Outside the Scriptures Part Two

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OUTSIDE THE SCRIPTURES

 

By DR. T. N. KRISHNASWAMI

 

 

Second part

 

 

All doctrines are made by the ego and for the ego. The ego flourishes on them. But on the Maharshi’s path the very existence of the ego is denied right from the start, both that of the teacher and that of the taught.

“There is no ego. If there were you would have to admit of two selves in you. Therefore there is no ignorance. If you enquire into the Self, ignorance, which is already non-existent, will be found not to exist and you will say that it has fled.” 6

 

Is there anything in the human body that can be called ‘I’? There are mental and vital processes but investigation reveals no person there to be designated as ‘I’.7

 

The negative process consists of intellectually eliminating the not-I so that one can see that he who eliminates everything else cannot eliminate himself. Such intellectual investigation may prepare the way for Self-enquiry but is not the enquiry itself.

 

“Visitor: I begin with asking myself ‘Who am I?’ and eliminate the body as not-I, the breath as not-I, the mind as not-I, but then I am unable to proceed further.

 

“Bhagavan: Well, that is all right so far as the mind goes. Your process is only mental .... The Truth cannot be directly indicated; that is why this mental process is used.

You see, he who eliminates all the not-I cannot eliminate the ‘I’. In order to be able to say ‘I am not this’ or ‘I am That’ there must be the ‘I’ to say it. This ‘I’ is only the ego or the ‘I-thought’. After the rising up of this ‘I-thought’ all other thoughts arise. The ‘I-thought’ is therefore the root thought. If the root is pulled out the rest is at the same time uprooted.

Therefore seek the root ‘I’; question yourself: ‘Who am I?’ find out the source of the ‘I’. Then all these problems will vanish and the pure Self alone will remain.” 8

 

Why was the Maharshi so against thought? Why was he not satisfied with mental investigation?

Because it cannot see beyond itself. It is created by the ego and therefore cannot pierce to the Self underlying the ego.

But will its renunciation not result in a mere blank?

It can, that is what happens in deep sleep. But it can also result in awakening into pure Sat-Chit-Ananda, Being-Consciousness-Bliss. This is what is called Realization.

 

“Absence of thought does not mean a blank. There must be someone to be aware of that blank.

Knowledge and ignorance pertain only to the mind and are in duality, but the Self is beyond them both. It is pure Light.

There is no need for one Self to see another. There are no two selves. What is not Self is mere non-Self and cannot see the Self.

The Self has no sight or hearing; it lies beyond them, all alone, as pure Consciousness.” 9

 

Then does one who has realized the Self remain absorbed in pure, formless Consciousness, oblivious of any outer world?

 

He can; that is the state of trance known as nirvikalpa samadhi.

But he need not. Full and complete Realization involves return to formal consciousness also, with full perception of the outer world, not as a self-subsistent reality but as a manifestation of the Self.

The mind and senses can still cognize; when one says that the mind is dead, that means only that it no longer presumes to imagine, create or originate, as it formerly did.

This is the state the Maharshi was in. It is known as sahaja samadhi.

 

“To those who have not realized the Self, as well as to those who have, the word ‘I’ refers to the body, but with this difference, that, for those who have not realized, the ‘I’ is confined to the body, whereas, for those who have realized the Self within the body, the ‘I’ shines as the limitless Self.

 

“To those who have not realized as well as to those who have, the world is real. But to those who have not realized, Truth is adapted to the measure of the world, whereas to those who have, Truth shines as the Formless Perfection and as the Substratum of the world.

This is all the difference between them.” 10

 

6. The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in his own Words, Sri Ramanasramam edition. p. 25/23

7. It will be observed that this is the same as the Buddhist doctrine of anatta. (Editor)

8. Ibid., p. 117/146-7

9. Ibid., p. 25/23

10. Forty Verses on Reality, vv. 17-18, from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, Riders, London, and Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.

 

 

End of part 2

To be continued

 

 

 

 

THE MOUNTAIN PATH

(Quarterly)

Editor: Arthur Osborne

L1 JANUARY 1964 No1