Latest Write-up..... A posting to us sent from Sri V. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

> *Namaskar.*

>

> *Kindly find attached a gist of my recent two

> " Sharings " ,*

> *put together ! This form of write-ups I have taken up,

> in *

> *recent times **by way of 'synopsis' or a

> condensed version, *

> *so as to make **those who could not listen to the Sharings

> *

> *not feel left out !*

> **

> *Love to you all,*

> *Ganesan.* “ WISDOM and ACTION †– No. 2

 

 

“Everything as they are, is perfectly all right†-- Bhagavan Ramana.

“Accept things as they are†-- Bhagavan Ramana.

“Have faith†-- Bhagavan Ramana.

“Surrender the ‘me’ to the ‘I AM’ “ – Bhagavan Ramana.

 

God and Guru are one and the same. Guru is ‘God’ in human form. Guru knows

what is best for you and what is to be given to you, including your emotional

fulfillment. He anticipates as how best he could extend his help to you.

Read the following fascinating ‘story’ :--

 

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

In the far South India there is an area where the lady-inmates would never be

permitted to go out of the house, at all. There, the usual joke was that no

lady ever knew the shape of the front door of the house !

 

A teen-age girl came upon a book on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was

captivated by his life and teachings. She started reading books by Swami

Vivekananda. Appreciating her deep interest in the lives of Saints, his uncle

who had been to Arunachala, brought a book on the life and teachings of BHAGAVAN

SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI, in Tamil [entitled: “Sri Ramana Vijayamâ€]. When she

received the copy on her hands, she lost her body consciousness – the first

time it was happening to her ! She kept the book in her Puja Room and whenever

she wanted to open the book and read it, the very touch of it sent her into that

state of ‘no body experience’. She understood that something great was

contained in that book. At long last, she could succeed in opening the book.

Lo ! The picture of the Maharshi in the frontispiece sent quivers of joy and

ecstasy ! She then and there decided that Bhagavan Ramana was her Sadguru and

that her place of residence was

not that home but only at ARUNACHALA, at the Holy Feet of her Sadguru !

 

Her younger brother fully understood her spiritual aspirations and helped her to

“run away†from home, without anyone’s knowledge. One dark night, he took

her to the Railway station, bought her ticket to Tiruvannamalai and assured her

that everything would be well. He had to stay back at home to tackle the

terrible commotion that would be raised.

 

Safe did she reach Arunachala. But, her mind started haunting her with

tremendous guilt of having ‘deserted’ her kith and kin and having run away

from home like a ‘thief’ . She was crying all her way from station to the

Ashram, uncontrollably. She suffered from great emotional trauma.

 

When she neared the Old Hall where her Sadguru Ramana was seated, she heard him

talking loudly : “ I ran away from home, in the dark night, hiding myself

behind trees and buildings. My brother had given me money to pay his school

fees which I did not do, but ‘stole’ a portion of it. I was afraid all the

way to the Railway Station lest any one should notice me, catch and hand me over

to my uncle and brother. Inside the train compartment I hid myself till the

train left the station. I was feeling terribly ‘guilty’ that I was

deserting my kith and kin and was running away from home ‘like a thief’ !

But, no sooner the train left the station, there was total composure that

‘this was venturing only to fulfill a good cause’…….â€

 

What a relief, what a blessing ! The pious girl’s ‘guilt’ took to flight

! She stepped into the Hall, prostrated to her Sadguru Ramana and when she

looked up at Him, He was pouring His Blessings on her through His ‘Glance of

Grace’ ! Was not the nod of His head total approval of her act ! To whom

else she could totally surrender other than to her God, Guru Ramana ! Till she

dropped her body at a ripe old age she lived at Arunachala, having a home in

front of the Ashram – all her life, basking herself in His Glorious Presence !

Even after the Brahma Nirvana of Sri Bhagavan, she immersed herself in devotion

to the teaching of her Sadguru.

 

 

 

Surrendering one’s “me†is the only ‘loss’ a seeker has to meet

with. But, what a great gain it brings about : the Absolute Truth – “ I AM

“ ! The Truth that is extolled in all scriptures and by all sages and

saints !

Has not Jesus Christ proclaimed : “Only he who gives up his life [ ‘me’

] will find it [ “I AM†] †? Staying in the state of “I AMâ€

brings about spontaneously the act of giving up the ‘me’. The ‘me’ is a

never-existing state and “I AM†is the ever-existing state. Remember, Sri

Bhagavan repeatedly said :â€Affirm the Truth, the non-truth will drop off of

itself†!

 

In this light, shift your attention from ‘work’ outside, to ‘Wisdom’

inside.

