Category Archives: Advaita and Yoga

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ULLADU NAARPADU (Also spelt as: Ulladu Narpadu) – Verse #2

. Advaita and Yoga . , ,

ULLADU NAARPADU

(Continued from ULLADU NAARPADU -Verse No.1)

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi
(consisting of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses which form the main text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma
Detailed Commentary in Tamil by Lakshmana Sharma,
adapted into English by Profvk

Introduction to Verse #2:

The Theory of the Self that is taught here is not to be comprehended by the smartness of the intellect or by logic or by book-knowledge. Learning it that way will not lead you anywhere. The path of Self-Enquiry that will be detailed hereafter will help to vanquish the ego, mind as well as the appearance of the world and thus establish one in the Nature of the Self. That is the Knowledge of the Self says Verse #2.

Text of #2:

Mummudalai emmadamum muRkoLLum
Or mudale mummudalaai niRkumenRum
Mummudalum mummudale yennal ahamkaaram irukkumaTTe
Yaan keTTut-tannilaiyil niTRal talai.

Translation (Lakshmana Sharma)

All the faiths that prevail in the world affirm, to begin with, (the existence of) the world, the soul and God. The two contentions, namely that One Reality is sensed as threefold, and that there are three distinct entities, are upheld (as intellectual convictions) while the sense ‘I am the body’ persists. But the highest state is that of being firmly established in one’s own real Nature (as the Real Self), by giving up that delusion.

Translation (Prof. K. Swaminathan)

On three entities — the individual, God and the world — every creed is based. That `the One becomes the three’ and that `always the three are three’, are said only while the ego lasts. To lose the `I’ and in the Self to stay is the State Supreme.

Translation (Osborne)

All religions postulate the three fundamentals, the world, the soul, and God, but it is only the one Reality that manifests Itself as these three. One can say, ‘The three are really three’ only so long as the ego lasts. Therefore, to inhere in one’s own Being, where the ‘I’, or ego, is dead, is the perfect State.

Word-by-word

Mummudalai: The three primalities
Em madamum : Every faith
muRkoLLum : takes as fundamentals.
Or mudale : Only one fundamental entity
Mummudalai : as the three entities
nirkum endRum : manifests ever;
mummudalum: all the three entities
mummudale : are really three entities
ennal : (this) statement (holds)
ahamkAram irukkumaTTe : only so long as the ego lasts.
Yaan : the ego of this self
keTTu : being lost or vanquished
tannilaiyil : in one’s own Nature
nitRal : being established, anchored
talai: is the foremost, important. (talai = head; topmost thing)

[Note by VK: Please note that my word-by-word translation matches with the translation of Osborne and not with the others].

Commentary by Lakshmana Sharma:

The individual (JIva), God (Ishvara), the Universe (Jagat) are the three things which are first talked about by every school of rligious thought. The difference between different schools arises in the question whether those three are different or the same. Two arguments exist; one that the three are the manifestations of the One and the other that the three are distinct truths. To whatever of these two one holds, his ego has not subsided. Ego is the ignorant belief that this body is the ‘I’. It is the one who has the ego that prefers the argument. So long as the ego lasts one has not understood the Truth by experience. He cannot comprehend the truth of these three. Only in the ego-less state all the truths come to light. That indeed is the state of jnAna. Therefore, whatever school one may belong to, — advaitin or dvaitin – his faith in that school is not jnAna. It is called *parokshha-jnAnaM*.

[Note by VK: ‘parokshha’ in Sanskrit means ‘invisible to the eye’;
Therefore ‘paroksha-jnAna’ means
‘second-hand knowledge’ or ‘indirect knowledge’.
‘aparokshha’ means visible, perceptible.
In other words, ‘aparokshha’ and
‘pratyaksha’ (= visible to the eye, directly perceptible)
mean the same thing)]

But the word ‘parokshha-jnAnam’ which consists of two words, is self-contradictory. The Atman is ‘nitya-aparokshhaM’, that is, ‘ever pratyakshhaM’. How can it be termed as ‘parokshhaM’?

Advaita knowledge is a Self-Experience; it is not a religion or school of thought as other schools are – this is Bhagavan’s opinion. Religion or school of thought is a creation of the mind. Other religions are objects of thought for the mind. Advaitam is not so. Only when the mind is vanquished, it becomes a direct perception. Only when the ego is vanquished, mind also vanishes; therefore until ego vanishes, there can be no jnAna. When ego vanishes, jnAna will be yours. This is the explanation of Bhagavan.

Further, to whatever school one belongs, one should try to rise up spiritually by the sAdhanas that school prescribes and encourages, rather than trying to establish by argument that the tenets of his school are the truths. Instead of concentrating the mind on the differences between different schools and religions, it is best to involve oneself in the methodologies prescribed.This will be clear from the following anecdote about Bhagavan.

Some one brought a religious work and submitted it to Bhagavan. Bhagavan scrutinised a few pages of it and then spoke to the devotee as follows:

“This work contains criticisms of many schools of religious thought, including Advaitam. Every school is glorified by a preliminary account – called ‘MaNDanaM’; and then follows a ‘khaNDanaM’ (criticism). But in writing the ‘MaNDanaM’ portion, the account instead of giving a truthful account introduces an objectionable item in it so that when the ‘khaNDanaM’ portion comes the school can be criticized. All these arguments constitute a waste of effort. What all schools and religions unanimously emphasize is: If the seeker eradicates from his mind all mental constructs like ‘I’ and ‘mine’, he can certainly obtain the highest level of spiritual evolution. There is no dispute on this. Therefore adherents of all schools and religions should devote themselves to following this universally acceptable sAdhanA. Why fight about what the nature of that salvation that may be obtained at the end of the sAdhanA would be? Let it be this way or that way! Should we have to decide now itself that it would be only this way and not that way? Why not wait to see it when you really reach it?

The punchline in this verse is its fourth line. It is the highest state obtainable. ‘To inhere in one’s own Being, where the ‘I’, or ego, is dead, is the perfect State’. There is nothing either higher than it or equal to it. This is indicated by the use of the word ‘talai’ (head, topmost part).

Qn. Relevant to Verse #1 and Bhagavan’s answer.

Recall that Verse #1 said that everything that you see is really Brahman. In Talks Bhagavan explains to a visitor who asked if the world is perceived even after Self-Realization:

M.: From whom is this question? Is it from a JnAni or from an ajnAni?

D.:From an ajnAni.

M.: Realise to whom the question arises. It can be answered if it arises
after knowing the doubter. Can the jagat or the body say that it is?
Or does the seer say that the jagat or the body is? The seer must be
there to see the objects. Find out the seer first. Why worry yourself
now with what will be in the hereafter? Sri Bhagavan continued: What does it matter if the jagat is perceived or not perceived? Have you lost anything by your perception of jagat now? Or do you gain anything where there is no such perception in your deep sleep? It is immaterial whether the world is perceived or not perceived. The ajnAni sees the JnAni active and is confounded. The jagat is perceived by both; but their outlooks differ. Take the instance of the cinema. There are pictures moving on the screen. Go and hold them. What do you hold? It is only the screen. Let the pictures disappear. What remains over? The screen again. So also here. Even when the world appears, see to whom it appears. Hold the substratum of the ‘I’. After the substratum is held what does it matter if the world appears or disappears? The ajnAni takes the world to be real; whereas the JnAni sees it only as the manifestation of the Self. It is immaterial if the Self manifests itself or ceases to do so.

(Talk 65.)

(Continued in ULLADU NAARPADU – Verse No.3)

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ULLADU NAARPADU (also spelt as Ulladu Narpadu) – Verse No.1

. Advaita and Yoga .

ULLADU NAARPADU 

(Continued from ULLADU NAARPADU -Mangalam  2)

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi
(consisting of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses which form the main text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma
Detailed Commentary in Tamil by Lakshmana Sharma,
adapted into English by Profvk

Introduction

In this seminal work, Bhagavan teaches that Self-Enquiry is the best means for Mokshha. What helps that enquiry is *satya-asatya-vivekam* – that is the wisdom to discriminate between truth and falsity. And what we obtain by that enquiry is Self-Realisation. Though these three topics Discrimination, Enquiry, and Realisation appear in almost every verse, the particular order in which the verses appear suggest that verses 1 to 26 are mostly about Discrimination (Vivekam), 27 to 29 are mostly about Enquiry (Vichaaram) , and 30 to 40 are mostly about Realisation (anubhavam). So these three portions may be classified as Viveka chapter, Vichaara chapter and Anubhava chapter.

Viveka chapter (Verse nos.1 to 26)

What is viveka? The Existent Reality is the Atman; the false appearances – the triad of  JIva, Ishvara and the Universe – hide the Atman; the world that hides appears real and the Atman that is hidden appears unreal. The means of Enquiry is difficult to accomplish. What one has to do as prerequisite to this Enquiry is to decide that the falsity that hides is false and the reality that is hidden is real. This is Discrimination (Viveka). Thus this Discrimination becomes an indispensable prerequisite to the seeker. This chapter elaborately explains this discrimination.

Introduction to Verse #1

In the first verse Bhagavan takes the analogy of the movie on the movie screen in order to explain that Brahman is the Reality and the universe that hides it is a false appearance. In technical terms Brahman is adhishhTAnam (base, substratum) and the universe is Aropitam (superimposed).

Verse #1.

nAM ulagam kANDalAl nAnA AM shakti uLa
Or mudalai oppal oru-talaiye.
nAma uru cittiramum pArppAnum cEr-paDamum Ar oLiyum
attanaiyum tAn Am avan.

