Self-surrender and its meaning as revealed by Maha Guru Bhagwan Sri Ramana

[eranilkumarsinha]

Quote;
"I felt, this is not just a clue to return home the way we came, but it subtly indicates, we already in our home, only we peak outside, by putting our heads outside the window."

Dear Sri Nagaraj,

Yes, we are ever what we are looking for. There is One only. Sri Muruganar sings:
In this Kings’s Presence where prevails
Mind-transcending Silence which reveals
One’s own true Self as Siva’s splendour vast,
Seekers of Awareness find at last
Their journey’s end.
                          Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai

Again:
What is this “I” that rises from within?
Only a thought that like a bubble floats
Up to the troubled surface of Awareness.
In sleep the sea is still, no bubble rises,
Then too you are and are aware you are.
You are not the “I” that rises and sets,
You are the sole Awareness in the All,
The eternal, uncreated light of Being.
                     V. 1048, Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai

Dear Sri Nagaraj, when there is no rise as phenomena, i.e. when there is no rise as jiva or the ego-mind, even then, still, we are aware WE ARE. What is That which remains AWARE ? Why after deep sleep, where no bubble rises, we still feel that our existence is for-ever, we intuitively know that there is no break in our existence? The great clue is there is One Unitary Consciousness and that is the Self-Consciousness.
Dear Sri Nagaraj, it is not for nothing that Sri Bhagwan teaches that one is ever realised. That, in my view, is also a very important clue in Ramana Way.
So, we admit that we exist even in the absence of mind-intellect, say in sleep.
How did we know that we existed even during sleep when there is no rise as the mind-intellect phenomenon, if we have not realised our existence ?
Sri Bhawan says that our very existence is Realisation Itself. We cannot imagine a point of time when we do not exist. Therefore, there is no period of time when Realisation is not.

In my view as in the views of many ardent devotees of Sri Bhagwan, all we need do is not doing anything but ‘Be’. I am already That which we are looking for. Nothing is to be added or gained in Realisation. We need only not put our head outside the widow seeking OURSELVES, as you beautifully said. Just B-E-I-N-G and knowing. There is no question of who and what.

Thank you so much.
          Anil     

[Nagaraj]

Dear Sri Anil, Sri Ravi, Udai and Friends,

Dear Sri Anil, your quote from Sannidhi Murai,

What is this “I” that rises from within?[/size]Only a thought that like a bubble floatsUp to the troubled surface of Awareness.In sleep the sea is still, no bubble rises,Then too you are and are aware you are.You are not the “I” that rises and sets,You are the sole Awareness in the All,The eternal, uncreated light of Being.                     V. 1048, Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai

I am reminded about the following records of Swami Virajeshwara, from his autobiography "Scientist's Search for Truth"

He has very beautifully put into words the dynamics of the play of the 'I' friends, please go through this wonderful article of his by

 ---->CLICKING HERE<----

Salutations to Bhagavan

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Anil and others,

Sri Bhagavan said once:

This is the meaning conveyed by the story of Ashtavakra and Janaka. The anecdotes differ in different books. We
are not concerned with the names and the embellishments. The tattva, i.e the underlying moral must not be lost
sight of. The disciple surrenders himself to the master. That means there is no vestige of individuality retained by
the disciple. If the surrender is complete all sense of individuality is lost and there is thus no cause for misery.
The eternal Being is only happiness. That is revealed.

Sri Bhagavan says to Muruganar (in Sri Ramana Sanndhi Murai):

(He said) iruntha padiye iru enRAn  - Be what you are.
(He said) guru aruL cheluthum vazhikke chel enRAn - Go the way in which the grace of Guru directs you to.

The first is Self Inquiry
The second is self surrender.

Sri Bhagavan told Tinnai Swami: Iru - Be.
This one word was enough for him. Tinnai Swami, who was a householder and a biochemist, left his job, his family
and everything and simply sat on the portal of a house in Tiruvannamalai for more than 20 years. No bath. Food if only
given by some body. No alternate dresses. Daily evacuation in some far of bushes. He attained Maha Samadhi on a
Maha Deepam Day. This is total surrender.

Arunachala Siva. 

