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=======UNDERSTANDING HINDUISM========
Q & A
THE TEACHINGS OF SRI RAMANA
MAHARSHI
Edited by David Godman; Arthur Osborne, Kavyakantha
G.Muni, Kurt Friedrichs, Mouni Sadhu.
MEDITATION AND CONCENTRATION
Sri Ramana Maharshi's insistence that
awareness of the
"I" thought was a pre-requisite for Self-realisation led him
to the conclusion that all spiritual practices which did not
incorporate this feature were indirect and inefficient:
Sri Ramana Maharshi said "This path
(attention to the ' I ' ) is
the direct path; all others are indirect ways. The first leads to
the Self, the others elsewhere. And even if the others do arrive at the Self it is only
because they lead at the end to the first path which ultimately carries them to the
goal. So, in the end, the aspirants must adopt the first path. Why not do so now? Why
waste time?"
[Note: By David Godman: That is to say, other
techniques may sometimes bring one to an inner state of stillness in which self-attention
or self-awareness inadvertently takes place, but it is a very roundabout way of reaching
the Self. Sri Ramana maintained that other techniques could only take one to the
place where self-enquiry starts and so he never endorsed them unless he felt that
particular questioners were unable or unwilling to adopt self-enquiry.]
Sri Ramana Maharshi said: "The goal is the same for the one who
meditates [on an object] and the one who practises
self-enquiry. One attains stillness through meditation, the other through knowledge.
One strives to attain something; the other seeks the one who strives to attain. The former
takes a longer time, but in the end attains the Self."
[Note: Although Sri Ramana vigorously
defended his views on self-enquiry he never insisted that anyone change their beliefs or
practices and, if he was unable to convince his followers to take up self-enquiry, he
would happily give advice on other methods.]
Question by a disciple: "There is more pleasure in dhyana
(concentration) than in sensual enjoyments. Yet the mind runs
after the sensual enjoyments and does not seek the former.
Why is it so?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"Pleasure or pain are aspects of the
mind only. Our essential nature is happiness. But we have
forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is that
wrong identity that gives rise to misery. What is to be done? This mental tendency
is very ancient and has continued for innumerable past births.Hence it has grown
strong. That must go before the essential nature, happiness,
asserts itself."
Question: "It is said that the Self is beyond the mind and yet
the realisation is with the mind. The mind cannot think it. It
cannot be thought of by the mind and the mind alone can
realise it. How are these contradictions to be reconciled?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"Atman (Self) is realised with mrita
manas (dead mind), that is, mind devoid of thoughts and turned inward. Then the mind sees
its own source and becomes that (the Self). It is not as the subject perceiving an object.
When the room is dark, a lamp is necessary to
illumine, and
eyes are necessary to recognise objects. But when the sun has risen there is no need of a
lamp to see objects. To see the sun no lamp is necessary, it is enough that you turn your
eyes towards the self-luminous sun.
Similarly with the mind. To see objects the
reflected light of the mind is necessary. To see the Heart it is enough that the mind is
turned towards it. Then mind loses itself and Heart shines forth.
The essence of mind is only awareness or
consciousness.
When the ego, however, dominates it, it functions as the
reasoning, thinking or sensing faculty. The cosmic mind, being not limited by the ego, has
nothing separate from itself and is therefore only aware.
Again people often ask how the mind is
controlled. I say to them, 'Show me the mind and then you will know what to do'. The fact
is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts. How can you extinguish it by the thought of
doing so or by a desire? Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind. The
mind is simply fattened by new thoughts rising up. Therefore it is foolish to attempt to
kill the mind by means of the mind. The only way of doing it to find its source and hold
on to it. The mind will then fade away of its own accord.
Yoga teaches CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA (control of the activities of the mind). But I say ATMA
VICHARA (self-investigation). This is the practical way. Chitta Vritti Nirodha is brought
about in sleep, swoon, or by starvation. As soon as the cause is withdrawn there is a
recrudescence of thoughts. Of what use is it then? In the state of stupor there is peace
and no misery.But misery recurs when the stupor is removed. So Nirodha (control) is
useless and cannot be of lasting benefit.
How then can the benefit be made lasting? It is by finding the
cause of misery. Misery is due to the perception of objects. If
they are not there, there will be no contingent thoughts and so
misery is wiped off.
'How will objects cease to be'? is the next
question. The sruti
(scriptures) and the sages say that the objects are only mental creations. They have no
substantive being. Investigate the matter and ascertain the truth of the statement. The
result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective
consciousness.The Self is thus the only reality which permeates and also envelopes the
world. Since there is no duality, no thoughts will arise to disturb your peace. This is
realisation of the Self. The Self is eternal and so also is realisation.
Abhyasa (spiritual practice) consists in withdrawal within the
Self every time you are disturbed by thought. It is not
concentration or destruction of the mind but withdrawal into the Self."
