Birth and Death

[Guest guest]

Questions and Answers on Birth and Death from Sri Ramana

Newsletters..............................Harsha

 

Mercedes de Acosta's account of her experiences with the Maharshi, as

related in her autobiography, Here Lies the Heart, which was published in

the USA in 1960

 

 

 

Question: Are the world, the mind, ego and the body all the same thing ?

Bhagavan: Yes. They are one and the same thing. The mind and the ego are one

thing, but there is no word to explain this. You see, the world cannot exist

without the mind, the mind cannot exist without what we call the ego

(itself, really) and the ego cannot exist without a body.

Question: Then when we leave this body, that is when the ego leaves it, will

it (the ego) immediately grasp another body ?

Bhagavan: Oh, yes, it must. It cannot exist without a body.

Question: What sort of a body will it grasp then ?

Bhagavan: Either a physical body or a subtle-mental body.

Question: Do you call this present physical body the gross body ?

Bhagavan: Only to distinguish it - to set it apart in conversation. It is

really a subtle-mental body also.

Question: What causes us to be reborn ?

Bhagavan: Desires. Your unfulfilled desires bring you back. And in each

case - in each body - as your desires are fulfilled, you create new ones.

You must conquer desire to be absorbed into the One and thus end rebirth.

Question: Can sex change in rebirth ?

Bhagavan: Oh, surely. We have all been both sexes many times.

Question: Is it possible to sin ?

Bhagavan: Having a body, which creates illusion, is the only sin, and the

body is our only hell. But it is right that we observe moral laws. The

discussion of sin is too difficult for a few lines.

Question: Does one who has realized the Self lose the sense of 'I' ?

Bhagavan: Absolutely.

Question: Then to you there is no difference between yourself and myself,

that man over there, my servant - are all the same ?

Bhagavan: All are the same, including those monkeys.

Question: But the monkeys are not people. Are they not different ?

Bhagavan: They are exactly the same as people. All creatures are the same in

One Consciousness.

Question: Do we lose our individuality when we merge into the Self ?

Bhagavan: There is no individuality in the Self. The Self is One - Supreme.

Question: Then individuality and identity are lost ?

Bhagavan: You don't retain them in deep sleep, do you ?

Question: But we retain them from one birth to another, don't we ?

Bhagavan: Oh, yes. The 'I' thought (the ego) will recur again, only each

time you identify with it a different body and different surroundings around

the body. The effects of past acts ( karma ) will continue to control the

new body just as they did the old one. It is karma that has given you this

particular body and placed it in a particular family, race, sex,

surroundings and so forth.

Bhagavan added, "These questions are good, but tell de Acosta (he always

called me de Acosta) she must not become too intellectual about these

things. It is better just to meditate and have no thought. Let the mind rest

quietly on the Self in the cave of the Spiritual Heart. Soon this will

become natural and then there will be no need for questions. Do not imagine

that this means being inactive. Silence is the only real activity." Then Guy

added, "Bhagavan says to tell you that he sends you his blessings." This

message greatly comforted me.

 

Mercedes de Acosta's

[Guest guest]

Dear Harsha,

 

Thanks so much for making me aware of de Acosta's wonderful

account!

> Mercedes de Acosta's account of her experiences with the Maharshi, as

> related in her autobiography, Here Lies the Heart, which was published in

> the USA in 1960.

 

After I saw your post, I searched the web and found de Acosta's

account online on Amber's Advaita site in two installments:

 

http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/sepoct94.htm

http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/novdec94.htm

 

It would be nice if there were a bibliography of articles and books that

describe people's meetings with Ramana. Do you know if something like

that exists? If not, would you like to make one here? I have a few

references to contribute, but I suspect you know more than I do.

 

Love,

 

Laura

[Guest guest]

Dear Laura,

 

You might enjoy other extracts of

de Acosta's Here Lies the Heart at:

 

http://www.well.com/user/phils/

 

Love,

 

KKT

 

==========================

<< "Laura Olshansky" <editor

 

Dear Harsha,

 

Thanks so much for making me aware of de Acosta's wonderful

account!

> Mercedes de Acosta's account of her experiences with the Maharshi, as

> related in her autobiography, Here Lies the Heart, which was published in

> the USA in 1960.

 

After I saw your post, I searched the web and found de Acosta's

account online on Amber's Advaita site in two installments:

 

http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/sepoct94.htm

http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/novdec94.htm

 

It would be nice if there were a bibliography of articles and books that

describe people's meetings with Ramana. Do you know if something like

that exists? If not, would you like to make one here? I have a few

references to contribute, but I suspect you know more than I do.

