Self-enquiry as taught by Sri Bhagwan is enough

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

Yes. The meditatation on the Self or even the reflection,  mananam,
should be done continuously without any break.

Advaita Bodha Deepika says:

Devotee: How long should one continue to enquire into the Self?

Master: Non-recrudescence of the darkness of ingnorance is said to
be the 'limit' of reflection.  Therefore one should continue the practice  until this darkenss of ignorance does not recur.

Sri Sankara and Sri Bhagavan use the same simile, like the ghee or
oil flowing, continuously, without noise. It is called thyla dharai.



Arunachala Siva.

[eranilkumarsinha]

Irunathapadiye iru - irunthapadi is the state of Self, as you are aware.  Iru means Be. Be as you are.

Guru aruL chelthum vazhikke sel - Go in the way that Guru's Grace directs you.  You should always abide by the direction of the guru,


Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

Thank you so much for a very nice post, sir. As the sun rises, darkness goes on clearing. So also, as one begins to taste the Bliss of the Self, darkness of ignorance goes on clearing. Till then, one needs to pour the ghee so that the flow of meditation happens uninterrupted.


Dear sir, will you kindly give me word by word meaning of thyala dharai and Irunathapadiye Iru and Guru arul as quoted by you and copied as above ?

Regards,
  Anil



 

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

Thylam is Sanskrit means oil, ghee.  "Thel" in Hindi.

Dhara or thara in Tamizh means flow, movement.

Irunthapadiye - Only as you are,

Iru - be

AruL in Tamizh means grace, blessings, boons, karuna (compassion) etc.,



Arunachala Siva.

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

‘Irunathapadiye’—‘Be as you are’
What a paradox ? We do need sadhana to be what I am and it is  in order of things to be what I am not. How strange ? What to do ?When a devotee complained  to Sri Bhagwan that True ‘I’ is not perceptible however much he struggles, Sri Bhagwan,  replying in His usual strain, asks, “Who is it that says ‘I’ is not perceptible?” It is only the mind which says that ‘I’ is not perceptible. And mind is an illusory entity which is a mere superimposition on the Reality ‘I AM’. Sri Bhagwan says that although the mind rises from the Self, Self is not aware of the activities of the ego, as the sun is not aware of the activities of jivas on the earth. The sea is also not aware of the waves, so also the Self is not aware of the ego. It always remains as it is. But obviously there is obstruction to its knowledge. But the Self is beyond ignorance and even knowledge. Sri Bhagwan says both and knowledge are overgrowths  which must be cleared off. True Knowledge is being  as ‘I am’.

What to do ? mind appears real. There is a false ‘I’ in the dream. On waking, the false ‘I’ of the dream disappears and yet another false ‘I’ takes its place. Both ‘I’s are unreal. Nay. Sri Bhagwan has taught that an ‘I’ rises forth with rise of every thought and with the disappearance of that thought that ‘I’ disappears also. Therefore, many ‘I’s are born and dies every moment. But where all these are happening ? All these are happening in the Existence-Consciousness “I AM”. Substratum of the mind, i.e., “I am” continues unbroken all along. So, Sri Bhagwan says that subsistence of the mind alone is the real problem.

Sri Bhagwan says , very,  very significantly indeed for us, that root of all troubles is the subsisting mind and mind is subsisting because of lack of Vichara or the enquiry.  SRI BHGWAN SAYS, “Find out by Vichara the one who says that the True ‘I’ is not perceptible.” King Janaka found him out, ” I have discovered the thief who had been ruining me so long. I will now deal with him summarily. Then I shall be happy.”  IF THE PURPOSE OF THE LIFE IS TO BE REALISED AND  IF WE WISH TOBE TRULY HAPPY, WE MUST ALSO FIND THE THIEF AND DEAL WITH HIM SUMMARILY.

Dear sir, therefore, my submission is that I truly cannot remain what in Truth I am unless the enemy or the thief is found out by investigation and then summarily dealt with. Till then the Guru will be saying, “You are That”, and disciple will be asking, “Who am I ? Whence am I ?”

Thank you so much sir.

Regards,
   Anil           

[eranilkumarsinha]

The last line of the first paragraph in my last post should read "Sri Bhagwan says that both ignorance as well as knowledge are overgrowths which must be cleared off".

