Fwd: Ramana Maharshi says Duality (dvaita) even during sadhana is not present

[Guest guest]

, Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth

wrote:

 

Even the argument which says, �Duality (dvaita) during practice (sadhana) �

which one undertakes (due to) not knowing (the truth that one is always

Brahman) � and nonduality (advaita) after attainment (that is, duality is

true during the time of practice and non-duality becomes true only after the

attainment of Self-realization)�, is not true. Who else is one except the

tenth man, both when one is anxiously searching (for the tenth man) and when

one finds oneself (to be the tenth man).

 

Sri Bhagavan says that even this is not true, because nonduality (advaita)

is always the truth and duality (dvaita) is always unreal. That is, the one

non-dual Self alone exists and is real even when in the ignorant outlook of

the individual it seems to appear as this unreal world of duality and

diversity.

 

In order to emphasis that duality is unreal even during the time of its

seeming existence, Sri Bhagavan cites the parable of the �lost� tenth man.

Ten

foolish men forded a river, and on reaching the other side they wished to

make sure that all had crossed safely. So all of them began to count the

number of persons on the shore, but since each one forgot to count himself,

they all counted only nine. Believing that one of their companions must have

drowned, they all began to weep, until a passing wayfarer who understood the

situation asked each one to count himself, whereupon they realized that they

were always ten men, both during the time of their seeming loss and after

their �finding� the missing man. Similarly, when we attain Self-knowledge we

will realize that non-duality (advaita) is always the sole truth,both during

the time of our seeming ignorance (when nonduality appears to be lost and

duality appears to prevail) and after our �attaining� Self, the non-dual

reality.

 

It is to be noted here that, though non-duality is the truth even during the

time of seeming ignorance, this does not mean that no spiritual practice

(sadhana) is necessary,as some theoreticians/theorists have wrongly

concluded.So long as the tenth man appears to be lost, it is necessary for

each one of the ten to enquire and find out �Who is lost?� , for then only

will the truth be realized that the so called �lost� tenth man is only

oneself, who has in fact never been lost. Similarly, so long as the

experience of non-duality appears to be lost, it is necessary for us to

enquire and find out �Who am I, who have lost the experience of

non-duality?�, for then only will the truth be realized that the seeming

individual �I� who does not experience non-duality is merely an unreal

appearance, and that the real �I� has in fact never lost the experience of

non-duality.

 

Source: Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai Meaning By Sri Sadhu Om Translation By

Michael James

 

--