Lakshmana Sharma’s Translation

Since we see the world, (it follows that) there does exist a source of it, a sole Reality transcending (world and mind), of whose power all this is a becoming; this is beyond dispute. This cinema show of names and forms, their sustaining screen, the light (of Consciousness), and the spectator – all these four are only that Supreme Being, who is the Real Self within the Heart.

Prof. Swaminathan’s Translation

Since we know the world, we must concede for both a common Source, single but with the power of seeming many. The picture of names and forms, the onlooker, the screen, the light that illumines — all these are verily He.

Osborne’s Translation

From our perception of the world there follows acceptance of a unique First Principle possessing various powers. Pictures of name and form, the person who sees, the screen on which he sees, and the light by which he sees: he himself is all of these.

Word by Word

nAm ulagam kANDalAl : Since we cognize the universe (ulagam = world, universe)
nAnA Am shakti uLa: that which has the power to appear as many (nAnA = multiple)
Or mudalai: One single Primal entity
oppal : to agree, to concede
oru talaiye: can have no objection.
nAma uru cittiramum : all the picture-forms full of names (nAmam = name; cittiram = picture)
pArppAnum : and he who sees them (pAr = see, watch)
cEr paDamum : and the cloth-base
Ar oLiyum : and the Light that shows (all these) (oLi = Light, luminiscence)
attanaiyum: all these (four)
tAnAm : are the Atman (that is in the heart) (tAn = Self, (also) the egoistic self)
avan : He, the God Almighty.

Commentary by Lakshmana Sharma

Here we are taught that there exists an ever-existing Reality which is the substratum (or base, adhishhTAnam) for the visible universe. But in order to clear the question whether that Reality transformed itself into the universe, or whether without undergoing any change it only forms the base for the appearance of the universe, the words *nAnAvAm shakti uLa* are added. What shows as this multiplicity of the universe is a miraculous power called mAyA, that cannot be distinguished as distinct from that Reality. That Reality has not undergone any change or transformation – is the meaning here. In other words, the universe is superimposed on the adhishhTAnam of Brahman.The analogy for this is the movie show. But between the movie show and the show of the universe there is a major difference. In the movie show the viewer is separate from the movie. But in this show of the universe (by mAyA) the viewer is also part of it. The viewer is not distinct from the universe. He is included in it. So if the universe is false, he also is. This is an important teaching.

In the analogy, the pictures that appear and disappear are impermanent; therefore unreal. The unmoving screen that really undergoes no change is permanent; therefore real. So also, the appearances of the universe along with the viewer are both unreal. The sat-cit that is the adhishhTAnam (base) is the reality, Brahman. By the factor of ‘sat’ it constitutes the base for the false appearances; and by the ‘cit’ factor it becomes the Light that shows up those appearances.So this unreal universe appears on the real Brahman. By the very jnAna-svarUpa (Nature of Knowledge) of that Brahman the universe appears as real. The universe by itself has no claims to Existence or the Light of Knowledge. This fact will also be clear from verse #13 *jnAnamAm tAne mey*.

But the Upanishads do say the jagat (=universe) has been created by Brahman and in fact Brahman itself became the universe. How can they say it if it were not true? But wise experienced knowledgeable people say that the real intention of the Upanishads is to convey that the universe as such has no existential privilege nor the privilege of expression (=prakAshaM) ; only the sat-cit nature of Brahman which is the substratum makes it appear so.

Here it is said that neither the JIva who is the viewer, nor the show of the universe is distinct from the substratum Brahman and so they are actually Brahman itself. Thus it is clear that all names and forms are unreal. This will again be made clear in the verse #4 which begins with ‘uruvaM tAnAyin’.

Further that sat-cit Brahman is also the Atman, says this verse, through the words ‘tAnAm avan’. The Tamil word ‘tAn’ denotes the Atman here.

It is a foolish argument to say that Brahman that is the Atman has really transformed into the Universe. It is like saying that in the milk of Brahman drops of the buttermilk of Ignorance (ajnAnam) got mixed and that produced the curd of the Universe. Ignorance is not a material entity. How can it make changes in Brahman? Also, when milk becomes curd, the latter does not turn back into milk ever. So also if Brahman gets transformed into the universe in the same manner, then it cannot become Brahman again. It turns out therefore that Brahman is incapable of preserving its own nature. How can we expect such a Brahman to protect us?

If there were no such thing as a never-changing Reality, then there would be no scope for our release. It is because of the existence of something which never changes, we have a way of release, says the Buddha. All the jnAnis do clearly say that Brahman is the one which never changes; so we don’t have to accept the argument of the previous paragraph.

Finally the central meaning of this verse is to be taken like ‘this snake is the rope’. The rope in reality has not become the snake, but in our time of ignorance it appears like a snake. In the same manner, in our time of Ignorance Brahman appears as the Universe. By proper knowledge of ours the rope shows up as it is. So also when Knowledge dawns the world-appearance vanishes and Brahman shows up as it truly is, namely the Atman. Even when the snake appeared it was the rope in reality, so also even when the world appears the Atman that is Brahman is the only Truth. The Universe is never the reality. This is the substance of this verse.

Footnote: Names and Forms appear to be true only in the state of Ignorance, that is, to the ego-full mind. In the JnAna experience of a Released person (mukta) they are not true. This truth is also expressed by Bhagavan in the fifth verse of ArunAchala-ashhTakam.

Note by VK: In this verse Bhagavan has elaborated the well-known Upanishad-declaration (Chandogya Upanishad: III – 14 – 1): *sarvaM khalvidam Brahma* (All this is Brahman). Adi Shankara explains it in his commentary as: This world diversified through names and forms and which is the object of direct perception etc. has Brahman as its origin.

(Continued in ULLADU NAARPADU – Verse No.2)

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Find A Penny

. Advaita and Yoga, INSPIRATIONAL

1-0381

Find A Penny…
Pick it Up…
All the DayYou’ll Have Good Luck

I go to my bedroom where Molly ( Molly is not her real name, but she jokingly refers to herself as Molly Mop Up, because she cannot walk past dirt without cleaning it up) is busy changing the lightbulbs in the ceiling fan, and in her usual fashion, cleaning everything in her path as she goes. Molly helps around the office (my office is in my home) and also helps with general cleaning and other projects related to my home. She is my good friend and I have known her for several years now.

She is up there wiping away and then comes down, advising me as she lands on the ground that the shade was really dirty. “Gee, I thought this was an opaque shade, but it is not…it is clear.” I knew that, I think to myself, although truth is it has been so long since that shade was cleaned, I really did not remember. Wherever she has it at the moment, I am sure it is clear now.

I also could not remember how many bulbs it took, but the last one blew a few days ago and the light fixture was lost in darkness, and I need the light in the room, so I had asked her to change the bulbs for me since I cannot reach that high even on the ladder. (The ceiling is a vaulted ceiling, I have neck problems which limit my comfort in raising my arms to work above my head,  and I am short!)  As she walks down the hallway with her rag in her hand, I look up at the fixture, which has been stripped bare of the shade down to its extension rod with the little round plate attached to the bottom on which the shade rests and onto which another round plate is screwed to hold the shade in place. What would I do without her help, I think to myself, as she returns to the room and climbs back up to the fixture.

Once she gets up there, looking confused and perplexed, she looks down at me, and says to me, “Did you put this penny up here?” I process what she just said. “Of course not! What are you talking about, Molly?” I have been standing here doing my own little tasks, and why would I climb up the ladder to put a penny into a light fixture I can’t reach? In fact, WHO WOULD put a penny into a light fixture? WHY would you put a penny into a light fixture? Yet, laying on the rim of the round little plate at the end of the extension rod which she had justed finished cleaning with her rag before she left the room, she now found a penny. She picks it up and brings it down to me, handing it to me. I take a look at it…it is a shiny penny, dated 1998, with Abraham Lincoln on the front.

1-027

“I just cleaned that rim and there was no penny there. Are you sure you did not put it there?” She looks at me almost as if in accusation. She is a bit shook up by it and I am intrigued by it. I deny any involvement once again. Molly is mollified!!! She shakes her head, leaves the room and goes downstairs to work elsewhere. I look over at my pujya and the image of Lord Krishna sitting there in all His Glory, acting all innocent, and think…”What are you up to this time, O Giridhara Naagara?” No answer. Still, I cannot help but wonder. It has His Footprints all over it!

I look at it again, and play with it in my hand. Well, it sure was not put up there for me. She is the one who was working there and she is the one who found it. In fact, there is no way I would have found it because I was not going up that ladder, she was. So, the penny is for her, isn’t it? Now I get my answer…yes it is. And she not only gets the penny, but following instructions, I begin to put together a little package for her to take home with her. This includes a flower and a little clay Diwali candle holder to put it in.

I find myself putting the flower into the Diwali holder, and placing the penny into the flower. I kneel before Him. What is it you would like to ask of Me for her? I take a moment to think…I know that Diwali is symbolized by Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and it does not take a genius to make the “find a penny pick it up” connection either. While she is busy downstairs, I am busy upstairs. Dispensing with the mundane aspect of my request, I note that money is an issue in her household, so I ask that things ease up a bit there for her and her family and that they be able to pay their bills. But my real request is for her spiritual enrichment and so I make this request of Him, knowing that however awkwardly I might word it, He will know what to do with it. In fact, He already knows what He is going to do with it, but He lets me play the part. I am then sent off to finish the package with which I will send her home. Down to my office and my eyes fall on my windowsill, where there is a small image of Lord Vishnu which I had cut out from a poster at the Mission for some sort of Vaikunta celebration which had occurred at the Vrindavan Center in NJ. I liked it because it was strikingly blue and beautiful and I had no Vishnu images and I wanted one. Hey, I just framed that for me!!! It has not even been there for a full day yet. Not for you anymore:-) So I give it up and put it with the rest of her “gifts.” Then I pull out my little book from the Mission entitled “Symbols In  Hinduism” and find a short article on Vishnu, making a copy for her to take home.

