Guest guest Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 THE MAHARSHI January/February 2001 Vol. 11 - No. 1 Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma Letters and Comments Concentrating on the Heart I found your e-mail address on both your websites, where it said that you would not consider it an imposition to be asked for advice and assistance. I have a fairly fundamental question about practice that I hope you might answer for me. Arthur Osborne in Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge states: "The instruction, then, was to sit concentrating on the heart at the right side and ask 'Who am I?' When thoughts arise during the meditation one is not to follow them up but to watch them and ask: 'What is this thought? Where did it come from? And to whom? To me-and who am I?'" Graham Boyd on the www.ramana-maharshi.org website states that he chose to cite certain passages from Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Because of their reference to Self-enquiry and the Heart-centre, specifically because they clarify the method of enquiry and remove the idea that the devotee is supposed to concentrate on the chest-after all, who is concentrating on the chest other than the Self?" In my reading, I have not yet come across any conclusive statement by Sri Ramana Maharshi about whether the Heart-centre is to be concentrated upon or not when practising Self-enquiry. Is there an authoritative answer to this question? If so, I would appreciate it if you would tell me what the proper method of practising Self-enquiry is. Also, if I should be asking some other question(s) or if there is any other information you think I should know, I would appreciate your passing it along to me. Thank you so much for your help. Sincerely, USA Your question is a good one. Sri Bhagavan has clearly explained the role of the spiritual Heart in the method of Self-enquiry. He has said that the Heart is the centre wherefrom the I-thought springs and by tracing the I-thought back to its source we experience the Heart, which is synonymous with the Self. His method of Self-enquiry does not require that we meditate on any point, whether it be the heart, the point between the eyebrows or some chakra. Rather he has asked us to trace the I-thought to its source by questing 'Who am I?' The former would be a form of concentration which implies a subject/object relationship. What actually happens is that the last physical awareness before the mind sinks into the Self is that of the Heart, and upon returning from that experience the first awareness is the experience of the Self in the Heart. That is only in relation to the body. The Self is actually beyond all time and space. Because we identify ourselves with the body, the Heart is mentioned. It is the seat of experience, not the object of meditation. Read chapters four and five in the Maharshi's Gospel. There the Heart and its place in concentration is explained. -Editor "To enable the sadhaka to steer clear of possible doubt, I tell him to take up the 'thread' or the clue of 'I'-ness or 'I-am'-ness and follow it up to its source. Because, firstly it is impossible for anybody to entertain any doubt about his 'I'-notion; secondly, whatever be the sadhana adopted, the final goal is the realization of the source of 'I-am'-ness which is the primary datum of your experience. If you, therefore, practise Atma-vichara you will reach the heart which is the Self." -The Maharshi's Gospel Discover Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news more. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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