If you pay exclusive attention to ‘work’ , you will miss even tasting the

‘Wisdom’. Jesus Christ said: “Attain first the Kingdom of Heaven and all

else shall be added to youâ€. Arthur Osborne, in one of his brilliant

Editorials, wrote: “If one seeks to attain all else, the Kingdom of Heaven is

not likely to be added !â€

 

Bhagavan Ramana, on the very first day of his arrival at Arunachala, in 1896,

declared before his Father - ARUNACHALA : “Thy Will be doneâ€. The rest of

his stay of 54 years, there was no ‘me’ for him to decide over

‘actions’ done, to say either way of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ . Actions

happened in his presence – that’s all ! In a court case, when the Judge who

came to the Ashram to examine him asked him to sign the document, the Maharshi

had no name to sign, no identification as a ‘me’ to affix a signature of a

name ! All the time immersed in the Perfect State of “I AMâ€, where is room

for a ‘me’ to put out its hood !

 

One might say, ‘It is all right for the Great Maharshi. But how about me, an

ordinary person ?’ For an answer for this query, we have once again turn only

to the very same Great Maharshi’s life. Take up one cue from the Maharshi’s

utterances, say : “Everything stated in the ancient texts are word by word

true.†Have complete ‘faith’ in the sacred words of the Great Master.

Look ! How and what happened in his life :--

 

 

 

During Bhagavan’s Virupaksha Cave days, many supernatural visions and

experiences occurred. Generally, he disapproved of giving importance to visions

and supernatural happenings. But where Arunachala was concerned he did not

conceal anything – rather, he was ever jubilant in describing them.

 

When questioned about the Siddhas [ realised beings] residing on the Hill and

inside the Hill, Bhagavan narrated the following scintillating experience of his

: “I was wandering on the Hill and suddenly I found a big cave. When I

entered the cave, I saw a number of waterfalls, beautiful gardens, tanks within

those gardens, well-laid paths, fine lighting – everything there was most

pleasing. As I went further and further I saw a Realised Person [ Siddha

Purusha ] seated, like Lord Dakshinamurti under a tree on the bank of the tank.

Around him, a number of saints [ munis ] were seated. They were asking

questions and he was replying to them. That place appeared to me as a very

familiar one. That is all. I opened my eyes ! Subsequently, when I saw

“Arunachala Puranam†[ “Ancient History of Arunachala†] in Sanskrit, I

found two verses in this regard. That cave and that Siddha Purusha have been

described in them and so I was surprised

that what had appeared to me was to be found in “Arunachala Puranamâ€. So,

I translated those two verses into Tamil :

 

“O Arunachala ! Though you are in the Form of Fire, you have kept away the

Fire and have taken the shape of a Hill mainly to shower your Blessings on

people. You are always living here in the Form of a Siddha, in the interior of

the cave. In you is Transcendental Glory, with all the enjoyments of the world,

as well.â€

 

Bhagavan continued : “Some time back, when the temple in Adi Annamalai was

renovated, it has been reported that in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a

large tunnel was found and when people tried to find out its extent they said

that it was extending to the very centre of the Hill. I thought that which

occurred to me and is in the Arunachala Purana appears to be true and that the

tunnel was the way to the place I had seen. It is reported that the siddhas

come from the cave inside to the temple through that tunnel !â€

 

---------------------------

 

As a true seeker, one has to listen to the holy words of the Sadguru. Even a

look, a gesture, a nod from the Guru is enough ! Look at how a wandering

seeker, “Swami Ramdas†got enlightened in the presence of the Maharshi.

And, listen to his words of spiritual advice to us, seekers :--

 

--------

 

Ramdas went to Ramana Maharshi in a state of complete obliviousness of the

world. He felt thrills of ecstasy in his presence. The Maharshi made the

awakening permanent in Ramdas. How ?

 

Ramdas addressed Sri Bhagavan, thus : “ Maharaj ! Here stands before you a

humble slave. Have pity on him. His only prayer to you is to give him

your Blessings.†The Maharshi turned his beautiful eyes towards Ramdas and

looked intently for a few minutes into his eyes, as though he was pouring into

Ramdas his Blessings through those orbs; then, shook his head to say he had

blessed. A thrill of inexpressible joy coursed through the frame of Ramdas, his

whole body quivering like a leaf in the breeze….

 

After many years, when Swami Ramdas was well-known, some people pleaded with

Swami Ramdas : “You went to Ramana Maharshi and you got Illumination. Give us

Illumination like that.†Swami Ramdas replied : “You must come to Ramdas in

the same spirit and in the same state as he went to the Maharshi. Then, you

will also get it. Where was his heart ? How intense was his longing ? What

was world to him at that time ? If you come in that state, it is all right

!â€

 

-------

 

We should conserve all our energies to help ourselves deeply spiritually

By again and again turning to the sacred words of the Maharshi. I quote here

the words of guidance from another reputed matured soul, Swami Rajeswarananda

:--

 

----------------------

 

“ Sri Ramana Maharshi awakens in every one of us the dormant Divinity, the

Potential Power, the Primary Principle, which is hidden behind the flow and

flicker of our day-to-day, ordinary life. He sets before us, as the glory and

goal of life, the Realisation of the Full Divine Consciousness of our own Self.

