Self-enquiry as taught by Sri Bhagwan is enough

[eranilkumarsinha]

True Knowledge is being devoid of knowledge as well as ignorance of objects. Knowledge of objects is not true knowledge. Since the Self shines self-luminous, with nothing else for It to know. IT,  THE  SELF  IS  TRUE  KNOWLEDGE.  Be certain that a void, It is not.
V.12, Ulladu Narpadu


Dear devotees,

How can That, that is, Being, be called a void by the mere 'being' of which all these empirical and relative phenomena which have no 'being' (existence) of their own appear to have 'being' (existence) and by the Light of Awareness of which all these are revealed? 

Dear devotees, the term 'Knowledge of the Self' and the insight 'Self is true Knowledge' are two different imports of the term 'Self-Knowledge'. The former 'Knowledge of the Self' obviously implies 'dyads' and 'triads', and the Self being non-dual, without a second, It does not have room for the appearance of duality. It cannot be known as an object. Therefore, the term 'Knowledge of the Self' is contrary to the very nature of the Self, and hence, is completely unacceptable. On the contrary, Sri Bhagwan's Teaching that 'Self is true Knowledge' (above quote) clearly brings out the real nature of the Self, for the Self is the very form of Knowledge.
And this is why Sri Bhagwan has taught that it is wrong to presume that we do not know the Self now, yet in future we may know It. Being Self all the time, without a second, indeed, It is never unknown.

Dear devotees, so, what is the truth of the Self? Sri Bhagwan has hammered the truth into us: Just 'to be' is alone the truth of the Self,  AND  UNKNOWABILITY  OF  THE  SELF  IS  BECAUSE  IT  IS  THE  SELF !!!


Thanks very much.
Pranam,
  Anil               

[eranilkumarsinha]

                       In order to reveal Yourself at last as Being and Awareness,
            You dwell in various forms in all religions. If still there are people who fail
                  to see You whose Being is Awareness, they are no better than
                                   the blind who do not know the Sun.

                               O mighty Mountain Aruna, peerless Jewel,
                                   stand and shine, One without a second,
                                             the Self within my Heart.
V. 4, Sri Arunachala Ashtakam, Source: Aruna of the Golden Fire   

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Devotees,

Sri Arthur Osborne has mentioned in his wonderful Article titled 'The Quest and the Goal' that when he gazed at Sri Bhagwan for the first time, to his surprise, there was no great impression, because he had expected something grander and LESS  INTIMATE  !!

"Certainly far less than His photographs had made. Just a white-haired, very gracious man, walking a little stiffly from rheumatism and with a slight stoop." 
   
Sri Osborne has written that during the weeks that followed He was constantly gracious to him and the strains of nerves and mind gradually relaxed, but still there was no dynamic contact.

Sri Osborne writes picturesquely thus, "It was not until the evening of Karthikai when, each year, a beacon is lit on the summit of Arunachala, or it may have been Deepavali. I am not quite sure, when a revelation occurred. There were huge crowds for the festival. I was sitting in the courtyard outside the old hall, in front of the couch where Bhagwan was reclining. He sat up, facing me, and His narrowed eyes pierced into me, penetrating, intimate, with an intensity I cannot describe. It was as though they said, 'YOU  HAVE  BEEN  TOLD;  WHY  HAVE  YOU  NOT  REALIZED?' And then quietness, a depth of peace, an indescribable lightness and happiness."

Dear devotees, Sri Osborne writing further says that love for Sri Bhagwan began to grow in his heart, and He felt His power and beauty. Next morning, sitting before Him, he tried to follow Vichara and asked 'Who Am I?'Sri Osborne says that first he thought that he tried to follow Vichara out of his own volition. Little did he realize then that it was the INITIATION  BY  LOOK  THAT  HAD  VITALIZED  HIM  AND  THUS  CHANGED  THE  OUTLOOK  OF  HIS  MIND. Love and devotion to Sri Bhagwan deepens and he went with a LILT  OF  HAPPINESS  IN HIS  HEART,  feeling the blessing and mystery of the Guru, and repeating like a song of love that he was the Guru, the link between God and him, between the Formless Being and his heart.

(This post is to be concluded in my next post.)

Thanks very much.
Pranam,
  Anil

[eranilkumarsinha]

Continuing from my last post:

Sri Arthur Osborne: "And then one day a sudden vivid reminder awoke in me, 'The link with Formless Being! But He is the Formless Being!' And I began to apprehend the meaning of His Jnana and understand why devotees addressed Him simply as 'Bhaagwan', which is a word meaning God. So He began to prove in me what He declared in His teaching that THE  OUTER  GURU  SERVES  TO  AWAKEN  THE  GURU  IN  THE  HEART. The Vichara, the constant 'Who am I?', began to evoke  AN  AWARENESS  OF  THE  SELF  AS  BHAGWAN  OUTWARDLY  AND  ALSO  SIMULTANEOUSLY  OF  THE  SELF  WITHIN."

