Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi on Meditation, book: Conscious Immortality

[Guest guest]

(Conversations with Ramana Maharshi by Paul Brunton, excerpts from 'Conscious

Immortality' a book edited by Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, S. India,

first edition 1984, not for sale outside India) [As far as I know, Sri Swamiji's

aunty Venkamma, who next to His Mother was Guru for Him, had a Guru from the

Ramana Parampara. See SacredLifeOfSwamiji]

 

.....Q: What particular steps will be helpful to mind control?

 

A: That depends on circumstances of each. Bhakti,Karma, Jnana and Yoga are

all one.

You cannot love God, without knowing him nor know without loving him. Love

manifests itself in everything you do and that is karma [yoga]. the adoption of

mental perception (yoga) is the necessary preliminary before you can know or

love God in the proper way.

 

....The ego is simply wrong identity of the Self with the non-self as in the

case of a colourless crystal and its background. The crystal though colourless

appears red because of its background. If the background is removed, the

crystal shines in its original purity. So it is with the Self and the

Antahkaranas.

 

Q: Three or four times in my life great spiritual ecstasies came and went. I

want them permanently.

 

A: They have come and gone, but you have not gone. Your real Self is still

there!

 

There is a unity really, but the intellect makes the differences. Yet

intellect is a power (faculty) of the Self. But the principle which lies behind

the

intellect, cannot be known by the intellect.

 

....There are men of giant intellect who are spending their lives in

discovering knowledge about many things; but all this intellect is being turned

outwards. What is the use of knowing about everything when you do not yet know

yourself. Ask these men if they know who they are, and they will hang their

heads in

shame.

 

Q: What is the difference between meditation and Vichara?

 

A: Meditation can be upon an external or other object. Thus subject and

object differ.

In Vichara both subject and object are the same - the Self. [see Sri

Swamiji´s explanation of Nirvana Satka, and His saying that Self Contemplation

is a

must. Self Contemplation is Vichara, is Self-Enquiry]

 

....Therefore seek realisation, practise vichara and do not worry about

philosophies and systems and problems.

 

but all these rules regarding hours etc of meditation are only for beginners.

There will come a time when you will say: 'I have given up meditation.'

Because then you will have realised that the idea connotes duality, viz. a

person

who meditates, and an object of meditation, and you will perceive the

standpoint of the true Self which does not need to meditate.[see also Sri

Swamiji's

explanation of Nirvana Satka]

 

Let us not begin to exercise our intellect upon Atman by trying to find out

what sort is the self-effulgence of this Atman, whether it is of this sort or

that. It is such discursive thought that constitutes our bondage.

 

Do not allow a single mental activity to intrude into your Dhyanam. One

should continue the practice so long as Ego(Ahankara) or sense of possession is

not

completely put down, i.e. till you can at will and without effort keep the

mind free of concepts or activities. Otherwise you must go on with practice.

 

Ecstatic experience imply association of very subtle mind. What is your state

in [deep] sleep? No ecstasy nor pain, but beyond both. The natural state is

just that with conscience of existence added.

 

The final obstacle to meditation is ecstasy: you feel great bliss and

happiness and stay in that ecstasy; do not yield to it but pass on to the sixth

stage

which is great calm.

The calm is higher than ecstasy and it merges into Samadhi. Successful

Samadhi causes a waking sleep state to supervene, when you are always a

consciousness, for consciousness is your nature. Hence a man is always in

Samadhi. [women

too of course, the Self doesn´t have a gender] Only he does not know it; all

he has to do is to remove the above obstacles.

 

Yes, the intellect can be a help towards realisation up to a certain stage.

But intellect must vanish to reach the Self.

 

Q: How does book-lore help?

 

A: Only so far as to make him sink his intellect in the ego and ego in

Self.After realisation all intellectual loads are thrown over-board as flotsam.

Whose is the intellect? It is man's. Intellect is only an instrument.

 

The study of the sacred books will not suffice to reveal the truth. So long

as vasanas are latent in the mind, Realisation cannot be achieved. Sastra

learning is itself a vasana.

Realisation is only in Samadhi. Samadhi alone can reveal it. Thoughts cast a

veil over reality and so it cannot be clear in states other than Samadhi.

 

A: Yoga means union. But the union of what with which?

 

A: Exactly. Yoga implies division-union of one with another. Who is to be

united with whom?

You are the seeker, seeking union with something. yourself is intimate to

you. You are aware of the Self. Seek it and be it. That will expand as Infinity.

then there will be no question of Yoga etc. Whose is this Yoga? Find it.

Stoppage of mental activities is applicable to all systems of yoga. the methods

differ. So long as there is effort made towards that goal(i.e. stoppage of all

mental activities], it is called yoga. The effort is yoga.

.....

 

*********************

 

Jai Guru Datta

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Jaigurudatta,

Great work. High level of research. I can see and feel our Swamiji in every bit

of your writing.

Sri Gurudatta

 

MadeleineHeiss wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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