Fwd: Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-103

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ThePowerOfSilence , " saikali6362 "

<saikali6362 wrote:

 

Selections from TALKS WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI-103

 

TALK 563:

 

Person: " How can I keep my mind aright? "

M.: A refractory bull is lured to the stall by means of grass.

Similarly the mind must be lured by good thoughts.

D.: But it does not remain steady.

M.: The bull accustomed to stray takes delight in going astray.

However he must be lured with luscious grass to the stall. Even so

he will continue to trespass into the neighbour's fields. He must

gradually be made to realise that the same kind of good grass can be

had in his own place. After a time he will remain in the stall

without straying. Later a time will come when, even if driven out of

the stall, he will return to the stall without going into the

neighbouring fields. So also the mind must be trained to take to

right ways. It will gradually grow accustomed to good ways and will

not return to wrong ways.

D.: What are the good ways to be shown to the mind?

M.: Thought of God.

 

TALK 565:

 

Gentleman: How is the mind to be kept in the right way?

M.: By practice. Give it good thoughts. The mind must be trained in

good ways.

D.: But it is not steady.

 

M.: The Bhagavad Gita says: Sanaissanairuparamet (The mind must

gradually be brought to a standstill); Atma samstham manah krtva

(making the mind inhere in the Self); Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam (by

practice and dispassion). Practice is necessary. Progress will be

slow.

 

D.: What is the Self referred to in Atma samstham (fixing it in the

Self)?

 

M.: Do you not know your Self? You certainly exist. Or do you deny

your existence? The question may arise " Who is this Self " , only if

you do not exist, but you cannot ask anything unless you exist at

the same time. Your question shows that you exist. Find out who you

are. That is all.

D.: I have read many books. But my mind does not turn to the Self.

M.: Because the Self is not in the books; but it is in you. Reading

books makes one learned. That is its purpose and it is fulfilled.

D.: What is Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation)?

M.: You are the Atma (Self) and that sakshat (here and now) also.

Where is the place for kara (accomplishment) in it? This question

shows that you think you are the non-Self. Or you think that there

are two selves, the one to realise the other. It is absurd. That

you identify yourself with the gross body lies at the root of this

question. Well, this question arises now. Did it arise in your

sleep? Did you not exist then? Certainly you did exist in sleep.

What is the difference between these two states that the question

should arise now but not in sleep? Now you think that you are the

body. You see things around you and you want to see the Self in a

similar manner. Such is the force of habit. The senses are mere

instruments of perception. You are the seer. Remain as the seer

only. What else is there to see? Such is the state in deep sleep

Therefore this question does not arise then. Atma sakshatkara (Self-

Realisation) is thus only anatma nirasana (giving up the non-Self).

D.: Is there only one Self or are there more selves?

M.: This is again due to confusion; you identify the body with the

Self. You think: " Here I am; here he is, there is another; and so

on " . You find many bodies and think they are so many selves. But

did you ask in your sleep " I am sleeping here, how many are there

who are awake? " Does any question arise, for the matter of that? Why

does it not arise? Because you are only one and there are not many.

D.: What is my tattva (truth)?

M.: You are yourself the tattva. Is there a different one to know

the tattva of another? How can you exist apart from the tattva? The

very fact of your existence makes you ask this question. Your very

existence is the tattva. Give up the habiliments of the tattva and

remain in your essential nature. All the Scriptures tell you only

not to waste your efforts in non-truth - non-tattva. Give up the

nontattva. Then tattva remains always shining pure and single.

D.: I want to know my tattva and my duties.

M.: Know your tattva first and then you may ask what your duties

are. You must exist in order to know and do your duty. Realise your

existence and then enquire of your duties.

 

TALK 567:

 

Sri Bhagavan explained to Mr. MacIver the first few stanzas of Sad

Vidya as follows:

1. The first stanza is the auspicious beginning. Why should the

subjectmatter of the piece be brought in here? Can knowledge be

other than Being? Being is the core - the Heart. How then is the

Supreme Being to be contemplated and glorified? Only to remain as

the Pure Self is the auspicious beginning. This speaks of

attributeless Brahman according to the jnana marga (method of

knowledge).

 

2. The second stanza is in praise of God with attributes. In the

foregoing, to be as one Self is mentioned; in the present one,

surrender to the Lord of all.

 

Furthermore the second indicates (1) the fit reader (2) the

subjectmatter (3) the relationship and (4) the fruit. The fit reader

is the one who is competent for it. Competence consists in non-

attachment to the world and desire to be liberated.

All know that they must die some time or other; but they do not

think deeply of the matter. All have a fear of death: such fear is

momentary. Why fear death? Because of the `I-am-the-body' idea. All

are fully aware of the death of the body and its cremation. That the

body is lost in death is well-known. Owing to the I-am-the-body

notion, death is feared as being the loss of Oneself. Birth and

death pertain to the body only; but they are superimposed on the

Self, giving rise to the delusion that birth and death relate to the

Self. In the effort to overcome birth and death man looks up to the

Supreme Being to save him. Thus are born faith and devotion to the

Lord. How to worship Him? The creature is powerless and the Creator

is Allpowerful. How to approach Him? To entrust oneself to His care

is the only thing left for him; total surrender is the only way.

Therefore he surrenders himself to God. Surrender consists in giving

up oneself and one's possessions to the Lord of Mercy. Then what is

left over for the man? Nothing - neither himself nor his

possessions. The body liable to be born and to die having been made

over to the Lord, the man need no longer worry about it. Then birth

and death cannot strike terror. The cause of fear was the body; it

is no longer his; why should he fear now? Or where is the identity

of the individual to be frightened?

Thus the Self is realised and Bliss results. This is then the

subject-matter: freedom from misery and gain of Happiness. This is

the highest good to be gained. Surrender is synonymous with Bliss

itself. This is the relationship. Fruit is to reflect on the

subject-matter and gain Knowledge which is ever-present, here and

now. The stanza ends with " the immortal ones. "

3. The five senses mean the subtle functions (tanmatras), namely,

hearing, touch, seeing, taste and smell. Variations of these form

the whole universe; they vary according to the three gunas as

follows:

 

By tamas (dullness) the gross elements; by rajas (activity) the

instruments for knowing objects; by sattva (clearness) the different

kinds of knowledge of the senses; also: by tamas - the gross objects

i.e., the world; by rajas - the vital airs and the karmendriyas by

sattva - the sense organs of perception (jnanendriyas).

Karmendriyas are organs of holding, walking, speech, evacuation and

reproduction.

Now consider the ringing of the bell; the sound is related to

hearing; the bell is the object, the modification of tamoguna. The

rajasic tanmatras, changing as the vibrations of sound, extend round

the bell, then as ether get connected with the ear in order to be

felt as sound. The knowledge recognising it as sound is the sattva

tanmatra. So also the other senses: Touch (vayu) - air tanmatra;

form (rupa) - tejas tanmatra; taste (ap) - water tanmatra; smell

(prithvi) - earth tanmatra. To understand the tanmatras as the

subtlest particles of matter is not right, for it is incomplete.

They are only the subtle forms of sound, touch, sight, taste and

smell, which form the whole components of the universe. Such is the

creation of the world. For want of proper terminology these ideas

cannot be rightly expressed in foreign languages.

4. This stanza says that all are agreed on one point. What is it?

The state beyond duality and non-duality, beyond subject and object,

beyond jiva and God, in short, beyond all differences. It is free

from ego. " How to reach it? " is the question. By giving up the

world, it says. Here " the world " stands for thoughts relating to it.

If such thoughts do not arise, the ego does not rise up. There will

be no subject nor object. Such is the state.

 

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