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

Ji. Yes. Total surrender means self-surrender in which there is no trace of individuality. Sri Tinna Swami ansd Sri Muruganar are quintessence of complete surrender. They go the way the Guru's Grace directs them. They no longer have personality and individuality to even ask for Grace. They are swallowed up by the Grace.

Thank you so much, sir.

Regards,
  Anil   

[Ravi.N]

Friends,
An excerpt from The Practice of the Presence of God-Brother Lawrence.This is same as what Sri Bhagavan taught:

My most usual method is this simple attention, and such a general passionate regard to God;
to whom I find myself often attached with greater sweetness and delight than that of an infant at
the mother’s breast: so that if I dare use the expression, I should choose to call this state the bosom
of God, for the inexpressible sweetness which I taste and experience there. If sometimes my
thoughts wander from it by necessity or infirmity, I am presently recalled by inward motions, so
charming and delicious that I am ashamed to mention them.
I desire your reverence to reflect rather upon my great wretchedness(Brother Lawrence is recounting all this to his 'superior'!), of which you are fully
informed, than upon the great favours which GOod does me, all unworthy and ungrateful as I am.
As for my set hours of prayer, they are only a continuation of the same exercise. Sometimes I
consider myself there, as a stone before a carver, whereof he is to make a statue: presenting myself
thus before GOD, I desire Him to make His perfect image in my soul, and render me entirely like
Himself.(utterly beautiful!-Ravi)
At other times, when I apply myself to prayer, I feel all my spirit and all my soul lift itself up
without any care or effort of mine; and it continues as it were suspended and firmly fixed in God,
as in its centre and place of rest.(Self abidance-Ravi)
I know that some charge this state with inactivity, delusion, and self-love: I confess that it is a
holy inactivity, and would be a happy self-love, if the soul in that state were capable of it; because
in effect, while she is in this repose, she cannot be disturbed by such acts as she was formerly
accustomed to, and which were then her support, but would now rather hinder than assist her.
Yet I cannot bear that this should be called delusion; because the soul which thus enjoys GOD
desires herein nothing but Him. If this be delusion in me, it belongs to God to remedy it. Let Him
do what He pleases with me: I desire only Him, and to be wholly devoted to Him
Brother lawrence lived in a monastery and had to abide by the rules externally.Few might have understood him fully.Had it been India,he would have been revered as a JnAni-Ravi

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

I agree with you. We should seek more and more of Guru's Grace. Grace is no doubt ever plentiful. But we should make our
vessels bigger.


Arunachala Siva.

[eranilkumarsinha]

Dear Sri Subramanian Sir,

It is because of the Guru’s Grace that one is attracted to a particular spiritual path. It is the Guru’s Grace which sustains a sadhaka on that path. And it is the Guru’s Grace which makes for the success of the effort to become Self-Realised. Therefore, Guru’s Grace is truly the beginning, middle and the end.

It is true that the Guru’s Grace is always there, ever full. But Sri Bhagwan says that it is vouchsafed only to him who is a true bhakti or a yogi, who have striven hard and ceaselessly on the path towards freedom.

For, the Guru does not discriminate. There is no distinction for him. Grace is like the ocean, ever full. Everyone draws from it according to his capacity. Therefore, one who has brought only a tumbler should not complain that he is not able to partake of the Guru’s Grace as much as another who has brought a big jar.

Thank you so much, sir.

Regards,
  Anil 

[Nagaraj]

Dear Subramanian Sir, Ravi Sir, Sri Anil, What is the best way to seek grace? what is the best way to make our cups bigger? it is by praying. It is only through regular constant sincere prayers, we would be able to experience the grace of the Guru. Over all these cycles of various conversations, discussions, it all finally takes us back to where we started it all. The very system as laid out by our Sages, of Regular prayers daily, is the way. Intense prayer, with the Bhava (feeling) is the way. Friends, when times are tough, pray, intensely pray, when all our intellect and discernment are of no use, pray intensely. When you are troubled by worldly problems, when you are not able to abide in 'knowledge' pray intensely. Utter the name of the Lord with full faith and sincerity, for this is the best sure way. Keep calling your Guru, your God, he would sure come to your rescue. We have seen so many stories of miracles, that have happened repeatedly in all the lives of devotees. Yes, Help is there, Help is there and the way to get that help is through prayers. Salutations to Bhagavan

Salutations to Bhagavan

[Ravi.N]

Nagaraj/Friends,

Intense prayer, with the Bhava (feeling) is the way

.