Well, now what do I put it into? I go down to the basement to the laundry room where she is working. I also use that room to keep some of my wrapping paper and decorative you- don’t- have- to- wrap-it bags. She sees me looking in the drawer and pulling them out, and starts to point to a big bag hanging up near the counter. She begins to move towards it when I tell her “Stay out of it.” She gives me a look and stays out of it and continues with what she had been doing. So I find a few bags and take them up to my office where her gift is waiting.

When she leaves for the day, I give her the gift bag, and I tell her that the reason I told her to stay out of it, was because I had been looking for the bag for her. She smiles and takes the package, having no idea what I am giving her. I smile because I know what I am giving her, what He is giving her.

I talk to her a few days later and she thanks me telling me that no one has done anything for her like that to make her feel that good in a long time. She had not opened the package until later that evening when all her home chores were done and her son was in bed. Then I mention to her…”I hear Glenn gave you a computer.” Glenn is my computer tech and works on a large campus where they had just updated their computers and had a bunch of them heading for storage/disposal. He has been helping me cope with my computer meltdown, and had just guided me in purchasing a new one. During the same conversation, he mentioned that he had given one of the computers to her. I had sent him to her because her computer was refusing to boot up and she and her husband could not fix it themselves.

“Oh yes”, she says. “The motherboard on our computer was dead and we were going to have to replace it completely,or buy a new computer and we do not have the money to buy a new computer. This was a lifesaver.” I laughed (thinking…yes, He is). “Find a penny…pick it up…all the day you’ll have good luck.” I quipped. She got silent for a moment, perhaps absorbing what I had just said and then the conversation ended because we both had to get off the phone. Later, she told me she had not even made the connection until I said it to her. In fact, when she had arrived home from my house that very day, there was already a message from Glenn to her on her answering machine, telling her about the computer and offering it to her. His gift was already given before I asked for it for her.  As to the second and most important of my wishes for her, it is safely in His hands and always has been.

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Abandoning all DHARMAS of the body, mind, and intellect,
take refuge in Me alone.
I will liberate you from all sins; grieve not.
Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 18, Verse 66

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ULLADU NAARPADU (also spelt as Ulladu Narpadu) – Mangalam – 2: By Professor V. Krishnamurthy

. Advaita and Yoga . , ,

ULLADU NAARPADU

(Continued from ULLADU  NAARPADU – Comments by ProfVK)

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi
(consisting of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses which form the main text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma
Detailed Commentary in Tamil by Lakshmana Sharma,
adapted into English by Profvk

Mangalam – 2

In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Bhagavan explains the first
managalam to a devotee:

The first stanza is the auspicious beginning. Why should the subject
matter of the piece be brought in here? Can knowledge be other than Being? Being is the core – the Heart. How then is the Supreme Being to be contemplated and glorified? Only to remain as the Pure Self is the
auspicious beginning. This speaks of attributeless Brahman according to the jnana marga (method of knowledge).

Introduction to Mangalam – 2:

By the first verse Mangalam – 1, the nirguNa-svarUpa (nirguna =attributeless) of brahman was indicated. That itself will show up as saguNa (= with attributes) for the devotees. In the situation where there is no mind brahman is nirguNa. When the mind is there the same brahman is saguNa. Then that itself becomes God Almighty. Those who show Bhakti or Love towards Him, finally deserve His Grace when they have offered their Self to Him, and receive the Self-Realisation Experience already mentioned. This is the truth that is the content of the 2nd verse in Mangalam:

Tamil Text:

MaraNa-bhayam mikku uLa am-makkal aRaN Aha
maraNa-bhavam illaa maheshan sharaName caarvar;
tam caarvoDu taam caarvutraar;
caavu eNNam caarvarO caavaadavar.

Translation (Lakshmana Sharma):

Men of pure minds who intensely fear death surrender themselves unto the Lord of all, the blissful One, the indwelling Self, who has no death or birth. By that (surrender) their ego, along with their attachments becomes extinguished. How can they, who (thus) have won abode in Immortality, have any thought of death?

Translation (Prof. K. Swaminathan):

When those who are in dread of death seek refuge at the feet of the deathless, birthless Lord Supreme, their ego and attachments die; and they, now deathless, think no more of death.

Word-by-word:

MaraNa bhayam = Fear of Death (maraNam = death)
Mikka uLa = Who have lots of
am makkaL = those people
araN Aha = ‘to get rid of’ : in this case, the contextual meaning would be: ‘in order to get rid of that fear of death (araN = barricade for protection)
maraNa-bhavam illaa = (He) who is deathless, birthless (bhavam = birth)
maheshan = the Great Lord
sharaName caarvar = do surrender only
tam caarvoDu = along with their possessiveness (*mamakaaram*)
tAM = (their) Egoistic self
cAvutraar = dies, vanishes.
cAvu eNNam = thought of death (cAvu = death)
caarvaro = Would they?
caavaadavar = they who are beyond death.

Commentary by Lakshmana Sharma :

Every one has the fear of death some time or other. But that becomes ineffective. A temporary dispassion that follows such fear of death usually vanishes after a further experience of life’s goodies. On the other hand those with a high sense of values do not forget the fear and they look for antidotes for it.

For men steeped in ignorance and worldly mAyA to rise to salvation, the miseries of worldly life themselves are steps. Bhagavan says: “When a person is dreaming during sleep, so long as the dream experiences are pleasurable, he does not wake up. Only miserable events in the dream wake him up. So also, in worldly life, so long as things appear pleasant, the worldly man does not wake up from the mAyic world to realise the Truth. The miseries of samsAra, the fear of death – these kinds of feelings are the ones that direct him to the goal. We know death is sure to come. But so long as it does not confront you, you don’t realise the severity of that fear. Therefore it is the knowledge that comes out of experience that life is full of miseries, that turns your path towards one of nivRtti (cessation of activity)”. Rarely a blessed one in a million turns to jnAna-path the moment he becomes aware even mentally of death. Such are the Buddha and our own Bhagavan Ramana.

When the mind thus turns to nivRtti path, that soul gets into the Grace of deahtless, birthless Lord. That Grace makes him look inward and takes him on to the Supreme. That is when the Ego of ‘I’ gets extinguished along with vAsanas of all kinds of bondage. What remains is the deathless Atman.

What is this Ego? It is the false conviction that the body is the Atman. So long as that remains, the impending death of the body will be considered as one’s own death. This verse shows that when the Ego is extinguished the very concept of death is uprooted.

Here is Bhagavan’s explanation of Mangalam – 2:

The second stanza is in praise of God with attributes. In the first,
to be as one Self is mentioned; in the present one, surrender to the Lord of all. Furthermore the second stanza indicates (1) the fit reader (2) the subject matter (3) the relationship and (4) the fruit. The fit reader is the one who is competent for it. Competence consists in non-attachment to the world and desire to be liberated. All know that they must die some time or other; but they do not think deeply of the matter. All have a fear of death: such fear is momentary. Why fear death? Because of the ‘I-am the-body’ idea. All are fully aware of the death of the body and its cremation. That the body is lost in death is well-known. Owing to the I-am-the-body notion, death is feared as being the loss of Oneself. Birth and death pertain to the body only; but they are superimposed on the Self, giving rise to the delusion that birth and death relate to the Self. In the effort to overcome birth and death man looks up to the Supreme Being to save him. Thus are born faith and devotion to the Lord. How to worship Him?

The creature is powerless and the Creator is All-powerful. How to approach Him? To entrust oneself to His careis the only thing left for him; total surrender is the only way. Therefore he surrenders himself to God. Surrender consists in giving up oneself and one’s possessions to the Lord of Mercy. Then what is left over for the man? Nothing – neither himself nor his possessions. The body liable to be born and to die having been made over to the Lord, the man need no longer worry about it. Then birth and death cannot strike terror. The cause of fear was the body; it is no longer his; why should he fear now? Or where is the identity of the individual to be frightened? Thus the Self is realised and Bliss results. This is then the subject-matter: freedom from misery and gain of Happiness. This is the highest good to be gained.  Surrender is synonymous with Bliss itself. This is the relationship. Fruit is to reflect on the subject-matter and gain Knowledge which is ever-present, here and now. The stanza ends with “the immortal ones.”

(Talk no. 567)

Continued in ULLADU NAARPADU -Verse No.1

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Wisdom and Action (No. 1): By V. Ganesan

. Advaita and Yoga, TEACHERS . , , ,

This is the first part of three ‘sharings’ from Ganesan, at his house in Tiruvannamalai.

Today is the Happy Christmas day – 25th December,2008 !

When I opened the computer, the glorious, serene and the saintly picture of JESUS CHRIST blossomed before me, with the following powerful words written beneath Him :

“ TRUST in the Lord, with your Heart; and,
Don’t lean on your own understanding.
In all things acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your way. ”

—– PROVERBS 3:5. 6

I felt blessed !

The Great Master: JESUS CHRIST thus was “directing” me the way of what with and how I should commence the ‘Morning Sharing’ with fellow-seekers !

In our last session, we quoted FOUR varied sayings of the Great Master : BHAGAVAN RAMANA, on which the mode of sharing would be taking place for a few more sessions. They are :

(1) In 1936, Paul Brunton asked the Maharshi : “Can a man of the world [ viz., one who is involved in worldly activities ] practice this Jnana Marga – Wisdom Path ? “

Sri Bhagavan’s cryptic answer was : “There is no contradiction between Work and Wisdom.”