Question: "Why is concentration ineffective?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"To ask the mind to kill the mind is like making the thief the policeman. He will go
with you and pretend to catch the thief, but nothing will be gained. So you must turn
inward and see from where the mind rises and then it will cease to exist."
Question: "In turning the mind inwards, are we not still
employing the mind?'
Sri Ramana Maharshi:"Of
course we are employing the mind. It is well known and admitted that only with the help of
the mind can the mind be killed. But instead setting about saying there is a mind, and I
want to kill it, you begin to seek the source of the mind, and you find the mind does not
exist at all. The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards,
it becomes itself the Self."
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SAMADHI
Question: "What is samadhi?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"The state in which the unbroken
experience of existence-consciousness is attained by the still
mind, alone is samadhi. That still mind which is adorned with
the attainment of the limitless Supreme Self, alone is the reality
of God.
When the mind is in communion with the Self
in darkness, it is called nidra (sleep), that is the immersion of the mind in
ignorance. Immersion in a conscious or wakeful state is called samadhi. Samadhi is
continuous inherence in the Self in a waking state. Nidra or sleep is also inherence in
the Self but in an unconscious state. In SAHAJ SAMADHI the communion is continuous.
The immersion of the mind in the Self, but
without its destruction, is known as Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi. In this state one is not
free from vasanas and so one does not therefore attain mukti (liberation). Only after the
vasanas have been destroyed can one attain liberation."
Question: "When can one practice Sahaj
Samadhi?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Even from the
beginning. Even
though one practises Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi for years
together, if one has not rooted out the vasanas one will not
attain liberation.
Question: "Is samadhi, the eighth stage of raja yoga, the
same as the samadhi you speak of?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "In
yoga the term samadhi refers to
some kind of trance and there are various kinds of samadhi.
But the samadhi I speak of is different. It is SAHAJ SAMADHI.
From here you have samadhan (steadiness) and you remain
calm and composed even while you are active. You realise that you are moved by the deeper
real Self within. You have no worries, no anxieties, no cares, for you come to
realise that there is nothing belonging to you. You know that everything is done
by something with which you are in conscious union.
Question: "If this
sahaj samadhi is the most desirable condition, is there no need for nirvikalpa
samadhi?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"The nirvikalpa samadhi of raja yoga may have its use. But in Jnana yoga this sahaj
sthiti (natural state) or sahaj nishtha (abidance in the natural state) itself is
the nirvikalpa state. In this natural state, the mind is free from doubts. It has no need
to swing between alternatives of possibilities and probabilities.It sees no vikalpas
(differences) of any kind. It is sure of the truth because it feels the presence of the
real. Even when it is active, it knows it is active in the reality, the Self, the
Supreme Being."
Question: "How can one
function in the world in such a state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"One who accustoms himself naturally to meditation and enjoys the bliss of meditation
will not lose his samadhi state whatever external work he does, whatever thoughts may come
to him. That is Sahaja Nirvikalpa. Sahaj Nirvikalpa is Nasa Manas (total destruction of
the mind). Those who are in the laya samadhi state (a trance like state in which the mind
is temporarily in abeyance) will have to bring the mind back under control from time to
time. If the mind is destroyed, as it is in sahaj samadhi, it will never slide down from
their high state.
Question:"Is samadhi a
blissful or ecstatic state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
"In samadhi itself there is only perfect peace. Ecstasy comes when the mind revives
at the end of samadhi. In devotion the ecstasy comes first. It is manifested by tears of
joy, hair standing on end, and vocal stumbling. When the ego finally dies and the Sahaj is
won, these symptoms and the ecstasies cease."
SIDDHIS (SUPER NATURAL POWERS)
Question: "On realising
samadhi, does not one obtain siddhis (super natural powers) also?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "In
order to display siddhis, there must be others to recognise them. That means, there
is no jnana in the one who displays them. Therefore, siddhis are not worth a thought.
Jnana alone is to be aimed at and gained."
TURIYA - THE FOURTH STATE
Question: "Is samadhi
the same as Turiya, the fourth state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Samadhi,
Turiya and nirvikalpa all
have the same implication, that is, awareness of the Self.
Turiya literally means the fourth state, the Supreme
Consciousness, as distinct from the other three states of
consciousness: waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. The
fourth state is eternal and the other three states come and go in it. In Turiya
there is the awareness that the mind has merged in its source, the Heart, and is
quiescent there, although some thoughts still impinge on it and the senses are still
somewhat active. In nirvikalpa, the senses are inactive and thoughts are totally absent.
Hence the experience of Pure Consciousness in this state is intense and blissful. Turiya
is obtainable in savikalpa samadhi."
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Related articles:
Meditation
Consciousness - The Three states
Mind - Q & A
The Nature of Reality
Self-realisation
Emancipation
Freedom and Bondage
Direct Path
Self-Enquiry
God
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