Fwd: Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-97

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ThePowerOfSilence , " saikali6362 "

<saikali6362 wrote:

 

Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-97

 

TALK 500:

 

D.: When all the thoughts are banished and the mind is still or

enters into a state of nothingness or emptiness, what is the nature

of effort needed on the part of the `seeker' to have a

pratyakshabhava of the `sought' (e.g., seeing a mango as a mango)?

M.: Who sees nothingness or emptiness? What is pratyaksha? Do you

call perception of mango pratyaksha? It involves the play of karma,

karta, and karya (action, doer and deed). So it is relative and not

absolute. Because you see a thing now you say there is nothing

afterwards (i.e., when you no longer see it). Both are functions of

the mind. What lies behind both these assertions is pratyaksha.

There is indriya pratyaksha (directly perceived by senses), manasa

pratyaksha (directly perceived by the mind) and sakshat pratyaksha

(realised as the very Being). The last alone is true. The others are

relative and untrue.

D.: If no effort is needed, can the perpetuated state of emptiness

of mind be called the state of realisation?

M.: Effort is needed so long as there is mind. The state of

emptiness has been the bone of contention in all philosophies.

D.: Is there anything like pratyakshabhava in the state of

realisation or is realisation merely felt or experienced as the very

Being or Sthiti of the soul?

M.: Pratyaksha is very being and it is not feeling, etc.

D.: Until the seeker realizes that he is the sought, the above

questions arise for him (the former).

M.: True. See if you are the seeker. The Self is often mistaken for

the knower. Is there not the Self in deep sleep, i.e., nescience?

Therefore the Self is beyond knower and knowledge. These doubts are

in the realm of mind. To speak from this point of view, the advice

is to keep the mind clear, and when rajas and tamas are wiped off,

then the satva mind alone exists. So the `I' vanishes in the satva

(oonadhal kan). Jnana chakshus does not mean that it is an organ of

perception like the other sense-organs. Jnanameva chakshuh.

Television, etc., are not functions of jnana chakshus. So long as

there is a subject and also an object it is only relative knowledge.

Jnana lies beyond relative knowledge. It is absolute.

The Self is the source of subject and object. Now ignorance

prevailing, the subject is taken to be the source. The subject is

the knower and forms one of the triads whose components cannot exist

independent of one another. So the subject or the knower cannot be

the ultimate Reality. Reality lies beyond subject and object. When

realised there will be no room for doubt.

" Bhidyate hridayagranthih

chhidyante sarvasamsayah. "

 

The heart knot is snapped; doubts are set at rest. That is called

pratyaksha and not what you are thinking of. Avidya nasa is alone

Self-Realisation. Self-Realisation is only owpacharika. Self-

Realisation is only a euphemism for elimination of ignorance.

 

TALK 501:

 

D.: How did I get this body?

M.: You speak of `I' and the `body'. There is the relationship

between the two. You are not therefore the body. The question does

not occur to the body because it is inert. There is an occasion when

you are not aware of the body - namely, in deep sleep. The question

does not arise then. Nevertheless you are there in sleep. To whom

does the question arise now?

D.: The ego.

M.: Yes. The body and the ego rise up together and sink together.

There is an occasion when you are not associated with the ego in

deep sleep. Now you are associated with the ego. Of these two

states which is your real state? You are present in sleep and the

same " You " is present now too. Why should the doubt arise now and

not then? You are right in saying that it is for the ego. You are

not the ego. The ego is intermediate between the Self and the body.

You are the Self. Find out the origin of the ego and see if the

doubt persists. Sri Bhagavan added after a few minutes: The answer,

according to sastras, will be that the body is due to karma. The

question will be how did karma arise? We must say " from a previous

body " and so on without end. The direct method of attack is not to

depend on invisible hypotheses but to ask " Whose Karma is it? Or

whose body? " Hence I answered in this manner. This is more

purposeful.

 

TALK 502:

D.: How is the mind to be steadily kept right?

M.: All living beings are aware of their surroundings and therefore

intellect must be surmised in all of them. At the same time, there

is a difference between the intellect of man and that of other

animals, because man not only sees the world as it is and acts

accordingly, but also seeks fulfilment of desires and is not

satisfied with the existing state of affairs. In his attempt to

fulfil his desires he extends his vision far and wide and yet he

turns away dissatisfied. He now begins to think and reason.

