Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana:

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

Part II: continues.....

As Jnaneshwar, the premier Sage-poet of Maharashtra asked for a boon at the end of his celebrated commentary on the
Bhagavad Gita, in the same strain I also asked my Bhagavan the following boon in the words (song) of Sage Sohiroba, not
for me alone, but for all devotees present in the Hall and all others elsewhere. I first explained the song in English and, then
sang:

"Oh Bhagavan, if you are going to give us anything, give us this --- our ego should vanish, our sight (vision) should be focused
on the Self, thought should drop, and the world should be no more.   May we get natural happiness which depends not on the
forms and objects of senses. As salt is dissolved in water, our mind should be merged in the Self."  Sohiroba further says that
the life of him who has no body consciousness and world consciousness is completely merged in the Infinite Consciousness.

Hearing this Bhagavan was mightily pleased. He stretched himself up and in a loud voice proclaimed:  "Take, take as much as
you like. Get in, get in."  The features of Sri Bhagavan at this time were a sight for the Gods to see. Had there been an expert
photographer present then, he could have taken a nice snap shot.  As for myself, I shall forget the joyful, happy and shining
features of Sri Bhagavan at that time.

How to Get In?

In the month of March 1949, I availed myself of an opportunity to go to Sri Ramanasramam in  connection with the consecration
ceremony of the newly built Holy Mother's temple. I then asked Sri Bhagavan: 'How to get in and stay there when we get in?'
Sri Bhagavan laughed, looked at me and answered: 'Leave out the body consciousness (the idea that I am the body) and then
where is 'in' and where is 'out'?  All life consciousness is One, throughout.' What a fine and beautiful answer !

N.V. Gunaji.

****

Arunachala Siva.             

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

I blurted out in Malayalam thus:  "Bhagavan! I have heard about the Vichara Marga of yours, but I have no clear conception
of it. Is it to sit in a quiet place and ask oneself the question, 'Who am I?' repeatedly or meditate on that question as mantra?"\

On hearing my words all eyes turned towards me and I felt very shy.  Then Sri Bhagavan looked straight at me and replied
tersely and clearly in Malayalam:  "No, it is not repeating or meditating on 'Who am I?'. It is to dive deep into yourself and
seek the place from which the 'I' thought arises in you and to hold on to it firmly to the exclusion of any other thought.
Continuous and persistent attempt will lead you to the Self.

-  M.M. Menon.

****

Arunachala Siva. 

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

Part II - continues.

*

I once told Sri Bhagavan: 'I have been here for many years. People meditate and get into Samadhi. I close my eyes for a minute
and the mind travels round the world, ten times and so many long forgotten things come up.'  Upon this, Bhagavan said, 'Why
do you concern yourself about others?  They may meditate, sleep or snore. Look to yourself. Whenever the mind goes astray
being it back to the quest   There is a verse in Bhagavad Gita which says: 'To whatever side the restless, unsteady mind wanders
away one should check it and bring it back controlled to the Self.'  But I was not satisfied and Sri Bhagavan said: 'The child who
was woken up and given its milk, after it had gone to sleep, says to its mother next morning, 'Mother, you never gave me milk
last night.'  Even so you had your fill.'

R. Narayana Iyer.

****

Arunachala Siva.       

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

Part II - continues....

Once a few learned Sanskrit scholars were seated in the Old Hall discussing portions of the Upanishads and other scriptural
texts with Sri Bhagavan.  Bhagavan was giving proper explanations and it a sight to remember and adore. At the same time,
I felt genuinely in my heart, 'Oh, how great these people are and how fortunate they are to be so learned and to have such
deep understanding and be able to discuss with our Bhagavan.  Compared with them, what am I, a zero in scriptural learning?'
I felt miserable.

After the pandits had taken leave, Bhagavan turned to me and said:  'What?' looking into my eyes and studying my thoughts.
Then, without even giving me an opportunity to explain,  He continued, 'This is only husk ! All this book learning and capacity
to repeat the scriptures by memory is absolutely no use.  To know the Truth, you need not undergo all this torture of learnig.
Not by reading you get the Truth.  BE QUIET, that is the Truth.  BE STILL, that is God.'

Then very graciously He turned to me again and there was an immediate change in His tone and attitude.  He asked me:  'Do
you shave yourself?'  Bewildered by this sudden change, I answered, trembling, that I did.