"The specious theory that Bhagwan was not a Guru had had simply evaporated in the radiance of His Grace. Moreover, I now perceived that, so far from His teaching not being practical guidance , it was exclusively that. I observed that He shunned theoretical explanations and kept turning the questioner to practical considerations of sadhana, of the path to be followed. It was that and that only that He was here to teach."




Dear devotees, Sri Osborne then says what we all know all along that though He would answer sincere questions fully, but His real Teaching was not the explanation but the silent influence, for, the alchemy worked only in the heart, and he constantly strove by way of the Vichara.  Sri Osborne Has written:



"From the moment of my arrival at Tirruvannamalai, there had been no question of my leaving again. This was home even at the very beginning when I was so mistaken about Bhagwan, even when material prospects seemed bleak. Perhaps that was why Bhagwan in His graciousness bestowed the initiation on one who sought but had not the wit to ask."


 


Dear devotees, this is how Sri Arthur Osborne came and reached His Lotus Feet, and remained anchored till the very end! This is how every one of us arrives and His Grace takes us to consummation of the Quest.

Thanks very much.
Pranam,
  Anil                 
         

[eranilkumarsinha]

"If the mind becomes introverted through enquiry into the source of the 'I'-thought, the mental tendencies become extinct. The light of the Self falls on the mental tendencies and produces the phenomena of reflection we call the mind. Thus, when the mental tendencies become extinct the mind also disappears, being absorbed into the light of the one reality, the heart."
 
"This is the sum and substance of all that an aspirant needs to know. What is imperatively required of him is an earnest and one-pointed enquiry into the source of the 'I'-thought."
Source: Absolute Consciousness


"When the attention goes deeper and deeper within along the reflected ray ?I?, its length decreases more and more, and when the ray 'I' dies, that which shines as 'I' is Jnana."
V. 9, Atma Vichara Patikam




Dear Devotees,

Since the mind is only the phenomena of reflection which appears when the Light of the Self falls on the mental tendencies or predispositions, when an aspirant, on account of love for the Self, dives deeper and deeper within, by an intense effort of the Self-attention, and is so close to his Source  (Self) that not even the least rising of the ego is possible, that is, the length of the reflected ray 'I' (the ego) decreases progressively more and more till it disappears completely, such a one remains absorbed in the great, great dissolution of the "I am the body" idea, or the dehatma budhi.

Dear devotees, after this great dissolution of the 'I am the body' idea, what shines as 'I' is the Self or Jnana Sri Bhagwan speaks of, and since It is the Pure Being, it does not say 'I'.

This, in my view, is alone the real science in which Absolute Verity is reached and realized, by penetrating to the Core, seeing through the phenomena, realizing our True Nature, and remaining as Pure Being, that we always are.

Thanks very much.
Pranam,
  Anil   

[eranilkumarsinha]

Other sacred hills are described as the abodes of some deity, But Arunachala is God Himself.


All the movements of the mind are stopped by Arunachala.
It is difficult to convey--save to him who has experienced it--but it is a fact that even a picture of the strange shape of the Hill of Light, seen by our mind's eye helps in concentration which is not only the beginning, but a very condition of our advancement towards God.
Source: Aruna of the Golden Fire.
   

[eranilkumarsinha]

Sri Rudra Raja Pande, Sri Bhagwan's well-known Devotee:

How sceptics become believers in the light-radiating Presence of 'The Light of Arunachala' Bhagwan Sri Ramana Maharshi, is an ordinary occurrence at Sri Ramanasramam. My own experience may be adduced in proof of the point. To quote the devotee Grant Duff, 'Should those who have it in their power to visit the Ashram delay, they will have themselves to blame in future lives!'

We surrender our judgement to Sri Bhagwan whose life has been to us a reassurance against gloom and despair. May His pleasure be our aim in what we think and talk, and His remembrance in what we do. He knows all our errors and sins. We err even to ask for deliverance. May His Grace be everywhere!

One word more. Whatever may be written about Sri Bhagwan there is no such thing as knowing Him. Remembrance is all.  MAY  HE  BE  IN  THE  REMEMBRANCE  OF  ALL  WHO  SEEK  THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  THEMSELVES!