 

Love,

 

Laura

>>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this Luan. Sorry about the delayed response Laura. The only source of

my information on Ramana Maharshi is the Sri Ramana website. You already know

about that website. I am not that well organized Laura and not the best person

to ask for information about anyone including myself! As soon as I get a

secretary and a qualified staff and they figure out that I basically know

nothing, all questions will start to be answered promptly! I think the standard

answer will be, "We have no idea!" Until that answer becomes our official answer

expect many delays and pauses. Thanks for

understanding Laura. As Paul Harvey would say, "Now, you know the rest of the

story!" :--).

 

Love

Harsha

 

PhamDLuan wrote:

> PhamDLuan

>

> Dear Laura,

>

> You might enjoy other extracts of

> de Acosta's Here Lies the Heart at:

>

> http://www.well.com/user/phils/

>

> Love,

>

> KKT

>

> ==========================

> << "Laura Olshansky" <editor

>

> Dear Harsha,

>

> Thanks so much for making me aware of de Acosta's wonderful

> account!

>

> > Mercedes de Acosta's account of her experiences with the Maharshi, as

> > related in her autobiography, Here Lies the Heart, which was published in

> > the USA in 1960.

>

> After I saw your post, I searched the web and found de Acosta's

> account online on Amber's Advaita site in two installments:

>

> http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/sepoct94.htm

> http://www.sentient.org/amber/maharshi/novdec94.htm

>

> It would be nice if there were a bibliography of articles and books that

> describe people's meetings with Ramana. Do you know if something like

> that exists? If not, would you like to make one here? I have a few

> references to contribute, but I suspect you know more than I do.

>

> Love,

>

> Laura

>

> >>

>

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> ------

>

> All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside back

into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than the ocean,

all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness. Awareness does

not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is.

Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee

relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into

It Self. Welcome all to a.

[Guest guest]

Dear Luan,

 

Thanks so much for this. I got permission from The Maharshi

newsletter to reprint old newsletters that contained that whole

section of De Acosta's book, so it's on our site now as well.

 

As for

 

http://www.well.com/user/phils/

 

....what a great site!!! Thanks for the pointer. )

 

Love,

 

Laura

 

.............................................................

> PhamDLuan

> Dear Laura,

> You might enjoy other extracts of

> de Acosta's Here Lies the Heart at:

> http://www.well.com/user/phils/

> Love,

> KKT

[Guest guest]

Dear Harsha,

> I am not that well organized Laura and not the best person

> to ask for information about anyone including myself!

 

I'm the same way. I mean, I've been asking myself "Who Am I?"

for ages, and I still don't know!

 

Love,

 

Laura

[Guest guest]

"...and I still don't know!"

 

Hmmm....that's really interesting. Could you describe what the

"not-knowing" is like? Try putting this in the first person singular - "I

am not-knowing and I......and then describe ...in the same way you could

perhaps be something more concrete like...."I am the sky and I...." or "I am

the earth and I...." or Im a tea cup or whatever. Im seriously interested

even if this might sound odd via email.

 

Joyce

 

> "Laura Olshansky" <editor

>

 

I've been asking myself "Who Am I?"

> for ages, and I still don't know!

>

> Love,

>

> Laura

>

>

>

>

>

> --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------

>

> Get what you deserve with NextCard Visa. ZERO. Rates as low as 0

> percent Intro or 9.9 percent Fixed APR, online balance transfers,

> Rewards Points, no hidden fees, and much more! Get NextCard today and

> get the credit you deserve. Apply now. Get your NextCard Visa at

> <a href=" http://clickme./ad/NextcardCreative3 ">Click

Here</a>

>

> ------

>

> All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

> perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside

> back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than

> the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of

> Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is

> Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality

> of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge,

> spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to

a.

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Joyce,

> Hmmm....that's really interesting. Could you describe what the

> "not-knowing" is like?

 

I can describe what trying to know is like.

 

It's like watching a field of potentiality. Like the state when you're

going to make a decision to act, except no decision is being weighed.

 

There's awareness that attention could suddenly

arise, and with it, the appearance it attends to.

 

Sometimes I'm aware of the feeling of "me" that is always there,

other times that isn't being paid attention to.

 

There's an impulse to try to make myself identify with the field of

potentiality instead of the feeling.

> Try putting this in the first person singular - "I

> am not-knowing and I......and then describe ...in the same way you could

> perhaps be something more concrete like...."I am the sky and I...." or "I am

> the earth and I...." or Im a tea cup or whatever. Im seriously interested

> even if this might sound odd via email.

 

OK. Here are my first few associations -- I'm an effort being made,

I'm silly to have the urge to be anything, whoever doesn't know

isn't me anyway, (sorry, got off track here), I'm a knot of attention

in my head, I am what I will feel in the near future.

 

I guess that last one is what I really feel in my unenlightened heart

of hearts -- what I am is, the feelings I am about to have in the

near future.

 

Love,

 

Laura