Guest guest Posted April 29, 2007 Report Share Posted April 29, 2007 Self- Atma This Page has been divided into seven parts at regular intervals This is done to provide easy access to different sections of this page Self- Atma> The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi Edited by David Godman Question: What is Reality? Sri Ramana Maharshi: Reality must be always real. It is not with forms and names. That which underlies these is the Reality. It underlies limitations, being itself limitless. It is not bound. It underlies unrealities, itself being real. Reality is that which is. It is as it is. It transcends speech. It is beyond the expressions `existence, non-existence', etc. The reality which is the mere consciousness that remains when ignorance is destroyed along with knowledge of objects, alone is the Self (Atma). In that Brahma-swarupa (real form of Brahman), which is abundant Self-awareness, there is not the least ignorance. The reality which shines fully, without misery and without a body, not only when the world is known but also when the world is not known, is your real form (nija-swarupa). The radiance of consciousness-bliss, in the form of one awareness shining equally within and without, is the supreme and blissful primal reality. Its form is silence and it is declared by Jnanis (Self-realised) to be the final and unobstructable state of true knowledge (jnana). Know that jnana alone is non-attachment; jnana alone is purity; jnana is the attainment of God; jnana which is devoid of forgetfulness of Self alone is immortality; jnana alone is everything. Question: What is this awareness and how can one obtain and cultivate it? Sri Ramana Maharshi: You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, that is of the not-self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure awareness alone remains, and that is the Self. Question: If the Self is itself aware, why am I not aware of it even now? Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no duality. Your present knowledge is due to the ego and is only relative. Relative knowledge requires a subject and an object, whereas the awareness of the Self is absolute and requires no object. Remembrance also is similarly relative, requiring an object to be remembered and a subject to remember. When there is no duality, who is to remember whom? The Self is ever present. Each one wants to know the Self. What kind of help does one require to know oneself? People want to see the Self as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. They desire to see it as a blazing light etc. How can it be so? It is not light, not darkness. It is only as it is. It cannot be defined. The best definition is `I am that I am'. The Srutis (scriptures) speak of the Self as being the size of one's thumb, the tip of the hair, an electric spark, vast, subtler than the subtlest, etc. These descriptions have no foundation in fact. It is only being, but different from the real and the unreal; it is knowledge, but different from knowledge and ignorance. How can it be defined at all? It is simply being. Question: When a man realises the Self, what will he see? Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no seeing. Seeing is only being. The state of Self-realisation, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been. All that is needed is that you give up your realisation of the not-true as true. All of us are regarding as real that which is not real. We have only to give up this practice on our part. Then we shall realise the Self as the Self, in other words, `Be the Self.' At one stage you will laugh at yourself for trying to discover the Self which is not self-evident. So, what can we say to this question? That stage transcends the seer and the seen. There is no seer there to see anything. The seer who is seeing all this now ceases to exist and the Self alone remains. Question: How to know this by direct experience? Sri Ramana Maharshi: If we talk of knowing the Self, there must be two selves, one a knowing self, another the self which is known, and the process of knowing. The state we call realisation is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realised, one is that which alone is and which alone has always been. One cannot describe that state. One can only be that. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realisation, for want of a better term. How to `real-ise' or make the real that which alone is real? ~om namo bhagawate sri ramayana~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2007 Report Share Posted May 4, 2007 , " Era Molnar " <mi_nok wrote: > > > > Self- Atma > > This Page has been divided into > seven parts at regular intervals > This is done to provide easy access > to different sections of this page > Self- Atma> > The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi > Edited by David Godman > > Question: What is Reality? > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: Reality must be always real. It is not with forms > and names. That which underlies these is the Reality. It underlies > limitations, being itself limitless. It is not bound. It underlies > unrealities, itself being real. Reality is that which is. It is as it > is. It transcends speech. It is beyond the expressions `existence, > non-existence', etc. > > The reality which is the mere consciousness that remains when > ignorance is destroyed along with knowledge of objects, alone is the > Self (Atma). In that Brahma-swarupa (real form of Brahman), which is > abundant Self-awareness, there is not the least ignorance. > > The reality which shines fully, without misery and without a body, not > only when the world is known but also when the world is not known, is > your real form (nija-swarupa). > > The radiance of consciousness-bliss, in the form of one awareness > shining equally within and without, is the supreme and blissful primal > reality. Its form is silence and it is declared by Jnanis > (Self-realised) to be the final and unobstructable state of true > knowledge (jnana). > > Know that jnana alone is non-attachment; jnana alone is purity; jnana > is the attainment of God; jnana which is devoid of forgetfulness of > Self alone is immortality; jnana alone is everything. > > Question: What is this awareness and how can one obtain and cultivate it? > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: You are awareness. Awareness is another name for > you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate > it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, > that is of the not-self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure > awareness alone remains, and that is the Self. > > Question: If the Self is itself aware, why am I not aware of it even now? > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no duality. Your present knowledge is > due to the ego and is only relative. Relative knowledge requires a > subject and an object, whereas the awareness of the Self is absolute > and requires no object. > > Remembrance also is similarly relative, requiring an object to be > remembered and a subject to remember. When there is no duality, who is > to remember whom? > > The Self is ever present. Each one wants to know the Self. What kind > of help does one require to know oneself? People want to see the Self > as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. > They desire to see it as a blazing light etc. How can it be so? It is > not light, not darkness. It is only as it is. It cannot be defined. > The best definition is `I am that I am'. The Srutis (scriptures) speak > of the Self as being the size of one's thumb, the tip of the hair, an > electric spark, vast, subtler than the subtlest, etc. These > descriptions have no foundation in fact. It is only being, but > different from the real and the unreal; it is knowledge, but different > from knowledge and ignorance. How can