(2) On another occasion, Sri Bhagavan said : “ The only purpose of life is to realize the SELF. All other activities are waste of time.“

(3) Yet another affirmative statement of Sri Bhagavan is : “ If one identifies oneself with the body, ‘Karma ’ [ destiny ] is inevitable
and unavoidable [ which means, one is ever bound, one is ever in bondage ]. If one’s attention is turned inwards, one is always free. One is ever a Free Man.”

(4) When asked whether his teachings could be put in one word,

Sri Bhagavan answered : “ATTENTION” [ “Unar ” ]

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

For clarity in spiritual striving, Sages and Saints of yore had conveniently classified the approach to spiritual attainment into four branches : ‘Jnana’ , ‘Bhakti’, ‘Yoga’ and ‘Karma’ . The “Bhagavad Gita” deals elaborately on all the four methods. Sri Bhagavan also refers to these four paths in his original composition : “Upadesa Sara” . However, Sri Bhagavan’s ‘Direct Teaching ’ is “ To turn the outgoing mind inwards and merge it in the Inner Reality .” Any theory which gave emphasis on the ‘mind’ to move out or go outwards, Sri Bhagavan warned the seeker to be vigilant. He said : “ Constant vigilance is the price a seeker has to pay. ”

In that light, it is interesting to observe that Bhagavan gave greater importance only to TWO of the four methods : ‘JNANA’ and ‘KARMA’ . He further elucidated the reason for doing so. He said that ‘Bhakti’ and ‘Yoga’ are included, imbued into ‘Jnana’ and ‘Karma’.

Attention turned outwards is “KARMA” which is body-based and mind-based [ ‘Destiny’ ] .

Attention turned inwards is “JNANA” which is “Attention paying attention to Attention” [ “Ulladu Unar ” ] .

When one identifies with the body, one is bound by rules, regulations, do’s and don’t’s – that is ‘Karma’ . They are unavoidable if one is the body only. Sri Bhagavan raises the question : “Are you only the body ?”

Body is perceptible in the waking; and, vaguely and differently in the dreaming; and, totally absent in the deep sleep state. But, the inward awareness of “ I AM ” is continuous and uninterrupted.

Body is there, temporarily. Awareness is ever there !

Am I the body only ? The mind only ? Or, am I the awareness ? WHO AM I ? Vichara [ Enquiry ] results. Vichara takes one to the inner depths of Truth – to the threshold of TRUTH itself. All other methods are mind based. Vichara transcends mind. When Paul Brunton reported thus to Sri Bhagavan : “ I have been acquainting myself with the various teachings in India before coming to you.

Every one of them preaches the same truth. You also say the same. So, how is your teaching different from the others ?” Sri Bhagavan replied : “All other teachings are based on the ‘mind’ . Mine does not. It transcends the mind.”

Every spiritual practice is based on body & mind and thus only secondary — including meditation. Vichara alone transcends all borders of conditionings.

Listen to Bhagavan Ramana :

“ Devotee: Will Vichara alone do even in the absence of meditation ?

Sri Bhagavan : Vichara is the practice and the Goal also. “ I AM “ is the Goal and the final Reality. To hold to It with effort is ‘Vichara’ [practice] . When spontaneous and natural It is Realization [Goal] . “

— “TALKS” , No.390

The two paths that Sri Bhagavan emphasized are JNANA and KARMA. He classified them in unmistakable terms as well, which can be grasped from the following dialogue with a devotee :

“ Devotee : What is Aham Sphurana (shining) ?

Sri Bhagavan : Aham, Aham = “I AM” , “I AM” is the SELF. Aham Idam = ‘I am this’ or ‘I am that’ is the ego. Shining [ ‘I AM’ ] is there always. The ego [ body-mind ] is transitory. When the “I AM” is kept up as “I AM” alone it is SELF.

When it flies out at a tangent and says ‘this’ or ‘that’, it is the ego. “

— “TALKS” , No.363

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

Now, let us go back to the last session, in a brief way :

In verses 26 & 27 of the Supplement to the Forty Verses [ Ulladu Narpadu ] Bhagavan translated the instruction given to Sri Rama by his preceptor, Sage Vasishta. The theme is the right relations between awareness and heroic action. In 1944 when the proofs of the third edition of Ulladu Narpadu was being corrected in Bhagavan’s presence, some of the English Professors who had accompanied Prof.K. Swaminathan, found fault with the introductory note by the author, Lakshmana Sarma [ “Who” ] :

“To the question how the sadhaka [aspirant] is to behave in the world till he succeeds in attaining Wisdom, the answer is given in the two following verses, taken from the Yoga Vasishta. “

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

Verse 26 : Supplement to the Forty Verses on Reality :

“ Having understood, i.e., by consciously experiencing the various states – like, the waking, dreaming and the deep sleep – and yet always holding firmly at Heart to the Supreme State of Inner Silence, play your part, O Hero, ever in the world. Having thus realized the Inner Silence of the Heart as the underlying Truth behind all forms of appearances, never swerve from it. Thus, play your allotted part in the world, O Hero, acting as though attached to them all ! “

Verse 27 :

“ Outwardly pretending to have enthusiasm and delight, excitement and aversion, initiative, effort and perseverance, yet without any inner attachment at all, play, O Hero, in the world. Thus, releasing oneself from all forms of bondage [attachment ] and having equanimity of mind, act outwardly, in all situations, in accordance with the part one is endowed with, play your part as ordained, O Hero, in the world. “

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

Now, the Professors pointed out to Sri Bhagavan the obvious absurdity of Sarma’s suggestion that Sri Rama – Incarnation of Lord Vishnu – a Self-Realized great soul — needed this teaching.

“Who has these doubts ?” enquired Sri Bhagavan. “Prof. K. Swaminathan !” said some one. The cool bright beam of the Maharshi’s glance of grace pierced through the entire being of Prof. K. Swaminathan. Sri Bhagavan said smiling : “ Look ! It is for you” [ Paar, Unakkuttaan ! ]

The “you” refers not only to Prof.Swaminathan, but so vibrantly to every one of us ! Remember, some time back, we shared how one of the Saints that I had met, had asked me to read “The Bhagavad Gita ” and actively guided me by saying : “To truly understand the import of this great spiritual masterpiece, one should read it assuming oneself to be Lord Krishna and never by identifying oneself with Arjuna !”

Likewise, one should read these two verses from the standpoint of Jnana [ Wisdom ] and never from the viewpoint of Karma. Notice how the verse begins : “ Having understood……and always holding constantly, firmly in the Heart to the Supreme State of Inner Silence, the “I AM ” ” . As a trapeze act in a circus, one is advised to keep a perfect balance between the outward and inward in one’s activities — a coherent unison — which can successfully be effected by one turning within and not having attachments to actions done.

How to do it ? Allow things to happen as it is. Do not “react” , just “act”. The Higher Power will make things happen “through” you and not “by” you. Give up the attitude of “by me”, at all times and under all circumstances ! The Vedas declare : “ Be a channel for the ‘White Light’ [ Higher Power ] to pass through.”

Look at the lives of Great Masters like the Buddha, Jesus Christ and Ramana Maharshi. How did they live ? Were they lazy ? Were they not more active than any one of us ? Was there not perfect correlation between what they taught and how they lived that very teaching themselves ? On the very first day of his arrival at Arunachala, the sixteen year old youth Ramana, declared : “THY WILL BE DONE”. Never after that there was there any ‘action’ done by himself ! “The same Higher Power which brought me from Madurai to here, has brought me from Skandashram to Sri Ramanasramam,” was Sri Bhagavan’s reply to a query: “Is it not ‘you’ who decided to climb down from Skandashram to here in 1922 ?”

In our own lifetime, we saw how Yogi Ramsuratkumar lived; very actively, yet, totally resigned to the Higher Power, which he chose to address as “Father” . Quite often he used to repeat : “This beggar died at the holy feet of his Guru in 1952.” “Yogi Ramsuratkumar is not this beggar’s name – it is Father’s Holy Name. Chant three times : ‘Yogi Ramsuratkumar’ ; my Father will rush to you and help you.” When Yogiji performed remarkable ‘miracles’

for me, as he had done to his innumerable devotees, and I attributed them to him, his invariable response, every time, was : “This dirty beggar knows nothing, does nothing Ganesha. It is Father ! Out of His abundant Grace and Compassion, He responds forthwith whenever His holy name is thus called.” After a few moments of silence, he would add : “Father alone exists here, there and everywhere. Nothing else. Nobody else. It is Father, Father,

Father alone ! ” “ ‘Yogi Ramsuratkumar’ is not this beggar’s name, Ganesha ! It is Father’s Sacred Name ! You know there is the “1008 Names of Lord Vishnu” which all Hindus chant – like that, this Name is also only Father’s Name !”

Plunge within and recognize the Higher Power guiding you and operating ‘through’ you. Giving up the falsehood of “by me” and holding firmly to the truth of Higher Power working “through me”, is to be “newly reborn”. The purport and significance of our celebrating the birthdays of Sages and Saints – like, our celebrating today the Birthday of the Great Master JESUS CHRIST, as “Christmas” – is to remind to ourselves that one has to be reborn to the truth : “God’s living in me and is operating through me” and to dying to the falsehood : “actions are done by a ‘me’ .” Jesus Christ said : “By dying one lives” . Die to the past and the future and live in the NOW !

Be reborn anew by dying to the age-old attachments to Karma [destiny]. Sri Bhagavan said : “ If you say that there is Karma [ prarabdha karma ] , there is Karma. If you say that there is no Prarabdha Karma, take it for certain, there is no Prarabdha Karma. ”

One is ever the SELF ; never either the body nor the mind ! Be a “Hero ” by diving within and being the SELF !

