Outside the scriptures 4

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OUTSIDE THE SCRIPTURES

 

By DR. T. N. KRISHNASWAMI

 

Fourth part

 

 

Man’s mind and senses are used to cognize objective things, but this talent is of no use for knowing the Self, in which there is no trace of objectivity.

One cannot have a vision of the Self or know the Self as one knows another, because that would imply two selves in you, one to know the other.

 

“You speak of a vision of Siva, but a vision always presumes an object.

That implies the existence of a subject. The value of the vision is the same as that of the seer. That is to say the nature of the vision is on the same plane as that of the seer.” 13

 

“A vision of God is only a vision of the Self objectified as the God of your

particular faith. What you have to do is to know the Self.” 14

And to know the Self is only to know, to be aware, to be.

 

Devotee: When I seek the ‘I’, I see nothing.

 

Bhagavan: You say that because you are accustomed to identify yourself with the body and sight with the eyes, but what is there to be seen?

And by whom? And how?

There is only one Consciousness and this, when it identifies itself with the body, projects itself through the eyes and sees the surrounding objects.

The individual is limited to the waking state; he expects to see something different and accepts the authority of his senses.

He will not admit that he who sees, the objects seen, and the act of seeing are all manifestations of the same Consciousness - the ‘I-I’.

Self-enquiry helps to overcome the illusion that the Self is something

to see.

How do you recognise yourself now? Do you have to hold a mirror up in front of yourself to recognise yourself?

The awareness is itself the ‘I’.

Realize it and that is the truth.” 15

 

However the ego is engrossed with seeing, hearing, feeling and objective knowing.

It values these functions and considers them as belonging to the Self.

Blinded by this view, one does not experience the brilliance of the true ‘I’. One’s attention is to be drawn away from such objective perceptions to That with respect to which there is unknowingness. 16

 

If That were known and experienced as It is, It would be recognised as one’s very Self, and then the false ‘I’ would fade out.

 

The outer man is unreal and should be made passive, a mere recipient of impressions. Self-Enquiry helps to do this.

 

The journey is inwards through territory unknown to the senses.

 

So long as life remains one should strive to reach one’s source.

This is the only worthy aim in life, the only goal worth seeking, the only use of life that can put an end to suffering and frustration, and reveal the pure Bliss, the radiant Consciousness, the unruffled Being that one really is.

 

The weapon for doing this, on the Maharshi’s path, is concentration on the ‘I-sense’. This is not like other thoughts that come and go and can be dismissed at will.

One’s attention must be constantly drawn to feeling of pure awareness, pure consciousness of ‘I-am-ness’.

 

At first this can be done only during concentrated sessions of Self-enquiry known loosely as ‘meditation’ but later the awareness of ‘I-am-ness’ becomes an undercurrent underlying all one’s activities.

 

This ‘I-sense is the scent, by tracing which to its source, one reaches the Self, as a dog tracks out its master.

 

13 Ibid., The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His own Words, p. 167/213

14 Ibid., p. 168/215

15 Ibid., P. 24/22

16 This expression recalls the title of the 14th Century English mystic’s guide to aspirants, The Cloud of Unknowing (Editor)

 

END OF PART FOUR

To be continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE MOUNTAIN PATH

(Quarterly)

Editor: Arthur Osborne

L1 JANUARY 1964 No 1

 

 

 

 

Am I worse than a dog? Steadfastly will I

 

track Thee out and regain Thee,

 

Oh Arunachala.

 

(First of the Five Hymns to

 

Arunachala, verse 39.)17

 

The Maharshi says that if one earnestly seeks

the ‘I’, the false ‘I’ vanishes, leaving only the

true to shine in all its prinstine glory. His teaching

is based on his own experience not on learning

or reasoning, and nothing he says is for the sake

of argument. What can be more heartening to

the traveller on the Mountain Path?

 

17. The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi,

Riders, London and Sri Ramanasramam,

Tiruvannamalai.

When the ego-sense of the individual me vanishes there springs up within me an endless

current of ‘I-I’, conferring unique and transcendental bliss which engulfs all my knowledge and ends in Silence. How then can Silence be expressed?

 

- TAYUMANAVAR

* * *

 

It is only because of ignorance that the Self appears to be finite. When ignorance is

destroyed the Self which does not admit of any multiplicity whatsoever, truly reveals Itself

by Itself, like the sun when the cloud is removed.

 

- SHANKARA

Õ

17

 

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