it be defined at all? It is > simply being. > > Question: When a man realises the Self, what will he see? > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no seeing. Seeing is only being. The > state of Self-realisation, as we call it, is not attaining something > new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that > which you always are and which you always have been. All that is > needed is that you give up your realisation of the not-true as true. > All of us are regarding as real that which is not real. We have only > to give up this practice on our part. Then we shall realise the Self > as the Self, in other words, `Be the Self.' At one stage you will > laugh at yourself for trying to discover the Self which is not > self-evident. So, what can we say to this question? > > That stage transcends the seer and the seen. There is no seer there to > see anything. The seer who is seeing all this now ceases to exist and > the Self alone remains. > > Question: How to know this by direct experience? > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: If we talk of knowing the Self, there must be two > selves, one a knowing self, another the self which is known, and the > process of knowing. The state we call realisation is simply being > oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has > realised, one is that which alone is and which alone has always been. > One cannot describe that state. One can only be that. Of course, we > loosely talk of Self-realisation, for want of a better term. How to > `real-ise' or make the real that which alone is real? > > ~om namo bhagawate sri ramayana~ > Namaste, Ramana also said the the same book, that sat-cit-ananda are 'qualities', which to my mind is the same as an attribute. Ramana like Sankara only ever really talked about The Self or Saguna Brahman, for Nir Guna is unimaginable and raises the fear of extinction in people...So why bother talking about something they cannot grasp..Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 Namaste Tony, All, It is in the grasping that neither are 'achieved'. The good news is we are ALREADY what we seek, we just haven't experienced 'it' as such. In the suchness of things, we are no-thing else. Wink. All love, Anna , " Tony OClery " <aoclery wrote: > > , " Era Molnar " <mi_nok@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Self- Atma > > > > This Page has been divided into > > seven parts at regular intervals > > This is done to provide easy access > > to different sections of this page > > Self- Atma> > > The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi > > Edited by David Godman > > > > Question: What is Reality? > > > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: Reality must be always real. It is not with forms > > and names. That which underlies these is the Reality. It underlies > > limitations, being itself limitless. It is not bound. It underlies > > unrealities, itself being real. Reality is that which is. It is as it > > is. It transcends speech. It is beyond the expressions `existence, > > non-existence', etc. > > > > The reality which is the mere consciousness that remains when > > ignorance is destroyed along with knowledge of objects, alone is the > > Self (Atma). In that Brahma-swarupa (real form of Brahman), which is > > abundant Self-awareness, there is not the least ignorance. > > > > The reality which shines fully, without misery and without a body, not > > only when the world is known but also when the world is not known, is > > your real form (nija-swarupa). > > > > The radiance of consciousness-bliss, in the form of one awareness > > shining equally within and without, is the supreme and blissful primal > > reality. Its form is silence and it is declared by Jnanis > > (Self-realised) to be the final and unobstructable state of true > > knowledge (jnana). > > > > Know that jnana alone is non-attachment; jnana alone is purity; jnana > > is the attainment of God; jnana which is devoid of forgetfulness of > > Self alone is immortality; jnana alone is everything. > > > > Question: What is this awareness and how can one obtain and > cultivate it? > > > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: You are awareness. Awareness is another name for > > you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate > > it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, > > that is of the not-self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure > > awareness alone remains, and that is the Self. > > > > Question: If the Self is itself aware, why am I not aware of it even > now? > > > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no duality. Your present knowledge is > > due to the ego and is only relative. Relative knowledge requires a > > subject and an object, whereas the awareness of the Self is absolute > > and requires no object. > > > > Remembrance also is similarly relative, requiring an object to be > > remembered and a subject to remember. When there is no duality, who is > > to remember whom? > > > > The Self is ever present. Each one wants to know the Self. What kind > > of help does one require to know oneself? People want to see the Self > > as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. > > They desire to see it as a blazing light etc. How can it be so? It is > > not light, not darkness. It is only as it is. It cannot be defined. > > The best definition is `I am that I am'. The Srutis (scriptures) speak > > of the Self as being the size of one's thumb, the tip of the hair, an > > electric spark, vast, subtler than the subtlest, etc. These > > descriptions have no foundation in fact. It is only being, but > > different from the real and the unreal; it is knowledge, but different > > from knowledge and ignorance. How can it be defined at all? It is > > simply being. > > > > Question: When a man realises the Self, what will he see? > > > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no seeing. Seeing is only being. The > > state of Self-realisation, as we call it, is not attaining something > > new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that > > which you always are and which you always have been. All that is > > needed is that you give up your realisation of the not-true as true. > > All of us are regarding as real that which is not real. We have only > > to give up this practice on our part. Then we shall realise the Self > > as the Self, in other words, `Be the Self.' At one stage you will > > laugh at yourself for trying to discover the Self which is not > > self-evident. So, what can we say to this question? > > > > That stage transcends the seer and the seen. There is no seer there to > > see anything. The seer who is seeing all this now ceases to exist and > > the Self alone remains. > > > > Question: How to know this by direct experience? > > > > Sri Ramana Maharshi: If we talk of knowing the Self, there must be two > > selves, one a knowing self, another the self which is known, and the > > process of knowing. The state we call realisation is simply being > > oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has > > realised, one is that which alone is and which alone has always been. > > One cannot describe that state. One can only be that. Of course, we > > loosely talk of Self-realisation, for want of a better term. How to > > `real-ise' or make the real that which alone is real? > > > > ~om namo bhagawate sri ramayana~ > > > Namaste, > > Ramana also said the the same book, that sat-cit-ananda are > 'qualities', which to my mind is the same as an attribute. Ramana like > Sankara only ever really talked about The Self or Saguna Brahman, for > Nir Guna is unimaginable and raises the fear of extinction in > people...So why bother talking about something they cannot grasp..Tony. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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