The Self is not something to be created or attained, but which is fully aware of

itself with an awareness that can neither begin nor end, as it is Eternal. He

proclaimed the Absolute as the Self, the “I AM†in each individual life,

ever being itself.â€

 

------------------

 

In the last days of the Maharshi’s earthly life, the Ashram management sought

his guidance as how they should conduct themselves in the future. They were

intending to express as to what they should do after he dropped the body !

Bhagavan smiled at them and said : “ The same Higher Power which was running

the Ashram till now, would also continue to take care of its further welfare.â€

The need for total surrender was the message !

 

How to give effect to total surrender in each one’s life ?

 

There is only one way and that is to put his direct teaching into effect. When a

group of senior devotees, under the leadership of Muruganar, approached Bhagavan

and prayed to give them his guidance, his crystal clear instruction was : “

Put my direct teaching into practice !â€

 

Wisdom and Surrender are the two sides of the same coin. Without ‘Wisdon’,

Surrender is impossible; and, without ‘Surrender’, Wisdom is incomplete !

 

In this regard, the following dialogue between Sri Bhagavan and a senior

devotee, G.L.Narasimha Rao throws greater light :--

 

------------------------

Sri Bhagavan replied to G.L.Narasimha Rao, thus : “ You say that on final

analysis all that I see or I think or I do is One. But, that really comprises

two notions : the ‘all’ that is seen and the ‘I’ that does the seeing,

thinking and doing, and says ‘I’. Which of these two is the more real, true

and important ? Obviously, the ‘seer’, since the ‘seen’ is dependent on

it. So, turn your attention to the ‘seer’ , who is the source of your

‘I’ and realize that.

This is the real task .

 

Up to now, you have been studying the ‘object’ , and not the

‘subject’ . Now, find out for what Reality this word ‘I’ stands.

Find the entity which is the source of the expression of ‘I’ . That is the

SELF -- the SELF of all selves.

 

The simplicity of it made GLN burst out : “Then, Bhagavan !

‘Self-Realisation’ is very easy, just as you say in your poem : ‘ Atma

Vidhya ’ [ ‘Song on Self-Knowledge’ ] ! “

 

Sri Bhagavan smiled and said : “Yes, yes ! It seems so at first, but there is

difficulty too. You have to overcome your present false values and wrong

identifications . Therefore, the quest requires concentrated effort and

steadfast abidance in the Source when this is reached.â€

 

While giving such a warning, Sri Bhagavan also added words of solace :

“But, don’t let that deter you. The rise of the urge to seek for the

‘I’ itself is an act of Divine Grace . Once this urge gets hold of you,

you are in its clutches. The grip of Divine Grace never relaxes and finally

devours you ,

just as the prey in a tiger’s jaws is never allowed to escape ! â€

 

 

Giving up of the ‘me’ is indicated when Sri Bhagavan said : “You have to

overcome your present false values and wrong identificationsâ€. The ‘me’

is nothing but a conglomeration of ‘false values’ and ‘wrong

identifications’ !

Long, pine for experiencing the “I AM†– that is all is needed ! Grace

will flood one’s Heart that pines for “I AM†experience ! How

compassionately Sri Bhagavan assures our doubting minds, with these assertive

words : “The rise of the urge to seek the ‘I’ itself is an act of Divine

Grace†and “The grip of Divine Grace never relaxes and finally devours you [

the ‘me’ ].â€

 

All that is required of a seeker is to turn one’s attention within. Then, one

can experience the splendour taking place within oneself – the ‘me’

dropping of its own accord and “I AM†spontaneously asserting itself !

 

The glorious words of Bhagavan Ramana : “Shift your attention from non-truth

to Truth†are very true, indeed ! Transcendence from the ‘me’ [drowned in

activities] to “I AM†[the vibrant SELF] !

 

“Begin with the beginningâ€, commanded our Great Master. The beginning of

the quest for Truth, can begin only in ‘you’; and, its ending also can take

place only in ‘you’. “There are no othersâ€, is yet another powerful

guidance from Sri Bhagavan. That is, begin the quest with a ‘me’ and end it

in the Truth of “I AM†! Ganesan who begins the quest with a ‘me’

[body-mind], ends in himself with the Illumination : “ I AM THAT I AMâ€

–the declaration made by GOD, three thousand years ago ! The ‘me’ has a

time and a history. “I AM†is NOW !