Thank you,
  Anil

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

Yes. Irunthapadiye Iru - To stay where we are, we are doing all
the running, says one Western devotee.

Both bondage and freedom are mere concepts which come to one's
mind only so long as one thinks that he is in bondage.

Sri Bhagavan explains this in Verse 39 of ULLadu Narpadu:

Thoughts of bondage and of freedom last only as long as one feels,
"I am bound".  When one inquires of oneself, 'Who am I?', the bound one?' the Self, Eternal, ever free, remains.  The thought of bondage
goes and with it goes the thought of freedom too.

Only if one has got a head ache, he thinks about his head. When
headache is gone, does any one ever think about head?



Arunachala Siva.     

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,
Thank you so much for a very nice post, sir. Verse-39 and Verse-40 of ULLadu Narpadu together constitute the revelation of the Ultimate Truth. The thought of bondage and freedom last only as long as one entertains their thoughts. Self is eternally free. Self is what is. Pure Existence-Consciousness. So, thoughts of bondage and freedom are valid so long as there is duality. But is there duality ? Is Truth dual ? Whatever we say, discuss and conclude are only from the point of view of the ajnanis or the ignorant or duality. Even when we say that He is a Jnani is valid from our stand-point only. From the stand-point of a Jnani, or from the stand-point of the Supreme Truth, no one is either a Jnani, nor there is an ajnai. No one is either bound, nor is there any one released. There is no Guru, no disciple, no devotee, nor anyone is engaged in a spiritual sadhana.

Upadesa Saram teaches “manasam tu kim margne-krte, naivamanasam marga arjavat”. “ What is this that is called mind ? There is really no such thing as the mind. This is the direct path.” Therefore, all are mere thoughts—bondage, freedom, sadhana, world, jivas etc.—all  are mere illusory mental creations or the mind’s tricks. But as we are aware, these thoughts are not independent thoughts. All these thoughts are interconnected with an another thought which is the root or the central thought or ‘ I-thought.’ This is also the first thought. All other thoughts seemingly exist because of this very first thought called ego. As Sri Bhagwan has clarified that in fact ego, mind and intellect are not different but the same entity, when by enquiry, ‘Who am I ?’, ego-mind is destroyed, the Self alone remains.  This alone is the Final Freedom. Swarupa. And in Swarupa there is no thought of either bondage, or the release. Before that, everything talked about is only from the relativistic stand-point and when duality is still subsisting. 

Regards,
   Anil       

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

When someone comes and tells Sri Bhagavan: I am an Ajnani.
Sri Bhagavan used to reply: Who is an Ajnani?  There is no
Ajnani at all. All are Jnanis. You are only 'acting' as if you are
an Ajnani.  He went one step further and said:  There is not
even  Jnanis.  There is only Jnanam.  Because, Sri Bhagavan did
not want to permit duality by stating that there are several Jnanis.,

That is why He said that there is only Jnanam.



Arunachala Siva. 

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

Ji. Yes. Thank you so much for saying the Absolute Truth in simple words. From the stand-point of the Absolute Truth, there is no ajnani, nor there is a Jnani. There is absolutely nothing whatever except Existence-Consciousness. So, there is only Jnanam. The Guru teaches that you are That. That is the Goal. But, meanwhile, discussion is going on.  Blissful Absolute Mouna is still elusive. But we know that it is the mind all along which is ruling. A non-existent mind. An entity which is not. But I am. I am not a fiction. I am the Reality. I am the Centre. Seeking the mind is futile. Seeking that which does not exist is invain. Instead Sri Bhagwan has taught to seek the Self. Then non-Self cannot stand. Sri Bhagwan says that is how the mind is to be ruled. Mind is what is not. Therefore, seeking to either check or control that which is not is obviously like seeking the son of a barren woman.

