Fwd: Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-95

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ThePowerOfSilence , " saikali6362 "

<saikali6362 wrote:

 

Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-95

 

TALK 489:

 

Another group of visitors was asking the method of Realisation. In

the course of a reply Sri Bhagavan said: " Holding the mind and

investigating it is advised for a beginner. But what is mind after

all? It is a projection of the Self. See for whom it appears and

from where it rises. The `I-thought' will be found to be the root-

cause. Go deeper; the `I-thought' disappears and there is an

infinitely expanded `I-consciousness'. That is otherwise called

Hiranyagarbha. When it puts on limitations it appears as

individuals. "

 

TALK 490:

 

The English lady desired to have a private talk with Sri Bhagavan.

She began, " I am returning to England. I leave this place this

evening. I want to have the happiness of Self-Realisation in my

home. Of course it is not easy in the West. But I shall strive for

it. What is the way to do it? "

M.: If Realisation be something outside you a way can be shown

consistent with the safety of the individual, his capacity. etc.

Then the questions if it is realisable and, if so, in what time -

will also arise. But here, Realisation is of the Self. You cannot

remain without the Self. The Self is always realised. But only you

do not recognise the fact. The Realisation is now obscured by the

present worldidea. The world is now seen outside you and the idea

associated with it obscures your real nature. All that is needed is

to overcome this ignorance and then the Self stands revealed. No

special effort is necessary to realise the Self. All efforts are for

eliminating the present obscuration of the Truth.

A lady is wearing a necklace round her neck. She forgets it,

imagines it to be lost and impulsively looks for it here, there and

everywhere. Not finding it, she asks her friends if they have found

it anywhere, until one kind friend points to her neck and tells her

to feel the necklace round the neck. The seeker does so and feels

happy that the necklace is found. Again, when she meets her other

friends, they ask her if her lost necklace was found. She says `yes'

to them, as if it were lost and later recovered. Her happiness on re-

discovering it round her neck is the same as if some lost property

was recovered. In fact she never lost it nor recovered it. And yet

she was once miserable and now she is happy. So also with the

realisation of the Self. The Self is always realised. The

Realisation is now obscured. When the veil is removed the person

feels happy at rediscovering the ever-realised Self. The ever-

present Realisation appears to be a new Realisation. Now, what

should one do to overcome the present ignorance. Be eager to have

the true knowledge. As this eagerness grows the wrong knowledge

diminishes in strength until it finally disappears.

D.: The other day you were saying that there is no awareness in deep

sleep. But I have on rare occasions become aware of sleep even in

that state.

M.: Now, of these three factors, the awareness, sleep and knowledge

of it, the first one is changeless. That awareness, which cognised

sleep as a state, now sees the world also in the waking state. The

negation of the world is the state of sleep. The world may appear or

disappear - that is to say, one may be awake or asleep - the

awareness is unaffected. It is one continuous whole over which the

three states of waking, dream and sleep pass. Be that awareness even

now. That is the Self - that is Realisation - there is Peace - there

is Happiness.

TALK 491:

 

Mr. Kishorelal Mashruwala: " How is Brahmacharya to be practised in

order that it may be successfully lived up to? "

M.: It is a matter of will-power. Satvic food, prayers, etc., are

useful aids to it.

D.: Young men have fallen into bad habits. They desire to get over

them and seek our advice.

M.: Mental reform is needed.

D.: Can we prescribe any special food, exercise, etc., to them?

M.: There are some medicines. Yogic asanas and satvic food are also

useful.

D.: Some young persons have taken a vow of brahmacharya. They repent

of the vow after the lapse of ten or twelve years. Under these

circumstances should we encourage young persons to take the vow of

brahmacharya?

M.: This question will not arise in the case of true brahmacharya.

D.: Some young men take the vow of brahmacharya without knowing its

full implications. When they find it difficult to carry it out in

practice, they seek our advice.

M.: They need not take a vow but they may try it without the vow.

D.: Is naishthika brahmacharya (life-long celibacy) essential as a

sadhana for Self-Realisation?