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Related posts:

Satsang with Ganesan
Self nature, Faith and Attention

V. Ganesan Bio

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Born in 1936, up to the age of 14 years old, Ganesan grew up in the presence and proximity of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. His sacred memory of the Great Master is rich in its content; and, even at that tender age he could see Sri Ramana as the greatest compassionate human being.

On April 14, 1950 – the day the Great Master chose to leave the body – the adolescent Ganesan stood near the entrance to the room where Sri Ramana was lying and was fortunate to witness the brilliant flash of Light that later moved towards the top of the Holy Hill – Arunachala.

Ganesan obtained a Master’s Degree in Philosophy; and, then came to stay permanently at “Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai” – the sacred abode of Sri Ramana Maharshi – taking care of the Old Devotees of Sri Ramana. He did it as his sole sadhana (spiritual practice). In that way, he collected the reminiscences of Sri Maharshi from those Old Devotees which have never before been recorded.

His close contacts with sages and saints, including Swami Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, J. Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta Maharaj and Yogi Ramsuratkumar, he says, have deepened and widened his understanding of the ‘Direct Teaching’ of the Maharshi. However, he feels himself to be an insignificant ‘dust’ at the Holy Feet of Bhagavan Ramana.

He has traveled widely and spread the ‘Direct Teaching’ of Sri Ramana Maharshi, in its pristine purity, wherever he was invited to give talks.

He has authored a few books on the life and teaching of Bhagavan Ramana. Among others, “Purushothama Ramana”, “Be the Self”, “Moments Remembered”, “Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana” and “Practising Self-Enquiry” , are very popular.

At the veranda of his cottage – “Ananda Ramana” – he meets earnest seekers, every Monday and Thursday, between 9.30 and 11 a.m., sharing with them the spiritual treasure entrusted with him by all these holy and sacred souls.

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I Have A Prayer: By Joyce Sweinberg

. Advaita and Yoga, INSPIRATIONAL . , , , , , , ,

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I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute.
Not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow,
but to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
~Martin Luther King, Jr. From “Rediscovering Lost Values,” Feb. 28, 1954

I have reproduced below a letter I delivered to the principal at my son’s elementary school on January 20, 2009. It could easily have been written in any of the many small towns in the USA, as well as in many places around the world. It could easily have addressed the first cousins of racism, such as religious intolerance or sexism.  The child who was victimized by intolerance could have been American Indian, or Eastern Indian, or Asian. It could have happened anywhere. It just so happens that it happened here, right in my hometown, the child who was victimized was my young mixed race son, and I am the one to author the letter.

I have removed some parts of the letter which make it possible to identify the child who called my 9 year old son a nigger on the school bus, to protect him, because he is only 10 or 11 years old and is much too young to bear the responsibility for what he has learned somewhere. It may have been from irresponsible lyrics and images shoved into the eyes and ears of the children of the USA by record companies more interested in making money than uplifting the listener with music rather than raucous unholy odes to violence and intolerance. It may have been from the home environment where conversations are not censored and that which is not spoken in public is freely flowing for the children to hear. It may have been from the TV where black folks are paid to refer to themselves in such a manner, supposedly as an inside joke which only one black can call another, but one which reaps financial rewards as it crushes the human compassion and spirit of all who come into contact with it. This child is not the true source of the comment, but the unwitting mirror reflecting the world in which he lives …

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January 20, 2009

It is with great sadness that I write this explanation for Jesse’s absence from school this past Friday, January 15. On Thursday evening, Jesse set the stage for his stay home the next day, telling me he did not feel well, that his belly hurt and he had a headache. When I went upstairs to wake him in the morning, he first told me that he had thrown up in my bathroom. Being an attorney provides me with the interrogation skills I need to get to the truth, so I asked him, point blank, “Where did you throw up…did you do it in the toilet?”  “Yes,”  he tells me.  “Did you flush it yet?”  He now knows where I am headed, to the toilet to sniff for the unmistakable smell of vomit. So he backs off and admits that he “almost” threw up.  Still, he persists in saying that he does not feel well..his belly hurts.  So I move on.  “Well, I have to go somewhere this morning, and I cannot change the commitment. That means you will have to stay home by yourself, or you can come with me, but I still have to go. (He does not know it but I have a friend who is coming over to work on some projects at my house, so he will not be there alone) Also, you do not go out anywhere today and no friends are allowed to come to the house, even if you happen to feel better later today. Got it?”

He thinks for a moment, and despite the thought that he might be here alone and has to stay confined to the house all day, insists that he does not feel well. Having passed my test of his veracity, I let him stay home. As has happened before, as the day wears on, he becomes “cured.” When my ex-husband stops by to visit him, he is not allowed to go out and hang out somewhere with him since he had stayed home sick that day. Observing his miraculous recovery from his belly ache as we hear him squealing down the hallway playing one of his video games, his father suggests that he will try to see the real reason behind his absence, as he is of the opinion that there is usually some motive behind the boys’ “illnesses” which cause them to miss school. While I trust my own judgment on this most of the time, this time, I could not help but wonder as well, so he goes back to hang out with him and see what he can find out.

He emerges from the room a few minutes later to tell me that Jesse says his homework was too hard. Homework? He told me he had no homework. Little liar! But he has gone to school before not having done his homework to face the consequences and has never had trouble confessing to me in the morning before school that he had homework. Still I do not think much about it as I am cooking and preoccupied with that. His dad goes back to him again. About ten minutes later, he comes out again to tell me this…The day before, Thursday, after Jesse got on the bus, he sat in the seat across from a boy and his younger brother. With his younger brother listening and anyone else in hearing range to hear it, the young boy turned to Jesse and said…”Silly rabbit, Trix are for niggers.” It was such a stupid childish statement, a silly joke really. He may not have had any conception of what he was saying, yet his message plunged itself deep into my heart with the butcher knife of racial prejudice. He does not want to talk about it, but I wonder how the knife felt as it plunged into Jesse’s heart.

At first, he was upset with his dad for telling me this, already hearing me from down the hallway saying that I wanted to have a conference with the boy and his parents and the school guidance counselor. He does not want to talk about it. He also informs me, in all my whiteness, that my ancestors probably had slaves. I laugh and tell him that my ancestors did not have enough money to be slave owners, but his thoughts and feelings do not go unnoticed towards my whiteness. Of course, he has the advantage of having a mother who is white who loves him and whom he loves, who wraps her arms around him and takes him into her heart, so he has an immediate salve to the racism around him by his very life circumstances.

[Text describing the child’s first name and bus stop removed to protect privacy of child involved]  Please determine who the child is so that we can arrange a meeting at school with him and his younger brother and at least one of his parents. Please be assured that I am not angry…I lived with racial prejudice for many years when I was married to Jesse’s father, which included my father’s inability to accept my life choices because of his own racism. I have already processed and clearly understand that many good people, my father having been one of them, are prejudiced, so I have no axe to grind. However, I do want this young boy and his parents to clearly understand the ramifications of his statement. My young son did not want to go to school Friday because of it and I am still crying tears of sadness and pain for him as I write this note to you.

When I tried to question him he did not want to talk to me about it. I asked him why and he said “Because you will try to make it right.” While I am secretly pleased that he sees me that way, I am also saddened knowing that he has no trouble coming to me to make it right when he gets into a fight with his brother, or his belly hurts, or one of the bigger neighborhood boys got too rough with him and hurt him.  His father tells me that Jesse is fine and that he is an intelligent young boy and will handle it, just like he did as he grew up.  I am not satisfied with this answer or this approach. Yesterday, we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., to honor him and his contributions to our world. Today, our first black president will move into the White House, marking the beginning of a new era for the world around us. As he walks through those doors and sets up house, the suffering around him will not stop just because he is there. It will take much more than that to slowly erase the lines created by racism in our world, and it is not his job…under His guidance, it is ours. I await your response to my request.

Sincerely,

Joyce Sweinberg

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While Barrack Obama took the oath to serve this country as one who is considered the first black President of the US (notwithstanding the fact that he is not black, but is mixed race, just like my Jesse), I saw and heard none of it as I sat at my computer finishing the letter to deliver to the school principal so that the matter could be handled. And while it was a day for celebration for most, it was also a day for somber reflection and shedding of the tears of  sadness I felt at the irony of the circumstances giving rise to this letter on this date. Yet, this is a beginning toward the change which cries out for deliverance through our actions predicated in tolerance and universal love.

Where should we look for the answers to our pleas for peace and love in this world?  There is no one who acts without His impetus, so why not appeal to the very Source? Has He not promised to redeem us from our suffering and to maintain Sanatana Dharma? He is a Keeper of His Promises. So let us appeal to His mercy and love to Grace us with that which He has always promised and vowed to do when we need it most…to make His presence felt as He manifests to uphold dharma…Sanatana Dharma (the eternal truth of right and proper action), heralded in the Bhagavad Gita ( the Celestial Song of God), a holy gift to the world from ancient India delivered by Lord Krishna Himself.

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And what is this Eternal Truth contained in the Veda,
the Truth that shines effulgent in the eyes and burns brightly
in the souls of all sentient beings upon this earth?
What is this Truth which unites us all even when it is
obscured by the veil of our ignorance of it…?
quoted by H.H. Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati in his article “Vedic Vision of God” …

Ishavasyam idam sarvam
yat kincit jagatyam jagat

The Veda is not saying that there is one God;
it says there is only God.*

Eternally In His Service,
Radhe

* https://luthar.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/vedic_vision_of_god.pdf

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Infant And The Sage Consciousness: By Dr. Mourad Rashad

. Advaita and Yoga

Infant’s Consciousness and the Sage Consciousness

OR

Adam and the Garden of Eden

OR

Christ Consciousness and Man’s consciousness

If we consider that every born child is “Adam “and he is born in the Garden of Eden, then we can glimpse a lot of things.