Yes Friend.This is the fundamental Truth that no seeker should forget.When this is there ,the presence will be there.It is this Presence which will then do the Sadhana for us.All we have to do is continnuous dwelling on that presence-a continuous prayer.This is 'smarana' and this is what Brother Lawrence calls as Practising the Presence of God.

P.S:Friends,please call me Ravi and do not click more keys on your keyboard.

Namaskar.

[Nagaraj]

Dear i,

This is the fundamental Truth that no seeker should forget.When this is there ,the presence will be there.It is this Presence which will then do the Sadhana for us.

There is a very beautiful and poignant word in sanskrit, which you have just mentioned as above.

संनिधानं - Sannidhanam

Which literally means, "Presence" divine presence, Ulladu, "Pra" root word of Telugu.

There is a tradition to refer Gurus as SANNIDHANAM. And, we refer to those places as Sannidhi, Ramanar Sannidhi, Ramakrishnar Sannidhi, etc..

Salutations to Bhagavan

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Nagaraj,

Yes. Prayers and Japa are necessary. But it should be more of inward nature. It is better than loud prayers, and pujas with
pomp and paraphernalia. This is what Sri Bhagavan says in Verse 4 of Upadesa Undiyar.


Arunachala Siva,

[Ravi.N]

Subramanian,

"But it should be more of inward nature. It is better than loud prayers, and pujas with
pomp and paraphernalia.what Sri Bhagavan says in Verse 4 of Upadesa Undiyar"

How the mind intervenes to qualify what is stated!How it busies itself with what is 'Right' and what is 'Wrong',what is 'Superior' and what is not,etc.
Friend,all that the 'unthee paRa' verse  means is this-whatever is initiated deepens as it goes along in that order.It does not mean one should rush and promote himself to the so called superior forms of worship.
One may be doing silent japa or self enquiry and not reach anywhere.Another may be without any learning,like some of the Labour class devotees that I encounter in small temples.When they cry aloud calling 'MurugA',I find myself bowing at their feet.These devotees are indeed blessed.Their call is much more genuine and heartfelt.
May be we are inhibited  from calling aloud in such a plaintive and deep way.How many of us even open our mouth to sing a kirtan.
Namaskar.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

I shall give the English meaning of the two verses:

4. This is certain
    Worship, praise and meditation,
    Being work of body, speech and mind,
    Are steps for orderly ascent.

6. Better than hymns of praise
    Is repetition of the Name;
    Better low voiced than loud
    But best of all
    Is meditation in the mind.

This upadesa undiyar, has been primarily aimed to take us to what is stated in verse 10. Hence there is nothing
wrong in Sri Bhagavan grading it because unless there are grades of ascendance,  one cannot reach the state of
what is described in Verse 10.

Sri Bhagavan does not speak here separately about Nama Sankeetran with tala and cymbals. You may also remember when
Sri Dilip Kumar Roy asked Him whether singing songs in praise of Guru or God would confer liberation, He said Yes. It can.

Arunachala Siva.     

[Ravi.N]

Subramanian/Friends,
 
It just indicates the way it happens.All these forms have their place and one need not drop one in order to pursue the other.Whatever needs to be dropped will get dropped as the sadhana deepens.

What has to be done by the body has to be done by the Body,What needs to be chanted aloud has to be chanted aloud(Veda Mantras,for it helps others listening to it),what needs to be done silently has to be done silently.All have their place in sadhana.
It depends on the temperament of the sadhaka and his predilection.

Namaskar.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Ravi,

I agree with you. But Sri Bhagavan speaks about uditha idathil odungi iruthal as a final goal. For this purpose, He has recommended
mental japa or mental repetition of mantras, which will eventually render silence. Sri Bhagavan says: You become the meditator,
You become the mantra, you become the japa.

Arunachala Siva.