M.: Realisation itself is naishthika brahmacharya. The vow is not

brahmacharya. Life in Brahman is brahmacharya and it is not a

forcible attempt at it.

D.: It is said that kama (desire), krodha (anger), etc.. vanish in

the presence of the Sadguru. Is it so?

M.: It is correct. Kama and krodha must vanish before Self-

Realisation.

D.: But all the disciples of a guru are not of the same degree of

advancement. There are found lapses in a few cases. Who is

responsible for such lapses?

M.: There is no connection between Self-Realisation and individual

predispositions (samskara). It is not always possible to live up to

the ideal of the Guru.

 

D.: Do not passions affect Realisation?

 

M.: The attempt to cleanse oneself will be automatic.

 

D.: Is it not necessary to wash off all impurities before

Realisation?

 

M.: Jnana will wash them clean.

 

D.: Gandhiji is often perplexed finding his intimate disciples going

wrong. He wonders how it could happen and thinks that it is due to

his own defects. Is it so?

 

M.: (Sri Bhagavan smiled and answered after a few minutes) Gandhiji

has struggled so long to perfect himself. All others will be right

in due course.

D.: Is the Hindu view of reincarnation correct?

M.: No definite answer is possible for this question. There are pros

and cons for the view. Even the present birth is denied natvevaham

jatu nasam etc., (Bhagavad Gita). We were never born, etc.

D.: Is not individuality anadi (without beginning)?

M.: Investigate and see if there is any individuality at all. Ask

this question after solving this problem.

Nammalvar says: " In ignorance I took the ego to be myself; however,

with right knowledge, the ego is nowhere and only you remain as the

SELF. "

Both monists and dualists are agreed on the necessity of Self-

Realisation. Let us do it first and then discuss the side-issues.

Advaita or dvaita cannot be decided on theoretical considerations

alone. If the Self is realised the question will not arise at all.

Even Suka had no confidence in his brahmacharya whereas Sri Krishna

was sure of his brahmacharya. Self-Realisation is designated by so

many different names, satya, brahmacharya, etc. What is natural to

the state of Self-Realisation forms the disciplinary course in the

other state. " I-am-the-body " idea will become extinct only on Self-

Realisation. With its extinction the vasanas become extinct and all

virtues will remain ever.

D.: Samskaras are said to persist even in a Jnani.

 

M.: Yes. They are bhoga hetu (leading to enjoyment only) and not

bandha hetu.

 

D.: This fact is often abused by fakes who pretend to be sadhus but

lead vicious lives. They say it is prarabdha (remnant of past

Karma). How shall we mark off the fakes from the genuine sadhus?

 

M.: The one who has given up the idea of being the doer cannot

repeat, " This is my prarabdha " . " The jnanis lead different lives " is

said for the benefit of others. The jnanis cannot make use of this

in explanation of their lives and conduct.

(After a few minutes, Sri Bhagavan remarked about Mr. Kishorelal's

weak body).

Mr. Kishorelal: I am asthmatic. I have never been strong. Even as a

baby I was not fed on my mother's milk.

M.: Here the mind is strong and the body is weak.

D.: I wanted to practise Raja Yoga. I could not do it because of my

physical unfitness. The mind also began to wander with the movement

of the body.

M.: If the mind be kept immovable let the body change as much as it

likes.

D.: Is it not a handicap to the beginner?

 

M.: Attempts must be made in spite of handicaps.

 

D.: Of course. But they will be momentary.

 

M.: The idea of `momentary' is one among so many other ideas. So

long as thoughts persist this idea also will recur. Concentration is

our own nature (i.e. BE-ing). There is the effort now: but it ceases

after Self-Realisation.

 

D.: It is said to be the interval between flights of mind

M.: This too is due to the activity of the mind. The Devotee

submitted that whenever he had thought that he had found something

original, he later discovered that he was already forestalled. Sri

Bhagavan pointed out that everything remains already in the germinal

form and so there can be nothing new.

 

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