'Ah, for shaving you use a mirror, don't you?  You look into the mirror and shave your face.  You don't have to shave the image
in the mirror. Similarly, all the scriptures are meant only to show you the way to Realization. They are meant for practice and
attainment. Mere book learning and discussions are comparable to a man shaving the image in the mirror.'  From that day onwards
the sense of inferiority that I had been feeling vanished once for all.

One more assurance from Bhagavan which also He gave as a personal instruction is of absolute value for me in my sadhana.
I cried to Him that I knew nothing about Vedanta nor could I practice austerity, being a householder; so I prayed to Him to help
me by showing the Reality or the way to it. I also frankly admitted that Bhagavan's own method of Self Inquiry was too hard for
me.  He then graciously said: 'You know Ulladu Narpadu. It imparts the Truth, deals with It, and explains It. Go on reading verse by
verse. The words of the verses, will in course of time vanish, and pure Truth (Sat) alone will shine, like the snake relinquishing its
skin and coming out shining.'  This is my Sadhana.

continued....

Arunachala Siva.           

[Jewell]

Dear Sri Subramanian sir,

This is very beautiful post. I love exsample of shaving and mirrage. It is wonderful. Indeed,when all is heard,when all pondering is finished,all needs to be forgothen,and what is left is our own Self. Shining brightly,in all its glory.

Thank You Very much!

With love and prayers,

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

continues.....

R. Narayana  Iyer:

continues...

One day I was sitting near Sri Bhagavan's couch and I felt puzzled by the ancient teaching that everything that appears
in the world is Maya or illusion.  I wondered how it could be, when I saw Bhagavan, the couch on which He sat,  the barrier
separating me from Bhagavan and myself.  How could all these be false?  I asked Bhagavan, explaining my doubt:  "Bhagavan,
can all of us be unreal and non existent?  Please enlighten me."   Bhagavan laughed and asked me whether I had any dream
the previous night. I replied that I saw several people lying asleep.  He said:  'Suppose now I ask you to go and wake all those
people in the dream and tell them they are not real, how absurd it would be! That is how it is to me.  There is nothing but the
dreamer, so where does the question, of dream people, real or unreal, arise;  still more of waking them up and telling them that
they are not real.  We are all unreal, why do you doubt it?  That alone is real." 

After this explanation I never had any doubt about the unreality of the objective world.  I constantly feel the reality in its unreal
nature.  On another occasion, He said:  "Everything is unreal, like dream objects.  However, at a certain stage there exists Truth,
the Reality and world, the unreality. And a Jnani's job is to awaken this ignorant to the fact that what they see and feel is unreal
and that the Reality is their own Being.  This can be compared to an elephant dreaming of a lion and suddenly waking up and
finding that the lion is unreal and that itself alone is real.  The elephant is the Jiva or the individual, the dream is the unreal world
and the lion, the Jnani or Guru.  The Guru is the link between the unreal and Real.'"

On another occasion He said, "There is no Jnani ( Realized man), Jnana (Knowledge) alone is.

R. Narayana Iyer.

Arunachala Siva.
             

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

Part II:

Bhagavan:

"Giving up 'mine' is bhakti and giving up 'I" is Jnana."

"The man no longer is. God alone is."

"To long for happiness is bhakti.  To long for the Self is Jnana."

- Dr. T.N. Krishnaswami

****

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

BOUQUET OF BEATITUDE:

Part II - continues...

One day, I asked Sri Bhagavan in good humor, how Sri Bhagavan received the thousands of prostrations (namaskarams) made
before Him day in and day out.  Sri Bhagavan  replied: ' I shall tell you the secret of it.  I prostrate to them before they prostrate
to me. Those that come to me only throw the body on the ground as a sign of their humility.   Whatever the contents of the mind
may be, when I took them, I look not into the minds but into the Chaitanya there, i.e. the Atman, which is my Self and of which
they are not aware. I am one with them while they are not aware of it.  i.e Kutastha and Brahman are inseparable.  To  me there
are no others.  I alone AM.  The further implication of it is while they think that they are prostrating, they are not doing real prostration
(praneedana).  On the other hand, while I do not physically bow, my eka bhava helps them in every way.  Thus in ALL the souls
I am the Kutastha, and I see my own Being in all of them, and I can accept not some thousands but any number of them. I am 
all of them. I am all of them, while they know not they are MY SELF.

T. K. Sundaresa Iyer.

(Bouquet of Beatitude - Part II - concluded.)

Arunachala Siva.       

