FAITH

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FAITH, THE CAUSE OF SELF-REALIZATION

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" Faith, which is the cause of Self-realization, is the outcome of firm

conviction of the truth of Vedantic scriptures and of the words of the Guru. "

(This quote, from Vivekachudamani, work by Shankaracharya, together with the

Drik Drisya Viveka, was translated into Tamil prose by Bhagavan while he was

still living in Virupaksha Cave. It is a very free translation, even the order

of the paragraphs being changed to some extent.)

 

The evidence of faith in one's spiritual life is for many an illusive and

nebulous phenomenon. Therefore its importance is usually reduced to a

theoretical activity of the mind that has minimal effect with even less

verification. This fact holds true only in the worldliest context, and is at

once firmly rejected in the context of the Upanishads and by the Illumined

Masters that proclaim them.

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi echoed this profound Upanishadic truth in Talks by

declaring:

" Faith, is the cause of Self-realization. " A clear

understanding of how such a profound statement becomes an actual teaching

instrument of guidance begins with the very definition of " faith " in the

context of the Upanishads.

 

In the book The Further Shore, by Swami Abhishiktananda, a technical essay

on The Upanishads: An Introduction reveals the interpretation the Rishis are

implying when guiding us to develop faith, which will cause Self-realization.

 

" All religion is based on faith and aims at deepening that faith, at

enabling its light to shine at full strength, until it illuminates every human

faculty. Contrary to what is too often supposed, faith does not primarily

consist in the mind's acceptance of certain propositions, termed 'data of

revelation'. Faith is essentially that interior sense by which the mind

penetrates obscurely into those depths of one's own being which it realizes

are beyond its power to explore solely by means of thought and

sense-perception... It is above all an interior attitude of faith, in the

fundamental sense referred to above, that is to say, of being open to the

invisible, to mystery. "

 

Sri Ramana Maharshi directly guides us to the doors of experience that will

open to us the sensitivity to directly encounter the mysterious realms

invisible to the perceiving faculties of the mind:

" Descending from the head to the Heart is the beginning of sadhana. "

Here again, from the worldly-minded realm of life, getting from the head to

the Heart is an experience even more nebulous and fleeting than the

development of faith. But the Rishis, the communicators of the experience of

Divine Revelation, foresaw this human dilemma. They carefully outlined for us

the 'ways and means' to develop faith, to develop the necessary sensitivity to

pierce beyond the limitations of the mind, wherein lies the " speaking Silence "

of the Heart.

 

It has been said that the Upanishads are not in-and-of themselves the

Truth, but are rather like fingers that point towards the experience of the

Truth. In the beginning stages of this journey towards experience there is

needed an implicit trust in the teachings of the Guru and the words of

Scripture. There is however, a coinciding urge and enticement to press on

beyond them, towards the secrets they reveal, toward the Grace they invoke.

 

The Rishis of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion, proclaimed the

Upanishads to be the Eternal science. In doing so, they scientifically

outlined for us the systematic methods of abhyasa, the means of repeated

spiritual practice, which would produce the fullness of existence within the

'experiment of life'.

 

This 'fullness of existence' is direct and undeniable Knowledge of God. It

is the Knowledge that liberates us from the shackles of the sorrows and joys

of transitory existence. Thus when a devotee once asked the Maharshi:

 

" What is Moksha (liberation)? "

 

Bhagavan replied: " Moksha is to know that you were not born. 'Be

still and know that I am God.' To be still is not to think. Know, and not

think, is the word. " (Talks #130)

 

In quoting the Bible, Bhagavan was echoing the Upanishad's mystical

formula for liberation. When one stills the thinking faculty of the mind, an

inner flame is kindled by which a deep experience, though still obscure and

inarticulate, issues forth illuminating the abode of God, the Cave of the

Heart. Although undoubtedly for us this Divine illumination is thrilling, even

ecstatic, we are at once faced with the inevitable dimming of this vision, for

the mind is still very dedicated to its life-long goal of distracting us

outwards, which preserves it's power and very existence. Quite literally, the

moment we experience a glimpse of the Presence of God in the Heart, we

inevitably arrive at the possibility of losing It. Though in the absolute

sense this Divine state of consciousness has never been lost, our perception

of it, our sensitivity to It's Presence has been dimmed. It is for this reason

that we wander from birth to birth, that we, as the Maharshi states, know

birth!

 

By the Grace of God, and the benevolent compassion of Sri Ramana Maharshi,

we are given in Talks 27 direct counsel how to secure our newfound attainment

of Higher Life:

 

" Devotee: How long can the mind stay or be kept in the Heart?

Maharshi: The period extends by practice.

D.: What happens at the end of the period?

M.: The mind returns to the present normal state. Unity in the Heart is

replaced by variety of phenomena perceived. This is called the outgoing mind.

The heart- going mind is called the resting mind.

D.: Is all this process merely intellectual or does it exhibit feeling

predominantly?

M.: The latter.

D.: How do all thoughts cease when the mind is in the Heart?

M.: By force of will, with strong faith in the truth of the Master's

teaching to that effect.

D.: What is the good of this process?

M.: (a) Conquest of the will - development of concentration.

(b) Conquest of passions - development of dispassion.

© Increased practice of virtue - (samatva) equality to all.

 

The Rishis, like us, were human; therefore subject to the outward

waywardness of the lower mind (the ego). Their persevering dedication to

overcome (literally to get over, or above) the mind, through the practice that

our Bhagavan intimates as being empowered through faith, produced very

methodical and effective methods that have been delivered to us as the words

of Scripture and the teachings of the Masters.

 

In Swami Abhishiktananda's essay, quoted from above, the Upanishadic

Scripture defines faith, in its essential active state, as the acquisition of

four fundamental attitudes:

 

1) A sense of discrimination between that which is transitory and that

which is permanent, both in oneself and in the world; consequently-

2) A total indifference towards all fruits of action, whether moral or

religious, which carry so-called rewards either in this world or in the next,

including even immortality;

3) The quietening of the faculties. In the Vedantasara, where these four

fundamental attitudes (sadhana) are listed, the third appears in the form of a

list of " six things " which have to be practiced. The first two of these are

'quietening (sama) and 'self-restraint' (dama). And finally,

4) A desire for salvation or liberation such that all other desires vanish

even in thought. (cp. Br. Upanishad 4.3.21 and 4.4.6.) " He who desires the

Self (atma-kama) is consequently the one who is free from all (other) desires

(a-kama). "

 

 

" The Upanishads in fact do not consist primarily of revealed truths which

can be transmitted through the medium of concepts and words, even if one has

to admit that the passing on of experience has to be done, at least in the

early stages, in this way. The Upanishadic seer is much less the man who

'knows this or that', than the man who 'knows thus (evam)', as the Upanishads

constantly reiterate, calling him evamvid. It is like a new way of knowing, a

new way of looking at things, at the world, a new illumination which makes one

perceive everything quite differently. It is essentially a matter of passing

on an experience of oneself, which does not convey any new information, so to

speak, but which is much more an awakening to oneself, to things, to the

mystery which, when projected, is called God. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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