Fw:Outside the scriptures

[Guest guest]

originally posted by Harsha on 6/28/05

 

Dear Friends:The difficulty in many of our conversations is that thetrue understanding is not intellectual or conceptualbut absolutely direct. Clear and direct without themedium of the mind. It is certainly true that SriRamana was not a traditional Advaitin. In fact, SriRamana's comments on other religions and philosophiestend to be generous and he showed great regard forBuddha when his name came up.We have all had many conversations about which path issuperior, which path is true (the short one or the longone or the one that is neither short nor long). Yes, wewant to know which path or samadhi leads to Jnana whichone fall just a little short, which works truly belongsto Shankra, etc. But where can we find the answersother than the mind. And yet, it is the mind, theconflicted nature of our mind, that clouds ourSelf-nature. The dilemma is clear even to our wretchedmind! Scriptures say the mind (self) is the best friendand mind (self) can also be the worst enemy. Seldom amore profound truth has been uttered. Reaching thehighest peak, the scene is the same for everyone. One'sOwn Being It Self Is the Scene! Call it Fullness orEmptiness. It is the same sameness everywhere.Great sages indicate that the arguments in the name ofreligion, spirituality, one's tradition happen at theground floors, at the intermediate levels, and not atthe highest height. At the highest peak only the visionof silence pervades. In order to go high, one has to belight, without burden. Without the burdens of notionsof this and that...fill in the blank.. That is theessential teaching of pure Advaita. Neti, neti, neti.Not this, not this. When we find an idea attractive,when we are stuck to a belief, an opinion, we can enjoyit but when the time comes we smile and say neti, neti,neti. If not, we have achieved the status of gooddebaters only. If we are too much attached toconceptual luggage, it will weigh us down. To go to theheight, one has to be light.I have told this story before and I like telling itbecause I heard it when I was 21 and very young andimpressionable. The story has this message that thereis no need to look elsewhere other than where you are,your own heart.My teacher used to visit Sri Ramana as a teenager. Onone of the visits Sri Ramana was silent. Sometimes SriRamana liked to keep silent for periods. My teacherasked him about the nature of the highest reality. SriRamana did not respond right away. Then the Sage smiledand without speaking, pointed with his finger, first tothe sky and then the same finger to his (Sri Ramana's)chest.When I heard the story, it seemed to me that thehighest height is the same as the deepest depth. Myexperience is that all paths converge when the mindloses its preferences to a path. Shakti Yoga becomesJnana Yoga. How could it not? Shakti unerringly findsits own Source and reveals It Self to be Shiva. Thedynamic and the static become identical. Becomingmerges with Being to reveal its own Reality as the Onewithout as second. Whatever path one takes, one canonly come to where One Already Is. Call it by any name.It is simply recognition of who we are with immediacyand directness. Sat-Chit-Ananda-Nityam-Poornum. Thelight seems small and far away but as we approach it weare consumed by it. As long as the individual self hasnot been swallowed up by Pure Being, there is fear andseparation. When through grace the individual isallowed to gives itself up and surrender fully to theHeart, it is magic. Small fish gets eaten by the Whaleand then sees that It has always been the Whale ItSelf.Love to allHarshaThe next volume of the HS magazine will be out in a fewweeks.Many writers from the Advaitin, RamanaMaharshi, and lists are represented.