[Jewell]

Dear Sri Subramanian sir,

How wonderful words from Bhagavan! "I alone AM". That knowledge itself us the highest prostration. That there are no others and many,that the Self is All,and One. All there Is. Beautiful!

Thank You,Sir!

With love and prayers,

[Subramanian.R]

BENEDICTION:
(Anugraha)

The Self, the Truth, is that which ever 'IS'  --- it is ever the 'Real'.  Therefore, there is no need for 'realizing' the Self nor make it
into a 'Reality', says Sri  Bhagavan.

He adds that the seeker, however, has the responsibility of to do the act of 'unrealizing' the 'non-Real' through the Sadhana
of Self Inquiry.  Everything external to oneself is non-Real --- as proved in deep sleep -- yet, one's mind constantly externalizes
one's attention outward, thus landing one in doubt, uncertainty and pain.  On the other hand, withdrawing the mind from external
attention and introverting it to internal attention lands one in the lap of peace, quietude, and contentment (as in deep sleep).
Hence, it is very clear that any movement focused inward, merges one in the movement-less Reality.

How is one to effect this movement?  Sri Bhagavan commands: "Hrdi Visa" = Enter into the Heart.  It is Sri Bhagavan Ramana
who 'discovered', as it were, that the Spiritual Heart is the self and it is on the right side of the chest.*

* Verse 18 of Reality in Forty Verses, Supplement:  "Between the two breasts, below the chest and above the abdomen, there are
six (psychic) organs of various colors.  Of these, one, looking like a water lily bud, is the Heart, and it is situated at two digits'
distance to the right of center.  In the Heart, (hridaya) shines the "I-I".

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.               
 

[Subramanian.R]

BENEDICTION:

continues.....

This manifestation of the Self in the form of 'I', is direct and immediate, to all.  It does not need any form of proof or verification.
Adi Sankara wrote in a verse: 'In this 'I' which is immediately and directly experienced in the region of the Heart, by all.'
Thus, Atma Vidya (Self Inquiry) merges one in Hridaya Vidya (Self Knowledge) --- the mind dissolving into the core of the Heart.

Sri Bhagavan says: Hrit + Ayam = This (is_ the Center (Hridyam = Heart).  "That is, it is the Center where from the mind rises and
subsides. That (Heart) is the seat of Realization."     

The following passage from Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (No. 97) elucidates this, very clearly:

One Mr. Ramachandar, a gentleman from Ambala asked where the Heart is and what Realization is.

Sri Maharshi:  The Heart is not physical. It is spiritual. Hridayam  = hrit + ayam. 'This is the Center.'  It is that from which
thoughts arise, on which they subsist and where they are resolved. The thoughts are the content of the mind and, they
shape the universe. The Heart is the Center of all. Yatova imani bhutani ayante (that from which these beings come into
existence) etc., is said to be Brahman in the Upanishads. That is the Heart.  Brahman is the Heart.

Devotee: How to realize it?

Sri Maharshi:  There is no one who even for a trice fails to experience the Self. For no one admits that he ever stands
apart from the Self.  He is the Self. The Self is the Heart.

contd.,

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

BENEDICTION:

continues.....

Devotee: It is not clear.

Sri Bhagavan:  In deep sleep, you exist; awake, you remain. The same Self is in both states. The difference is only in the
awareness and the non awareness of the world. The world rises with the mind and sets with the mind.  That which rises
and sets is not the Self.  The Self is different, giving rise to the mind, sustaining it and resolving it.  So the Self is the
underlying principle. When asked who you are, you place your hand on the right side of the breast and say, ' I am". There,
you voluntarily point out the Self.  The Self is thus known.  But the individual is miserable because he confounds the mind
and the body with the Self. This confusion is due to wrong knowledge.  Elimination of wrong knowledge is alone needed.
Such elimination results in Realization.  The Heart, the Self, the Truth, Brahman, Atman are all synonymous and identical.

****

"I AM "  is the Truth, in all of us.  I am this or I am that is the untruth and therefore to be eschewed.  To remain as I AM
ever, is the direct teaching of Sadguru Ramana.   Guru's Grace is resplendently showered on one who puts this unique
teaching of Guru Ramana into practice. Such constant practice is the highest compense a true devotee can offer to the
Great Master.  Guru's 'Anugraha' -- Benediction -- is always there, assured, Sri Bhagavan.

DIRECT TEACHING OF BHAGAVAN RAMANA - SRI V. GANESAN - concluded.

********

Arunachala Siva.