Dear devotees, but His Grace is ever everywhere! Sri Bhagwan has Himself taught that God, Guru and the Self are One and the Same. Sri Bhagwan is therefore the Self Who manifested as the Sadguru without, only to invoke the Inner Guru within. So, indeed, there is no such thing as knowing Him, but only realizing the Divine Oneness with Him, by remaining in our Natural State, that is, Atma-Nishtha or the Atma-Swarupa, drowned in His Grace. 
Pranam,
  Anil

[eranilkumarsinha]

Not to teach the world, the myth,
Not to gain a mass of wealth,
Not for name and fame that hails,
'There a Sage in Samadhi dwells,
Flock you all and worship Him',
'Tis not for these I sing this hymn;
Only for the great reward,
The death of ego, I pray, my Lord!
V. 68, Sri Ramana Guruvarul Antadi   




Dear devotees, this is Sri Sadhu Om's prayer to Sri Bhagwan, and I feel that every one of us whose one and only desire is Self-Knowledge, prays alike, that is, only for the great reward!. Do we not?
Pranam,
  Anil

[eranilkumarsinha]

Sri Sadhu Om:
What is the benefit of attaining true Self-realization?
It is only when one knows oneself as Self that real good can be done to all creatures on earth. How? Only when Self-knowledge dawns will the truth be known that we alone are the reality of all living beings, and only then will the true love towards all blossom in our heart. Until this Self-knowledge is obtained, one cannot truly love all creatures merely by talking and propagating on platforms. "Love neighbour as thyself". It is only when one experiences the whole world and all the souls in it as the first person singular that the real love, a love for 'not another', will be achieved. Such Self-realization alone is tap-root without which peace, love and happiness cannot thrive on earth. Therefore the sole and immediate need of the world is Self-enquiry, the  MEDICINE  that destroys the evil ego. Only a true Knower of Self can really serve the world perfectly! The mere existence on earth of such a Jnani is sufficient to ensure the spiritual and moral welfare of the whole world.





Dear Devotees,

When one experiences the whole world and all the souls in it as the First Person Singular, without uttering 'I' and remaining only aware as mere being,  and thus being able to not identify oneself as a mere fleeting 'thought' anymore, that the real love, a love in which there is 'no other', can be achieved.   

Dear devotees, we are aware that this world and all the souls and objects in it are all Self or Brahman only. It follows therefore that our desire for objects and our desire to love and be loved are only the manifestation of our Love for the Real Self. Mind's desire for possession of an external object or our mind's longing to love someone and be loved by someone is only the manifestation of our inner urge to be united with the Inner Self.  MIND,  IN  FACT,  WANTS  TO  BE  ONE   WITH  THE  OBJECT  OF  DESIRE, MIND  CRAVES  TO  BE  ONE  WITH  SOMEONE  IN  LOVE, though this is impossible.  However, it is the mind that twists this inner longing to be one with the Inner Self, and instead foists to make it appear as if Love and Happiness could be achieved through externalities.

Dear devotees, Sri Bhagwan Ramana has hammered into us that everlasting happiness and real love cannot be achieved through external means. However much our desire is satiated through external means, however much we love someone or be loved by someone, however much our minds desire to be united with externalities and thus obtain objects of desire, unless and until our inner longing to be one with the Inner Self is achieved, WE  WILL  CONTINUE  TO  FEEL  RESTLESS,  UNSATIATED  AND  INCOMPLETE.   Hence,  the  need  for  the  Master  Medicine!!

Thanks very much.
Pranam,
  Anil               

[eranilkumarsinha]

A realized being sees the Self like a gold-
smith estimating gold in various jewels.
When all things have merged in the upsurging
plenitude of Siva, what still abides is but
                         Self-being.



But why is Siva, who is formless and shines as pure Awareness,
Oft mistaken for some poor object apprehensible by the senses?
It is because of the failure to seek enquiring "Who Am I?"
                       And find the Self within the Heart



The fact is there is neither dvaita nor advaita. Simple being is the Self.
Attain it first, then there will be time to judge whose view is right.


Source: Aruna of the Golden Fire

[eranilkumarsinha]

Sri Sadhu Om:

Unceasing Self-attention is possible only in the state of Self-realization and not in the state of practice (sadhana). What one has to do during the period of sadhana is to cultivate ever-increasing love to attain Self-knowledge and make intermittent but repeated attempts to turn one's attention a full 180 degrees towards Self. If one once succeeds in doing this, then unceasing Self-attention will be found to be natural and effortless. 