Man is initially created an insightful awareness –when he was an infant until his early childhood. An insightful awareness that sincerely and devoutly contemplates the surroundings without any thought of him as a center. The surroundings or better termed the content of -so to say- “his” consciousness or awareness.

This content is what I call the “Divine Manifestation”. The child did not yet categorize nor differentiates a mother, a father, a tree, a mountain, a toy or –so to say- “his” body.

Why I call it Divine Manifestation? It is a Divine Manifestation from the perspective of the infant. What makes it a Divine Manifestation? It cares for and sustains the infant, all the infant’s needs are fulfilled instantaneously, and the infant lacks nothing. Perfection is fully realized in his immediate experience. If man contemplates this Divine Manifestation, he will realize that he opened “his” eyes and experienced this Divine Manifestation, “he” came into being in that Manifestation, “he” sprouted from that Manifestation, “he” was just in this Divine Manifestation. He might even call it the Creator of the appearances experienced. The Whole content of consciousness or awareness could be considered his Mother or Father. The infant opened “his” eyes and experienced this Divine Appearance, it was always there, and the infant came into It. This Divine Manifestation, when examined more closely from the position of the infant with a deep adult comprehension, It will be seen that It is ALL Caring, Sustains Itself and Sustains all the Manifestations or Appearances in It. It is ALL Caring and Sustaining, the ALL Supporting, the Only Doer and even the ALL and Only Aware; because from the infant perspective, the awareness is -so to say- not “his” yet, the infant did not yet attribute this Awareness to any individual and separate item in this Divine Manifestation. The ALL Cognizant and the ALL Wise. The Only Caring, Aware, Cognizant, Doer and Wise, every single Manifestation is being taken care of, supported and sustained. Care and Sustenance reaches every Manifestation according to its needs. Nothing is in excess. The Manifestations are harmoniously interwoven and wisely sustained. These attributes –just described- fit snugly to the attributes of The Lord, The Divine, or God. A God or a Divinity or a Lord that Reigns Alone, Dwells Alone, A One without a second and constitutes an integrated Oneness. An Oneness where the infant’s consciousness is an organic component in this Oneness of the Experience. That is why all religions consecrate and Praise this Pure and Innocent consciousness, because it mirrors the Divine Manifestation faithfully without any division and without any cleavage. In other words, This Pure Consciousness and the Divine Manifestation are actually ONE; they were never separated at any moment in time.

Nevertheless, due to the process of conditioning of the infant by his society, the infant grew an ego or a self-assertive egoistic mind. Man’s ego or self-assertive mind was created due to this process. This newly created ego, this newly created monster claimed the sustenance and care to itself, thus changed this original Pure Consciousness of man into the self-assertive egoistic mind. This self-assertive egoistic mind lost all devotion and appreciation to the Divine Manifestation and instead replaced it with egoistic and possessive love. Accordingly, the man with his self-assertive egoistic mind viewed what was originally a Divine Manifestation as fragmented separate and warring items. Separate items experiencing pain and misery. This transformation is for one sigle reason, just to exercise his own free will, to assert his own individual and separate existence. This is man’s illusion; this is the dream of the man having a self-assertive egoistic mind. That is why the human mystical legacy described man’s world as an illusion.

This transformation, of what was initially the One Integrated Divine Manifestation, is the worldly life of multiplicity we now experience, due to the influence of the self-assertive egoistic mind. Consequently, all harmony, care and support of that Divine Manifestation were lost totally and replaced by the chaotic world we now experience. This lead man to further use his self-assertive egoistic mind in order to try to imitate –poorly and vainly- the original Harmony, expressed in the Care and Sustenance of the Original Divine Manifestation. In other words, man with his self-assertive egoistic mind is trying to take the role of God’s Harmony in the newly transformed worldly life. For that reason man with his self-assertive egoistic mind and all its fantastic conceptual creations, were considered by the three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity & Islam) as the original sin of Adam.

An Original Sin, for which Adam deserved to be expelled from the Garden of Eden. Why Adam, deserved this punishment? Because by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good an evil Adam acted as if he is God. Adam, with his newly acquired knowledge of good and evil thought that he will know what is good for his life and what is bad for his life, thus he has no further need for God.

That damned transformation of the original Divine Manifestation into the chaotic worldly life is only redeemable through regaining man’s initial pure and innocent consciousness or awareness. This can only take place by renouncing the acquired self-assertive instincts and re-attaining the genuine spirit of fathomless devotional reverence that has characterized man’s perception of the content of his awareness during his infancy and early childhood. In other words man has to do without his self-assertive egoistic mind and cultivate the devotional awareness that will inhibit and prevent man from taking the liberties of mutilating and fragmenting that holy ALL SUSTAINING content into the multiplicity of limitless differentiated items. Diverse items that can serve as objects to man’s free will or doer-ship under the influence of man’s self-assertive egoistic mind.

In the Gospel of Thomas Logion # 4

Jesus said, “The person old in days won’t hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live. For many of the first will be last, and will become a single one.”

In the Gospel of Thomas Logion # 22

Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, “These nursing babies are like those who enter the (Father’s) kingdom.” They said to him, “Then shall we enter the (Father’s) kingdom as babies?” Jesus said to them, “When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom].”

It is that fathomless devotional reverence (what all religions term it Love of God) is man’s sole safeguard against any relapse into his heretical worship of the worldly diversity and multiplicity.

This is Christ Consciousness and this is the Sage Consciousness; in contradistinction to the infant’s Consciousness. What is the difference between Christ Consciousness and the infant’s Consciousness? Christ Consciousness have made the full journey from an infant with Pure Consciousness to a man with a self-assertive egoistic mind –with all the pain and misery- and finally returned home as a man with an infant’s Pure Consciousness. A man with the Pure Consciousness of the infant, together the understanding and the reverence to this virgin Pure Consciousness. While the infant has a cycle to complete, because he yielded to the tiniest temptation to let that virgin Pure Conscious become transformed to the self-assertive egoistic mind under the influence of conditioning.

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The Divine and The Ego: By Dr. Mourad Rashad

. Advaita and Yoga

To understand that the ego is the disease, the mind is the disease, this is true understanding. What is the difference between ego or mind and insight or Consciousness?

Insight is a gift from the Divine, is a link with the Divine, and is the unbreakable bond with the Divine. Insight appears when your consciousness is temporarily freed from the influence of the ego or mind and regains its original condition.

One has to know, that we are born with only an Insightful Consciousness, later on, due to the child’s conditioning by the society, this Insightful Consciousness is transformed to our everyday mind or our ego, which in turn transforms the Original Divine Existence into our everyday world we experience. This is the problem. Our everyday mind or ego is our transformed Original Nature due to conditioning by the society and is the root cause of experiencing our world with all its pains and miseries together with a trivial scent of pleasure and fun, instead of experiencing the Divine Existence. The mind or ego is not our true nature.

This original Insightful Consciousness is what is meant by the word “Heart” in mystical and spiritual literature.

Originally, this Insightful Consciousness is integrated with the Divine Existence. It never departed from this Divine Existence. This Insightful Consciousness is the breath of God in Adam’s nostril -according to Genesis. This is the Spark, the Flame, and the Spirit of God with humans.

When you know that the ego is the disease, the mind is the disease, conditioning by the society is the disease, then you start the process of de-conditioning, you start unlearning what you have learnt, in order to regain the Insightful Consciousness, which will guide you back to be in perpetual integration with the Divine Existence. A Divine Existence that is Wise, Cognizant, Deathless, Eternal and Blissful.

Then Insight starts to clear, you see the world in a different light, you start glimpsing the Divine Existence, and you start learning from your life. You look at life more appreciatively, you become no longer interested in seeing your old world, because now you come to know that there is a Divine Existence underlying what you used to call and experience by your mind or ego as my world. Moreover, your ticket back to this Divine Existence is de-conditioning to regain your original Insightful Consciousness.

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ULLADU NAARPADU (also spelt as Ulladu Narpadu): Comments By Professor V. Krishnamurthy

. Advaita and Yoga, INSPIRATIONAL, TEACHERS . , , ,

ULLADU NAARPADU

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi

(consisting of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses which form the main text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma

Detailed Commentary in Tamil by Lakshmana Sharma,

adapted into English by Profvk

 

 

Mangalam – 1

Text in Tamil:

uLLadu aladu uLLa uNarvu uLado?

uLLa poruL uLLal aRa uLLatte uLLadAl

uLLal enum uLLa poruL uLLal evan?

uLLatte uLLapaDi uLLade uLLal uNar.

 

 

Translation (Lakshmana Sharma)

 

Can there be a sense of existence without something that is? Is Real Consciousness  a thing other than That? Since that (Reality) dwells, thought free, in the Heart, how can It – Itself named the Heart – be meditated on?

And who is there, distinct from It, to meditate on It, the Self whose nature is Reality Consciousness?

Know that to meditate on It is just to be at one with It within the Heart.

 

Incidentally the Mangalam-1 Verse has been translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan as follows:

“Unless Reality exists, can thought of it arise? Since, devoid of thought, Reality exists within as Heart, how to know the Reality we term the Heart? To know That is merely to be That in the Heart.

The first sentence may also be rendered thus: Can there be Knowledge of Reality other than existing as Reality?”

 

I am giving the original Tamil for us all to see the majesty of Ramana’s classical Tamil (even if one does not understand Tamil!).

 

 

Commentary on the first line

 

There are two meanings for this line. Both are valid. These are the first two sentences of the translation.