Regards,
  Anil

[eranilkumarsinha]

One you are not, nor you are dual.
You are dual and non-dual both.
Body, breath, senses, mind and intellect, ego,
None of these are you.
Sleep, waking, dream, the fourth and the final state,
None of these are you.
Nor are you mere conjecture, Venkata,
For deep within each seeker’s heart you shine
As “I am”, the true Life of life.
                                                        V. 268, Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, Tr.  Prof. Sri K. Swaminathan

O Sri Bhagwan ! The body that you seemingly owned for the time-being,
Was subject to your own Law.
Now that the body is no more
Are you mere conjecture, Sri Bhagwan ?
No, You are not mere conjecture !
You are here, where can you go ?
For deep within each seeker’s heart you shine
As “I AM”, the true Life of life.
   (Dear devotees, I am not a poet. I never composed any poem. Just I felt like writing as I did. Kindly do not mind.)


Whichever way I went
I heard your praise, O happy one,
And to your feet surrendered
My body, wealth and life.
I cried:
“Ocean of virtue mountain-high,
Show me the way to happiness.”
Ramana, just, majestic, said:
“Stand still. Stay where you are.”
                                                          V. 967, Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, Tr. Prof. Sri K. Swaminathan

Yes. That is the way to happiness. Dear devotees, there is no other way to perennial happiness. Other way leads to sorrows mixed with occasional pleasures. My real nature is Happiness Itself. So, any pleasure experienced outside of myself is only infinitesimal part of the Happiness that is my real nature. So, Sri Bhagwan says, “Be as you are” and experience Happiness, which is your real nature, to your heart’s content. 

Thank you,
   Anil

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

In Atma Sakshatkara Prakaranam, Verse 31, it is said:

Afflictionless, and without any support for itself,
Bereft of caste, name and form -
That taintless, attributeless Self
Unceasingly meditate upon It.



Arunachala Siva. 

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

Devikalottara and Atma Sakshatkara  are regarded as outstanding teaching  of the stand-point of Pure Advaita.

Let us see, for example, V. 17 and v. 18 of the Atma Sakshatkara :

Only he who does not know his true nature
Is a jiva subject to to the characteristics
Of birth, death, and so on.
He who knows his true Self is one who is eternal,
He is pure, He is Siva. Without doubt know this.
                                              V. 17, Atma Sakshatkara

Therefore, He who knows His True Self is the IMMACULATE ONE, free from modes and characteristics. He is verily Lord Siva Himself.

Hence, what men of discrimination should enquire
into carefully
And directly realise is the Self
That itself shines two-fold,
As the transcendental and inferior divisions, the
gross and the subtle.
                                                            V. 18, Atma Sakshatkara

First, men of discrimination. Who are men of discrimination ? In my view, As Sri Adi Sankara defined it, men of discrimination are those who have firm conviction in Non-dual Reality and the non-conviction in illusory, phenomenal and empirical existence. So, when men of discrimination enquire into the Self carefully, they directly realise the True Self. That is the Straight Path and that is the Self-enquiry. Is it not, sir ?

Thank you so much, sir.

Regards,
   Anil

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

Yes. These two upa-agamas subtexts are originally written in Sanskrit and translated into Tamizh verses by Sri Bhagavan. Agamas
are of South Indian origin.

Devi Kalottaram is chanted on Wednesday evenings in Tamizh Parayana. And Atma Sakshat Prakaranam is done on Thursday evenings along with Tamizh parayana, between 6.30 PM and 7.00 PM.

Both are pure advaitc texts.



Arunachala Siva.

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

Thank you so much sir for pointing out that Agamas are of South Indian origin. I do not know much about Agamas.The Collected Works Of Sri ramana Maharshi says that there are 28 Agamas. Out of 28 Agamas, only two , namely Devikalottara and Sarva Jnanottara, are only Pure Advaitic Texts. Atma Sakshatkara is the most essential part of the Sarva Jnanottara. However I wish to know whether these Agamas are the part of our precious 'Puranas'. Kindly tell me something more about their origin. What do other Agamas deal with ?

Regards,
  Anil   

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil,

Agamas are 28 in number but I also do not know the count.

They broadly deal with -

a. construction of temples.

b.installation of Siva lingam, and other deities like Nandi, Ganesa,
Mother, Chandikeswara, Navagraha, Nataraja, Sri Dakshinamurty
and other images/icons and also about the puja methods and worships. Some Agama also deals with philosophy like Saiva
Siddhanta and Advaita. The Siva temples in South India, ancient
ones were constructed as per agama sastras.



Arunachala Siva.