The desire for permanency of happiness and of peace bespeaks such

permanency in his own nature. Therefore he seeks to find and regain

his own nature, i.e., his Self. That found, all is found. Such

inward seeking is the path to be gained by man's intellect. The

intellect itself realises after continuous practice that it is

enabled by some Higher Power to function. It cannot itself reach

that Power. So it ceases to function after a certain stage. When it

thus ceases to function the Supreme Power is still left there all

alone. That is Realisation; that is the finality; that is the goal.

It is thus plain that the purpose of the intellect is to realise its

own dependence upon the Higher Power and its inability to reach the

same. So it must annihilate itself before the goal is gained.

D.: A sloka is quoted which means: " I do not desire kingdoms,

etc.Only let me serve Thee for ever and there lies my highest

pleasure. " Is that right?

M.: Yes. There is room for kama (desire) so long as there is an

object apart from the subject (i.e., duality). There can be no

desire if there is no object. The state of no-desire is moksha.

There is no duality in sleep and also no desire. Whereas there is

duality in the waking state and desire also is there. Because of

duality a desire arises for the acquisition of the object. That is

the outgoing mind, which is the basis of duality and of desire. If

one knows that Bliss is none other than the Self the mind becomes

inward turned. If the Self is gained all the desires are fulfilled.

That is the apta kamah atma kamah akamascha (fulfilment of desire)

of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. That is moksha.

 

Here J. B. tried to make himself clear by saying that what he meant

by sadbuddhi was not the same as buddhi. It means that which holds

fast to the good, the right and the chosen path. He wanted to know

how such steadfastness could be gained.

 

M.: What is wanted for gaining the highest goal is loss of

individuality. The intellect is co-extensive with individuality.

Loss of individuality can only be after the disappearance of buddhi,

good or bad. The question therefore does not arise.

D.: But yet one must know the right thing, choose the right path,

practise the right dharma and hold fast to it. Otherwise he is

lost.

M.: True strength accrues by keeping in the right direction without

swerving from it.

D.: Difficulties are met with. How is one to get the strength

necessary to overcome the obstacles which beset one's path?

M.: By means of devotion and company of the sages.

D.: Loss of individuality was just before mentioned as a

prerequisite to moksha. Now devotion and association with the wise

are advised as the methods. Is there not individuality implied in

them e.g., in " I am a bhakta " , " I am a satsangi " ?

M.: The method is pointed out to the seeker. The seeker has

certainly not lost his individuality so far. Otherwise the question

would not have arisen. The way is shown to effect the loss of

individuality of the seeker. It is thus appropriate.

D.: Is the desire for swaraj right?

M.: Such desire no doubt begins with self-interest. Yet practical

work for the goal gradually widens the outlook so that the

individual becomes merged in the country. Such merging of the

individuality is desirable and the related karma is nishkama

(unselfish) .

D.: If swaraj is gained after a long struggle and terrible

sacrifices, is not the person justified in being pleased with the

result and elated by it?

M.: He must have in the course of his work surrendered himself to

the Higher Power whose Might must be kept in mind and never lost

sight of. How then can he be elated? He should not even care for the

result of his actions. Then alone the karma becomes unselfish.

D.: How can unerring rectitude be ensured for the worker?

M.: If he has surrendered himself to God or to Guru the Power to

which he had surrendered will take him on the right course. The

worker need no longer concern himself about the rectitude or

otherwise of the course. The doubt will arise only if he fails to

obey the Master in all details.

D.: Is there not any Power on earth which can bestow Grace on Its

devotees so that they may grow strong to work for the country and

gain swaraj?

(Sri Maharshi remained silent. This, He later said, signified that

such was the case).

D.: Is not the tapasya of the ancient mahatmas of the land available

for the benefit of its present-day inheritors?

M.: It is, but the fact must not be overlooked that no one can claim

to be the sole beneficiary. The benefits are shared by all alike.

(After a pause) Is it without such saving Grace that the present

awakening has come into being? (Here Sri Bhagavan said that before

His arrival in Tiruvannamalai in 1896, there was not any clear

political thought in India. Only Dadabhai Nauroji had become an

M.P.).

After a short pause, J. B. said: Sri Rajendra Prasad is such a noble

and selfless worker for the country that he has sacrificed a very

lucrative career for this work. The country needs him. And yet he is

not in good health, and is always weak and ailing. Why should there

be such cruelty to such a noble son of the country? (Sri Maharshi

simply smiled a benign smile).

 

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