 

 

On the first meaning of first line

 

 

Can there be a sense of Existence without something that is? Here the conclusion is there exists something that always is. The jIva-Ishvara-jagat (soul-God-universe) which appears as real is not real, but there is a substratum (*adhishTAnam* of Reality underneath. This is the truth declared by the Upanishads, which call this Reality ‘Brahman’. Bhagavan himself explains this as follows:

 

 

“Every one sees himself and the universe around him. He thinks both are real. If they are real they should always appear, not off and on. But they appear and also disappear. They appear in the waking and dream state but not in the deep sleep state. In other words they appear only when the mind is there. They do not appear when the mind is not there. Therefore the seer JIva and the seen universe are only thought-forms of the mind and not real. Where these thoughts arise from, where they merge, that is the only shining Reality”. This same content is going to be given by Verse beginning with ‘ulagaRivum onRAy’ (Verse #7) later.

 

 

So what appears only off and on is unreal and what appears always uninterruptedly is Real. Recall B.G. *nAsato vidyate bhAvo …*. Which gives the distinction between sat and asat. ‘What does not exist before and after, is only non-existent even in the present but only appears to exist’ says Gaudapada in his Karika. Those who accept this maxim of Reality are advaitins. Others are dvaitins.

 

 

The standard example for this unreal appearance of the universe and the Reality of the AdhishTAnam is the snake-rope example. Brahman is the adhishhTAnam (sub-stratum, base) ; jIva-Ishvara-jagat is Aropitam (Superposed entities).

 

 

The snake which is imagined hides the rope which exists. So also the imagined jIva–Ishvara-jagat hides the existent Brahman. So long as Brahman is seen only as the universe (By the way ‘Universe’ here will include jIva and Ishvara also because if the universe is not there, the JIva and Ishvara also are not there), Brahman will not be seen or known as brahman. When by Atman-Realisation, Wisdom arises, the universe will not be seen as universe but as Brahman, the only Reality. This appearance and disappearance form the characteristic of mAyA. Really mAyA is not real. But that will be known only on Self-Realisation. Before that, that is, so long as the universe is taken to be real, one has to say mAyA exists. This mAyA is also called avidyA or ajnAna.

 

 

When the rope appears as snake, the appearance is due to the confusion in the mind of the seer. Now the jIva-Ishvara-jagat appearance is due to what? Is there a consciousness other than Brahman and is it that which shows the universe to us? Is Brahman inert or conscious? Is consciousness Brahman or is consciousness a quality of Brahman? The replies to these are given by the second meaning of the first line of the verse. It is actually the second sentence that appears in the translation.

 

 

 

On the second meaning of first line.

 

Is Real Consciousness a thing other than That?

 

What exists – false or real – what sense makes it explicit? This consciousness is not different from what absolutely exists. That itself is a bundle of consciousness – of the form of Knowledge (jnAna-svarUpa). In order for this to express itself there is no cognizing source other than itself. That which exists expresses itself by its own luminiscence of consciousness. It is self-effulgent. This is the substance of the 2nd meaning.

 

 

 

 

At the time of Ignorance Brahman appears as the universe. At the state 

of jnAna that itself expresses as the sat-cid-Atman (and nothing else). For both expressions it is the knowledge-factor of brahman that is the shining Light.

 

 [ Footnote: For the universe to appear it is again the Light of Brahman that shines. The Light of Brahman is not totally hidden by the universe. The akhaNDa-brahma-chaitanyam itself sparks as the speck of ego and that shows up the universe] .

 

 

 

 

There is one more implication in this sentence. Since we said there is no other consciousness distinct from Brahman, the universe that appears to be different must be only a false sensation. And he who sees this universe as a real show, is also having only a false sensation. Bhagavan says the seer or jIva who sees this universe is also part and parcel of this show of universe. This same idea comes again in the verse beginning with ‘nAmulagam’ (Verse #1).

 

 

 

 

In the Appendix (anubandham) to this text Bhagavan calls this ‘false soul’ or ‘false jIva’. Vedanta books call this ‘cidAbhAsa’ (also false consciousness). Ignorant people think of this jIva as AtmA; they call this jIvAtmA and call God as paramAtmA, as if there are two AtmAs. This text-line tells us that other than this ever-existent Brahman there is no one to be called jIva. Therefore we, that is, the AtmA is Brahman and not something else. This is the brahmAtmaikya conclusion of all Upanishads. This is also the considered conclusion of Adi Shankara. This is the Absolute pAramArthika truth that will be clear by the experience of jnAna. We think in our Ignorance, that the false jIva is AtmA and other things are different from it.

 

 

 

All this means: Brahman is what exists. It is the only Reality. It is also the Consciousness that expresses itself. Therefore Brahman is AtmA. There is nothing different from it either sentient or not. It has no differences like the seer and the seen. This is the conclusion of advaita.

 

 

Note that this text-line does not tell you that brahman HAS consciousness. Brahman IS consciousness – that is the teaching. If something has consciousness it means it has consciousness as a quality or qualification. In that case it will be callled buddhi. Actually this is not different from the mind. For mind, to be conscious is not its nature. It is its quality or qualification. Therefore consciousness of the mind is not permanent or stable. In sleep the mind’s consciousness vanishes. The consciousness that is the nature of brahman is not of this kind. It is eternal and unchanging. It is unaffected by time and space. Even when all the universe disappears, even in that primordial state, it exists.

 

 

That Brahman is jnAna-svarUpa is to be known by the teaching that we receive. But it can also be inferred by logic. Such a logic appears in the first meaning of this text line. We saw therein that it is Brahman that is the origin as well as destination of all thoughts of the mind. So Brahman is the source of this sentient mind; so this brahman has either sentience or is itself sentience. If it HAS sentience it is like the mind and so not a reality. Thus it is neither insentient nor an entity which has sentience. Then what is it? It IS sentience, consciousness (chit or chaitanyam). This is the conclusion of all Vedanta. Therefore it is called sat-chit.

 

 

 

 

Alternatively we can also argue as follows:

 

 

It is not correct to say that Brahman HAS sentience. Therefore it has to be either insentient or Caitanyam (Sentience, Consciousness) itself. If you accept it is insentient then it means it is not self-effulgent; for all insentient things show up only by an external intelligence. Then the question arises: how is brahman effulgent, by what intelligence? The opponent would say it is effulgent by an intelligence outside of it. Now the question is: That caitanyam – is it *sat* (existent) or *asat* (non-existent)? Certainly not non-existent; for a non-existent thing never lights up anything. If you say it is *sat* then it becomes *sat* and *cit* . Thus we have accepted that the same entity can be both *sat* and *cit*. In that case, the earlier mentioned brahman which exists, can as well be also *cit*. This is the easy way out. Thus it turns out that the existent Brahman which is the adhishhTAnam for the universe is self-effulgent, in other words, in order to show it there is no other intelligence necessary. On the other hand, if we say that this existent thing is not self-effulgent, then in order to show it there must be another cit (intelligence). That also cannot be said to be self-effulgent, by the above logic. Thus another intelligence has to be postulated. So we have to go on postulating non-self-effulgent intelligences, — a series of them. This is then an infinite regress (anavasthA-doshha). Thus the conclusion is the Brahman which is the Reality is self-effulgent.

 

 

Thus it is clear that Brahman is by nature Existence as well as Intelligence. That is why it is called *sat-cit*. But this does not exhaust the svarUpa of Brahman. Its svarUpa can be understood only by experience not by any other means.

 

So the mind which appears to have sentience is really not so. It is also insentient (jaDa) like the universe.

 

 

In fact this Brahman is our AtmA. But then why does it not show up like that for us? Why are we thinking that we are finite beings who suffer all the unhappiness and revolve in this samsAra? The answer comes in the next portion of the Mangalam first verse.

The next sentence in the Mangalam – 1 Verse

 

uLLa-poruL uLLal-aRa uLLatte uLLadAl

uLLamenum uLLa-poruL uLLal evan?

 

 

 

Translation

Since that (Reality) dwells, thought- free, in the Heart, how can It – Itself named the Heart – be meditated on? And who is there, distinct from It, to meditate on It, the Self whose nature is Reality Consciousness?

 

 

[Note by VK: Bhagavan Ramana’s masterly handling of classical poetic Tamil can be appreciated even by non-Tamil people, when I tell you that he uses the words

uLLam = mind;

uLLadu = that which exists; (uL = interior, content);

uLLal = thinking, thought, meditation (comes from the verb form)

uLLam = heart (Bhagavan Ramana’s usage, when the context permits),

in all possible combinations so that the verse manifests as a lilting poetry!]

 

 

Commentary

 

Here the Tamil word ‘evan’ must be taken in two meanings, namely, ‘who?’ and ‘how?’, according to Bhagavan’s own words. [That is why, in Lakshmana Sharma’s translation above, there are two sentences in English for this one sentence of Tamil].

 

 

In sum, this sentence says: The svarUpa of brahman is without mind [Note: thought-free = uLLal-aRa] and full of peace; it is in the heart (uLLam). This Reality (the existing thing = *uLLa-poruL*) will show up only in the heart, that is devoid of the mind (uLLal-aRa = mind-without). When the mind is active and poised outside It will not show up ‘as is’ (=*uLLapaDi*). What does it mean to say it will not show up as is. It means it will show up as jIva-Ishvara-jagat. By this very reason Brahman cannot be thought of (=*uLLal*) by the mind.

 

 

Why cannot Brahman be thought of by the mind? There are several reasons for this. One of them will be understood when we come to the verse *madikkoLi tandu* (Verse #22). But here there are two reasons given. 1. Mind by nature imagines differences in Brahman of pure non-duality, and treats them as real; 2. There is no intelligence, sentience (*cit*) other than Brahman to meditate on it or think of it.

