The Spiritual Secret Of Western Classical Music: By Alan Jacobs

Insightful article by Sri Alan Jacobs on “The Spiritual Secret Of Western Classical Music”

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Alan Jacobs

To a degree music is rooted in Nature, that is in bird song, the babbling brook, waves breaking on the sea shore, the rustle of leaves in trees, and certain animal sounds. In man, as part of nature there is the desire to dance and sing when happy.

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Giving to others is really giving to oneself ~ Sri Ramana

Giving to others is really giving to oneself. ~ Sri Ramana

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Bhagavan says, “Giving to others is really giving to oneself.” Bhagavan continues, “If one knows this truth, would one ever remain without giving?” (See Chapter XIII “Gems from Bhagavan.” Bhagavan here states the fundamental truth of reality at every level.

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Aids To Self Enquiry: By Alan Jacobs

Aids To Self Enquiry: By Alan Jacobs

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“Those who leave the path of Self Enquiry, the way of liberation, and wander off along the myriad forest tracks, will encounter only confusion”. Bhagavan Ramana.

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Self Enquiry is the Direct Path and Bhagavan’s great contribution for the modern age for all. 

Self Enquiry is the backbone of the main weapon in Bhagavan’s teaching for eliminating the vasanas, tendencies and vrittis, the thought forms which act as a veil and occlude your Real Self.

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Karma, Reincarnation, and Suffering: By Alan Jacobs

Karma, Reincarnation, and Suffering: By Alan Jacobs

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There is a great deal of misery and anxiety occupying peoples’ minds these days about the suffering currently undergone on the Planet through terrorism, local armed conflicts, starvation, disease and economic depression. Many atheists and agnostics base their skepticism about the existence of God on the observation that a benign and benevolent God of Love could not possibly exist, or else he would not permit so much world suffering.

According to sages, the highest teachings of the world religions are contained in the idea that we are all “One” and that we come from the same divine source to which many names can be given. Sri Ramana used to say that, “God is the actual form of love”. So why then so much suffering in the world?  From the standpoint of our own teaching, that of the great Sage, Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, we must first understand that this plane…

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LIFE IS A DREAM: By Alan Jacobs

Life is a Dream: By Alan Jacobs

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Bhagavan's smile Bhagavan’s smile

“To know that the world is a dreamlike illusion. Know that all of the following are a dreamlike illusion. The world, the body, the universe, all dimensions, time and all events, motions and actions”. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

215. “The world appears distinctly only in wakefulness and dream with concepts filled. In concept-free, all empty sleep, one sees no world; so then conceptual is… the world’s whole substance.”

Taken from Step Two of The Seven Steps to Awakening. All of the Ramana quotes in The Seven Steps to Awakening are taken from K. Swaminathan’s English translation of The Garland of Guru’s Sayings.

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Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Mother: Mahasmadhi

Bhagavan and His Mother

Sri Ramana’s mother lived with him in physically difficult conditions and in poverty in the caves of Arunachala. Life was hard for her due to her age as well. One day, Bhagavan Ramana’s sister came and said to their mother, “Mother, you are not well. Come, I have a comfortable house.” She refused and turning to Bhagavan told him, “I want to die only in your arms. After my death you may even throw away my body into some thorn bushes, it does not matter.”

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People of intelligence examine their own mind! ~ Sri Ramana

People of intelligence examine their own mind! ~ Sri Ramana

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People of intelligence examine their own minds

This quote can be found in the “Letters from Ramanasramam” ~13th August, 1946. In this simple comment made in the conversation, Bhagavan teaches us that intelligent and reflective aspirants focus their energy in scanning their own mind and consciousness. It is only by carefully examining the mind, one realizes the ultimate nature of perception.

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Some Similarities between Jnana Yoga and Kundalini Yoga: by Vib “Vibri” Ribbon

Some Similarities between Jnana Yoga and Kundalini Yoga:

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Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini-Shakti is in traditional Indian spiritual sources described as the energy that propels man to liberation. Thus, awakening this energy in the body(mind) of the practitioner is central in some liberation teachings, most notably, the Kundalini Yoga systems and the Tantra Yoga systems. As the energy moves in the central channel in the body from its resting place and source in the Muladhara Chakra to the Sahasrara Chakra, and enlivens the passive element of the mind, liberation is said to ensue.

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Finding Peace Within

Sri Ramana on Evil

Sri Ramana and other sages have advised that one should bring awareness to any feelings of anger, hatred, revenge and remove such emotions from one’s consciousness.

Agitation of the mind due to negativity will hinder one’s own natural peace and not allow the mind to surrender to the Lord who sits in the Heart.

The ancient teaching is to witness all fluctuations of the mind without identifying with them. In this way, the mind gradually becomes still.

Note from Editor: Photo art from on John  Wassenberg’s FB page.

You know that you know nothing ~ Sri Ramana

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“You know that you know nothing. Find out that knowledge. that is liberation (mukti)” ~ Bhagavan speaking in Talk 12 (Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi).

A man had asked the Maharshi to say something to him. When asked what he wanted to know, he said that he knew nothing and wanted to hear something from the Maharshi. Bhagavan gave the response above. (See Talk 12).

Bhagavan used to say that the only direct knowledge we have is that “I Exist”. All other knowledge is via inference. Hence the Self-Inquiry, “Who Am I?” was advised by Bhagavan as the primary spiritual practice.

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