[binoyc]

"Sri Sadhu Om:

Unceasing Self-attention is possible only in the state of Self-realization and not in the state of practice (sadhana). What one has to do during the period of sadhana is to cultivate ever-increasing love to attain Self-knowledge and make intermittent but repeated attempts to turn one's attention a full 180 degrees towards Self. If one once succeeds in doing this, then unceasing Self-attention will be found to be natural and effortless. "


Mind will run out hundreds of times, the sadhana is to realize this slip from self awareness and to come back to that " I am ". This realization of slip and coming back to self awareness is the greatest sadhana, these are two different efforts. One measure of progress is the quickness with which one realizes this slip and then glides down to that awareness. As one progresses the duration of self attention increases though still requiring effort, until one day the self awareness appears spontaneously, initially for a very short period of time. This is a major milestone in one's sadhana.
During this stage one may develop intense emotional feeling towards Sri Bhagavan especially when one hears his stories or sees his picture, tears will come out and a sense of intense love for Sri Bhagavan emerges. Vasanas will continue to torment one's efforts but there grip will loosen.
In self awareness there is no thought at all, only pure awareness. Rise of even a single though however subtle it may be indicates a break in the self awareness. One may also have a subtle but palpable feeling of sadness or a sense of incompleteness when one is away from this sadhana, as when one is indulging in and engrossed in worldly affairs.

Regards,
Binoy

[Balaji]

Everyone knows what great stress Sri Bhagavan lays on atma vichara, self-enquiry. He wrote in Atma Vidya Kirtanam, 'Self-knowledge is an easy thing, the easiest thing there is'. Yet, surprisingly, not once of his own accord did he ever ask any devotee to follow this method. He could have ordered the practice of self-enquiry and all the devotees would have blindly and willingly followed...

 Sri Bhagavan's presence and teachings gave hope and strength to different classes of seekers at different levels...Sri Bhagavan gave help and guidance to all kinds ofpeople on all kinds of paths and never demanded that devotees change from one sadhana to another

 A lot of people are under the impression that Bhagavan talked advaitic philosophy enquiry to everyone who asked for his advice. This is simply not so: Bhagavan gave out different advice to different people. He would see their level of development and their temperament and act accordingly. One devotee might ask a question and be given an answer. If another devotee asked the same question a few minutes later, he might be given a different answer, so different in fact that it would contradict the first one. If each of these devotees acted on Bhagavan's advice, with full faith in its efficacy, each would find that Bhagavan's grace was flowing into him

Padamalai

[Sadhak]

" Yet, surprisingly, not once of his own accord did he ever ask any devotee to follow this method. He could have ordered the practice of self-enquiry and all the devotees would have blindly and willingly followed..."

What is surprising?  He has said that all paths must ultimately lead to self enquiry. And he has also said that the path of vichara is for advanced seekers. Blind following is not self enquiry. Bhagavan knew that in due course everyone will come to self enquiry. But self enquiry is not for everyone instantly.  There is no question of ordering anybody.

" Sri Bhagavan's presence and teachings gave hope and strength to different classes of seekers at different levels...Sri Bhagavan gave help and guidance to all kinds ofpeople on all kinds of paths and never demanded that devotees change from one sadhana to another "

Again different sadhanas are only preliminaries to purify the mind to reach the stage of self enquiry.  Each seeker can follow his sadhana that helps to prepare him for self enquiry. Bhagavan never demanded anything from anybody. It would only be surprising (to say the least) if he ordered or demanded anything.

[eranilkumarsinha]

Quote from Sri Binoyc:
"Mind will run out hundreds of times, the sadhana is to realize this slip from self awareness and to come back to that " I am ". This realization of slip and coming back to self awareness is the greatest sadhana, these are two different efforts. One measure of progress is the quickness with which one realizes this slip and then glides down to that awareness. As one progresses the duration of self attention increases though still requiring effort, until one day the self awareness appears spontaneously, initially for a very short period of time. This is a major milestone in one's sadhana.
During this stage one may develop intense emotional feeling towards Sri Bhagavan especially when one hears his stories or sees his picture, tears will come out and a sense of intense love for Sri Bhagavan emerges. Vasanas will continue to torment one's efforts but there grip will loosen.
In self awareness there is no thought at all, only pure awareness. Rise of even a single though however subtle it may be indicates a break in the self awareness. One may also have a subtle but palpable feeling of sadness or a sense of incompleteness when one is away from this sadhana, as when one is indulging in and engrossed in worldly affairs."




Dear Devotees,

I would myself have loved to write such passage! I always expected to hear something like this all these years from you at least in this forum. Thank you so much dear Sri Binoyc. I wish you to know that my own understanding, experience and insight are totally one with what you have shared in your post. Indeed, this is wonderful, to say the least!
 
Thanks again, dear friend, Sri Binoyc.
Pranam,
  Anil

Note: Dear Sri Bala ji and Sri Sadhak, I can respond to your posts only sometime later. Thanks very much for sharing your beautiful understanding. Anil