THE MAHARSHI 11-12/2002

February 19, 2005

THE MAHARSHI

November/December 2002Vol. 12 - No. 6

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

WHO AM I?ONE-HUNDRED YEARS

A century has passed since M. Sivaprakasam Pillai visited the young Sri Ramana Maharshi on the slopes of the Arunachala Hill and earnestly beseeched the silent sage to answer his burning questions on spiritual fulfillment. The answers he received in writing, signs and gestures constitute the seminal teachings from which the Maharshi never deviated. They are direct, uncompromising instructions meant to guide us to the essential reality of existence, devoid of the ego. Bhagavan was quoted as saying that everything he later wrote or discussed was only a commentary on those answers, which were later published in the form of a book, entitled Nan Yar? (Who Am I?).

And it was this small book that the Maharshi most often recommended to new visitors. All that an earnest aspirant needs to know is contained within this testament on Self-enquiry. Sincere devotees of the Maharshi should constantly reflect on the teachings found in Who Am I?, and look upon them as the key that opens the door to liberation. A few of the book’s salient points are given below.

When the world which is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be realization of the Self which is the seer.

....so the realization of the Self which is the substrate will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.

When the mind, which is the cause of all cognition and all actions, becomes quiescent, the world will disappear.

Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world.When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind, the mind will end leaving the Self (as the residue).

That which arises as ‘I’ in this body is the mind. If one inquires as to where in the body the thought ‘I’ arises first, one would discover that it rises in the heart. That is the place of the mind’s origin.

Even if one thinks constantly ‘I - I’, one will be led to that place.

The thought ‘Who am I?’ will destroy all other thoughts and, like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself in the end get destroyed. Then, there will arise Self-realization.

When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them but should inquire ‘To whom do they arise?’

Through the control of breath also, the mind will become quiescent; but it will be quiescent only so long as the breath remains controlled...

Like the practice of breath-control, meditation on the forms of God, repetition of mantras, restriction of food, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.

When the mind expands in the form of countless thoughts, each thought becomes weak; but as thoughts get resolved the mind becomes one-pointed and strong; for such a mind Self-inquiry will become easy.

Of all the restrictive rules, that relating to the taking of sattvic food in moderate quantities is the best.

One should completely renounce the thought ‘I am a sinner’ and concentrate keenly on meditation on the Self; then, one would surely succeed.

The mind should not be allowed to wander towards worldly objects and what concerns other people.

All that one gives to others one gives to one’s self.

To the extent we behave with humility, to that extent there will result good.

If the mind is rendered quiescent, one may live anywhere.

If one resorts to contemplation of the Self unintermittently, until the Self is gained, that alone would do.

What exists in truth is the Self alone.

He who gives himself up to the Self that is God is the most excellent devotee.

Whatever burdens are thrown on God, He bears them.

As thoughts arise, destroying them utterly without any residue in the very place of their origin is non-attachment.

God and the Guru will only show the way to release; they will not by themselves take the soul to the state of liberation.

Yet, each one should by his own effort pursue the path shown by God or Guru and gain release.

The world should be considered like a dream.

In order to quiet the mind one has only to inquire within oneself what one’s Self is.

Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are not different.

There is no happiness in any object of the world. We imagine through our ignorance that we derive happiness from objects.

....when the object desired is obtained or the object disliked is removed, the mind becomes inward-turned and enjoys pure Self-happiness.

In fact, what is called the world is only thought.

Inquiring into the nature of one’s self that is in bondage, and realizing one’s true nature is liberation/

Variety in Bhagavan’s Teachingby Kunju Swami

Sri Bhagavan’s detailed explanations of Self-enquiry do not mean that his emphasis on this method was absolute or dogmatic. Sri Kunju Swami relates how the Maharshi gave all methods their due place, citing concrete instances.

Sri Bhagavan’s presence and teachings gave hope and strength to different classes of seekers at different levels. Thus the teachings were not limited to those who took to pure enquiry, as is sometimes assumed. Bhagavan, as the Jnani, was on a level higher than that of a spiritual master and therefore it followed that whatever one’s path one received help and guidance; no attempt at changing one’s approach was needed.

An important teaching of his was that intensity of practice and one-pointedness on any path will be fruitful. Stotra, japa, dhyana and vichara are ascending stages of sadhana. While confirming this, Bhagavan was also clear that this did not mean that all stages were necessarily to be gone through by all. Certainly there were exceptions, as for example in the case of the four great Tamil saints who sang the praises of Lord Siva. With them it was an achievement of akhandakara vritti (unbroken experience of awareness) brought about by constant remembrance of the Name ("Never was there a moment when I did not think of You!"). In that achievement where was the need for vichara? Its result was already there.Dandapani Swami once pleaded with Sri Bhagavan to give him some upadesa. It was a Sivarathri Day. The devotee affirmed he

had no practice to his credit. But Bhagavan persistently asked him whether he had not done any little practice of any kind. At last the fact emerged that he used to write the Rama Koti (a crore of Rama Nama). Sri Bhagavan instructed him to do it more and more.

One doubt that often assails people relates to the relative superiority of mantras. Sri Bhagavan explained that the choice of a particular mantra purely depended upon one’s samskara. There is no superiority or inferiority in the mantras themselves. In the choice of the mantra, as in other things, it was characteristic of Sri Bhagavan to encourage one in a path already chosen so that it acted like a lever resulting in more progress.

In olden days, when we had the benefit of receiving personal instructions from Sri Bhagavan, one of them was to get into meditation before going to sleep. Thus sleep overtook one as a natural consequence of fatigue and was not induced or preceded by lying down. Also, the first thing in the morning, immediately on getting up from bed, one was to go into meditation. Then the state of mind immediately before sleep would be resumed on waking. This would ensure a serenity of mind and also a feeling of tirelessness throughout the day.

Parayana (recitation), japa, dhyana and vichara usually represent different modes of sadhana. But it may not be possible for a sadhaka to be engaged in any one of these continuously. So Sri Bhagavan’s advice was to alternately try all the four to ensure continued sadhana (which would be otherwise impossible). Thus if one tires of dhyana one can do japa, following it up with parayana and so on. My practice was to recite slokas on my walk to Skandashram in the morning. One day Bhagavan happened to see me and asked what I was doing. When I told him about my parayana he encouraged it and said it was a good way to simultaneously go through one’s routine and also do something towards controlling the mind.

Sri Bhagavan stressed the importance of developing good tendencies, likening it to sowing a ripe seed. A ripe seed thrown carelessly on rocky soil will sprout and grow, be it even after a thousand years. It will never go to waste. Likewise, good tendencies.Asked on one occasion how it could be that "Self-knowledge is easy, the easiest thing there is," (referring to Bhagavan’s poem "Self-Knowledge") while others said it was the most difficult thing there was, and whether the individual could get it so easily and unaided, Bhagavan seemed to sympathize and pointed out the words, "Grace is needed most," in the same poem. He said that this was the key to understanding the poem.

— The Mountain Path, January 1972

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