Extracts from Path of Sri Ramana - Sadhu Om

[Guest guest]

Clinging to the consciousness 'I' and thereby acquiring a greater and greater intensity of concentration upon it, is diving deep within. Instead of thus diving within, many, thinking that they are engaged in Self-enquiry, sit down for hours together simply repeating mentally or vocally, "Who am I ?" or "Whence am I?". There are others again who, when they sit for enquiry, face their thoughts and

endlessly repeat mentally the following questions taught by Sri Bhagavan. "To whom come these thoughts? To me; who am I?", or sometimes they even wait for the next thought to come up so that they can fling these questions at it! Even this is futile Did we sit to hold thus a court of enquiry, calling one thought after another! Is this the sadhana of diving within! Therefore, we should not remain watching 'What is the next thought?'. Merely to keep on questioning in this manner is not Self-attention. Concerning those who thus merely float on the surface of the thought-waves; keeping their mind on these questions instead of diving within by attending to the existenceconsciousness with a keen mind, thereby controlling mind, breath and all the activities of the body and

senses, Sri Bhagavan says: "Compare him who asks hiinself 'Who am I?' anti 'From which place am I?', though he himself exists all the while as Self, to a drunken man who prattles 'Who am I?' and 'Where am I?'." 'Ekatma Panchakam'. verse 2 and further, He asks:

 

"...How to attain that state wherein 'I' does not rise the state of egolessness (the great void or maha sunya) - unless (instead of floating like this) we seek the place whence 'I' rises? And unless we attain that (egolessness), say, how to abide in the state of Self, where 'We are That' (soham)?"

'Ulladhu Narpadhu ', versa 27

Therefore, all that we are to practise is to be still (suinma iruppadu) with the remembrance of the feeling '1'. It is only when there is a slackness of vigilance during Selfattention that thoughts, which are an indication of it, will rise. In other words, if thoughts rise it means that our Self attention is lost. It is only as a contrivance to win back Selfattention from thought - attention that Sri Bhagavan advised us to ask, 'To whom do these thoughts appear?' Since the answer 'To me' is only a dative form of 'I', it will easily remind us of the nominative form, the feeling '1'. However, if we question, 'Who thinks these

thoughts?', since the nominative form, the feeling 'I', is obtained as an answer, will not Self-attention, which has been lost unnoticed, be regained directly? This regaining of Self-attention is actually being Self (that is, remaining or abiding as Self)! Such 'being' alone is the correct sadhana7'; sadhana is not doing, but being!!

Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more.