, Vs 18 & 19,

Sri Ramana Maharshi (136)

 

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