 

 

We shall consider the first reason. First mind imagines a duality of inside and outside (the mind) and thinks that there are universes, other jIvas, God – all of these are outside. This is mind’s nature. We have already seen that all this imagined world etc. have an adhishhTAna (substratum) reality of Brahman and they are all Aropitam (superposed) on that Brahman. By the logic that the superposed thing hides the show-up of the existence of the substratum, the superposed universe hides the existence of the substratum of Brahman. So long as mind is focussed outside (=*bahir-mukham*) brahman, instead of showing up as is, shows up as jIva-Ishvara-jagat. Once the mind is focussed inside (*antar-mukham*) it joins up with its original location, the heart, and there mind loses its ‘mind’-nature and ‘vanishes’. So the three kinds of shows, namely jIva, Ishvara and jagat also do not show up and Brahman shows up as the AtmA, without any obstacle. Of course mind does not see it, nor does it know!

 

 

Here we have talked as if there is something called heart or *uLLam* which is the ‘location’ for Brahman but in reality it is not different from brahman; so neither it is the location nor does brahman is ‘located’ in a place. The seeker who is after Self-Realisation needs to change from his look-outside to a look-inside and for this purpose the heart was spoken of as a sAdhana (means) and there is nothing more meant. The heart (spiritual interior) itself is Brahman. Look at the 2nd line in the above text: *uLLamenum uLLa poruL*:

uLLam = heart,

*enum* = named

*uLLa poruL* = that which exists.

This means: Brahman itself is what is called the heart, because uLLa-poruL is brahman only.

 

 

Since brahman is in this (inner) heart, it shows up as is when the mind has vanished. When the mind is otherwise engaged outside, It will not show up. We already observed that that is when all the imaginations about the three things happen and they hide brahman. Thus it is clear that those whose minds are turned outside will not realise brahman.

 

 

Now we shall go to the second reason: namely, to think of Brahman, there is no other sentient entity (cetana). The jIva that thinks of itself as knowing another entity is a false jIva. When the mind is turned outside, such a false jIva appears to be real. When mind turns inside, that is, merges in the uLLam (heart) , that false jIva vanishes. The false jIva is only an imagination; so there is no one to meditate on Brahman. The conclusion is: brahman is not amenable to the mind’s thinking.

 

 

Then how do we ever ‘think’ of or meditate on, the Brahman which is the Atman? This question is answered by the fourth line of Mangalam-1 verse.

 

 

Fourth Line of the Verse

 

uLLatte uLLapaDi uLLade uLLal uNar.

 

 

“Know that to meditate on It is just to be at one with It within the Heart.”

 

*uNar* = know(that)

*uLLal* = meditation

*uLLade* =(is) just only being, abiding in, (Tamil: *iruttal*)

*uLLatte* = in the heart

*uLLapaDi* = as (It) is.

 

 

Commentary

 

This line describes Atma-jnAna-anubhavam (Self-Realisation-Experience). Mind to be seated in the heart, and abiding in brahman that is nothing but that heart, and to lose its mind-status, so that brahman, unmoving and peaceful, is ‘seen/known’ as Atman: this is known as dhyAnam.

 

 

But mark it. Though we have said this is dhyAnam it is not the meditation by the mind. Meditation caused by the mind has three facets in it, namely, the meditator, the meditated object and the meditation. But this dhyAnam above is devoid of these three components. Since other than this everything else is not considered to be dhyAnam, this is said to be dhyAnam in the text. Bhagavan Ramana says this is pUjA, this is bhakti, this is darshan, this is Knowledge. All benefits supposed to be accrued by these are only accrued by this; not otherwise. What is called mukti or mokshha is this. This is also known as the Fourth (turIya) state. To get to this state the sAdhanA is described later in the verse beginning with ‘ezhumbum-aganthai’ (Verse #28).

 

 

 

 Continued in ULLADU NAARPADU – Mangalam 2

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

 

 

 

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Self-Nature, Faith, and Attention: By V. Ganesan

. Advaita and Yoga, TEACHERS . , ,

This posting is from a series of ‘sharings’ done by V. Ganesan in Tiruvannamalai in 2009.

Bhagavan Ramana emphasized that nothing is more productive of the highest spiritual results than concentration of the mind on one’s True Nature, which is the Absolute Reality, God and Inner Guru.

To adhere to this injunction of Sri Bhagavan, even the physical form of the Guru should not be an obstacle for a true seeker. Listen to the story of Uddhava in “Srimad Bhagavatham” :–

When Lord Krishna ended His mission on earth and was prepared to return to his eternal abode in Heaven, Uddhava, who was greatly attached to His person, appealed to Him with tears in his eyes to take him along with Him, saying :   “I have strong forebodings, O Supreme Lord, that after destroying the Yadu race you will leave the earth altogether.  I cannot bear to be away from your holy feet even for a moment.  Grant that I may be taken with You to Your Divine Abode in Heaven.  How can I now be separated from you ?”

Lord Krishna answered that it would be in Uddhava’s own interest not to cling to His body but to stay on after Him and practice the Inner Yoga in the Himalayas, after shaking off all attachments to his family and kinsfolk, keeping his mind fixed wholly on Him, within his Heart.

Sri Krishna added : “You must always remember, dear friend Uddhava, that whatever is thought by the mind, perceived by the eyes and ears and spoken by the tongue is the creation of the mind and therefore illusory. By controlling your mind and senses, you will see the world as only the projection of your own Self and that your Self is in ME, the Supreme Lord.  Possessed of this Wisdom, be immersed in the Supreme Peace of Self-Realisation. Then, you will experience no obstruction in regaining ME, in your Heart.”

There was a pious lady, who once prayed to Sri Bhagavan to bless her by selecting a few important verses from his written works, so as to help her progress in her spiritual emancipation.  Sri Bhagavan gave her a glance of compassion.  It seemed to endorse Jesus Christ’s statement : “Ask, it shall be given”.  Instantly, he quoted two verses from “Sri Bhagavad Gita ”. He had already selected 42 verses from out of the 700 and odd total verses of the ‘Gita ’ and had translated them into Tamil verses.  They are :

“The faith of everyone is according to his nature.  Man is
essentially endowed with faith.  What his faith is, that
indeed is he.”  —  [xvii (3) ]

“One who has faith and one-pointed attention and has
subdued his senses, attains Wisdom.  Having gained
Wisdom, he speedily attains Supreme Peace.” – [ iv (39) ]

These two are Verses 17 and 18  of  “The Song Celestial ”- the 42 verses that Sri Bhagavan had selected from the ancient classical, spiritual treatise : ‘The Bhagavad Gita’ .

The first verse [ No.17 ]  affirms the traditionally upheld ‘Law of Karma’, which dictates that one’s present life is due to the past actions and that one’s nature is thus ever controlled. The second verse [ No.18 ], however, postulates the certain possibility of one’s turning one’s attention within and thus getting rooted in Wisdom, resulting in the attainment of Supreme Peace.

Whatever is one’s sadhana-mode – as referred to in verse 17 – one is always free to make a concerted effort to turn one’s attention inwards and thus supersede the law of karma and be established in the SELF . The choice is all the time available to each seeker in the solid form of  “ NOW”.

Ignore one should the ‘prarabdha’  and pay full attention [ within ] to ATTENTION !   The very effort of one to plunge within is due to Grace, affirms Bhagavan Ramana !

Attention is “NOW”, which swallows one’s ‘faith’ and one’s  ‘nature’, thus establishing one in the Supreme Truth of Existence, the  “ I AM ” .

All ‘karmas’ project a ‘past’ and  then a ‘future’ – the two non-existents. Bhagavan Ramana’s commandment is :

“ Shift your attention from non-truth to Truth.”

Let us remove our attention from the ‘past’ and ‘future’ and one-pointedly plunge our full attention within – on NOW – and be supremely happy !

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

Related post: Satsang with Ganesan

V. Ganesan Bio

ganesan-1

Born in 1936, up to the age of 14 years old, Ganesan grew up in the presence and proximity of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. His sacred memory of the Great Master is rich in its content; and, even at that tender age he could see Sri Ramana as the greatest compassionate human being.

On April 14, 1950 – the day the Great Master chose to leave the body – the adolescent Ganesan stood near the entrance to the room where Sri Ramana was lying and was fortunate to witness the brilliant flash of Light that later moved towards the top of the Holy Hill – Arunachala.

Ganesan obtained a Master’s Degree in Philosophy; and, then came to stay permanently at “Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai” – the sacred abode of Sri Ramana Maharshi – taking care of the Old Devotees of Sri Ramana. He did it as his sole sadhana (spiritual practice). In that way, he collected the reminiscences of Sri Maharshi from those Old Devotees which have never before been recorded.

His close contacts with sages and saints, including Swami Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, J. Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta Maharaj and Yogi Ramsuratkumar, he says, have deepened and widened his understanding of the ‘Direct Teaching’ of the Maharshi. However, he feels himself to be an insignificant ‘dust’ at the Holy Feet of Bhagavan Ramana.

He has traveled widely and spread the ‘Direct Teaching’ of Sri Ramana Maharshi, in its pristine purity, wherever he was invited to give talks.

He has authored a few books on the life and teaching of Bhagavan Ramana. Among others, “Purushothama Ramana”, “Be the Self”, “Moments Remembered”, “Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana” and “Practising Self-Enquiry” , are very popular.

At the veranda of his cottage – “Ananda Ramana” – he meets earnest seekers, every Monday and Thursday, between 9.30 and 11 a.m., sharing with them the spiritual treasure entrusted with him by all these holy and sacred souls.