Daily Message From AHAM (The Association of Happiness for All Mankind)

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

Yes. Atma does not require any vichara. Atma Vichara
is only to investigate the anatma - the ego self.



Arunachala Siva.

[ramana_maharshi]

6. Question: If I go on rejecting thoughts as they arise, can I call it vichara (the practice of Self-Inquiry)?

Bhagavan: It may be a start or a stepping-stone; but really, vichara begins when you hold firmly to your (true) Self and are already off the mental movement or succession of thought-waves.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

Yes. Though Sri Bhagavan speaks about neti neti method in the beginning of Who am I?,
later under question No. 8, He says, "....When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind,
the mind will end leaving the Self as the residue. What is referred to as the Self is the Atman...."
He also says in No. 9 "....Even if one thinks constantly as "I", "I", one will be lead to that place...."



Arunachala Siva.

[ramana_maharshi]

7. Question: Is rejection of thoughts not necessary?

Bhagavan: No. It may be necessary for a time or for some. You fancy that there is no end if one goes on rejecting every thought when it arises. No. There is an end. If you are vigilant, and make a sustained effort to reject every thought when it rises, you will soon find that you are going deeper and deeper into your own inner self, where there is no need for your effort to reject the thoughts.

[ramana_maharshi]

8. Question: Then it is possible to be without effort, without strain?

Bhagavan: Not only that, it is impossible for you to make an effort beyond a certain extent.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

Yes. Sri Bhagavan says in Who am I? also that "as long as there are enemy soldiers inside the Fort,
they will be coming out to fight.  As you keep on killing them [rejecting the thoughts], the Fort will become empty. After which, where will there be any  more soldiers? [thoughts].. The Fort is in
your hands." 

There will be no need to reject thoughts or kill soldiers.  Thereafter no effort to fight also becomes
necessary.



Arunachala Siva.   

[ramana_maharshi]

9. Question: I want to be further enlightened. Should I try to make no effort at all?

Bhagavan: Here (or now) it is impossible for you to be without effort. When you go deeper, it is impossible for you to make any effort.

10. Question: Then I can dispense with outside help and by my own effort get into the deeper truth by myself?

Bhagavan: True. However, the very fact that you are possessed of the quest of the Self is a manifestation of the Divine Grace. It is effulgent (self-shining) in the Heart, the inner being, the Real Self. It draws you from within. You have to attempt to get it from without. Your attempt is vichara (the practice of Self-Inquiry).

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

Yes. Unless Grace is coupled with true and honest self enquiry or
self surrender, one cannot succeed in realization.  This is what
Sri Bhagavan says in Atma Vidya Kirtanam also.



Arunachala Siva.

[ramana_maharshi]

11. Question: Then vichara (the practice of Self-Inquiry) is not intellectual?

Bhagavan: No, it is anthara vichara, or the inner quest.

12. Question: What is the practice?

Bhagavan: To stick to a single position un-assailed by thoughts is abhyasa (practice) or sadhana (a method of spiritual practice), you are (thereby being) watchful. But, the condition grows intense and deeper when your effort and all responsibilities are taken away from you; that is arudha (attainment), or the siddha (perfect) state.

[ramana_maharshi]

13. Question: Can a man move about, act, and speak as one who has attained the siddhi (perfection) as is now described?

Bhagavan: Why not? Do you mean to say that realization of the Self means to be like a stone, or to become nothing?

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

This question,  regarding a Jnani's state in Sahaja Stithi, has been asked to Sri Bhagavan, a number of times.  He has at one conversation said: "If a Jnani [in Sahaja Stithi], should remain idle,
how we could have got all the scriptures of  Sri Sankara and others?  A Jnani in Sahaja Stithi
can do anything in life, since his ego is lost and he has no doership at all.  In fact, one Kaduveli
Siddhar has even married to a dancing girl [at her request] and has got a child too."

Once Rangan, the class mate of Sri Bhagavan came to the Asramam and both were going for
a bath and they were talking intimate things in  a jovial way. Rangan asked Sri Bhagavan, [after
knowing from Him that a Brahma Jnani can do anything after realization]: "Bhagavan, can a
Jnani marry also?"  Sri Bhagavan smiled and said: Hm....Hm.....

After many years, Rangan's son who had heard this conversation from his
father, has written a small book in Tamizh called "Sri Ramana Jnana Vivaham"
This book of poems was available in the Asramam and I bought a copy in 2008.  There
is no reprint. I am  not sure whether it is still available.



Arunachala Siva.

[ramana_maharshi]

Yes sir it is a snake whose poison has been taken out..

with humans it is like work done after 99% of the ego is killed.

hence all work done after that will be pure satvic.

[ramana_maharshi]

15. Question: Do you mean the Atman (Self) is God?

Bhagavan: You see the difficulty. The vichara (quest) "to know the self" is different in method from the meditation "Shivoham" or "Soham," (I am Siva [God] or He I am). I rather lay stress upon self-knowledge. For, you are first concerned with yourself before you proceed to know the world and its Lord. The "Soham" meditation or "I am Braham" meditation is more or less a mental thought. But the quest for the Self I speak of is a direct method, indeed superior to the other meditation. For, the moment you get into the quest for the Self, and go deeper and deeper, the real Self is waiting there to take you in; and then, whatever is done, is done by something else and you have no hand in it. In this process, all doubts and discussions are automatically given up, just as one who sleeps forgets for the time being all his cares.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear prasanth,

Yes. Sri Bhagavan did not approve the method of saying
I am Siva, Soham. Because, this again is only a thought.
Instead of thinking Siva, one should become Siva. That is
Siva bodham.



Arunachala Siva. 

[ramana_maharshi]

16. Question: What certainty is there, that something else waits there to welcome me?

Bhagavan: When one is a sufficiently developed soul, he becomes naturally convinced.

17. Question: How is this development possible?

Bhagavan: Various answers are given. However, whatever the previous development, vichara (an earnest inquiry or quest into the true nature of the self) quickens the development.

18.    Question: That is arguing in a circle. I am developed and so am strong for the quest. The quest itself gives my development.

Bhagavan: The mind always has this sort of difficulty. It wants a certain, definite theory to satisfy itself. Really, no theory is necessary for the man who seriously desires to approach God, or to realize his own true being.