A buddhist told me...

[hendrik2k1]

Forgive me when my first post on this forum is in such a dramatic way that I even need to start with a religion which is not the underlying religion of the teachings of bhagvan sri ramana maharshi.
I was always fascinated by the simple teachings of ramana maharshi and sri nisargadatta maharaj but one day a buddhist monk crossed my life and we come to speak over the teachings.

He told me then that the teaching/practice advised by ramana maharshi is not capable of bringing to us an ultimate liberation (true enlightenment) because the teaching is rather aimed at becoming one with brahma (the hindu god, which is a good experience but nevertheless a transient one).

Now I'm very confused, don't know what to do. If I hold onto bhagavan then I have fears that the ultimate liberation is not coming and by holding onto buddhism I must learn entire new things which creates only further stress.

Can you give me an advice ?

Thank you so much 

[Hari]

Hendrik, welcome to the forum!

This monk is wrong. Study the teachings of Sri Ramana and you will see for yourself. Doubt can arise anytime, no matter what kind of religion and philosophy you follow. Sri Ramana's teachings are very consistent with the teachings of Lord Buddha. I cannot convince you because it is impossible to be done in one post. You need to do it yourself. This is the only way.

[Jewell]

Dear Hendrik,

because the teaching is rather aimed at becoming one with brahma (the hindu god, which is a good experience but nevertheless a transient one).

I don't know from where is such idea to that monk,but,anyway,i find it completely wrong. Completely. I also don't think that there is such thing like incomplete enlightenment at all. Or you have realized Your true nature,or You didn't. If anyone can lead us toward ultimate enlightenment,that is certainly Bhagavan Ramana and Nisargadatta Maharaj. In that i am sure!

I also completely disagree that Buddha's teachings are in any way different from Bhagavan's. I cannot see any difference at all. It is only matter in different stile of teaching maybe,and using different words describing everything. But the essence is very much the same for me. When it is about practice,and selfenquiry,i am sure they are also pretty much similar. Self Attention,Who am I(Bhagavan) and Awareness(Buddha),which is one and the same.

My advice is,if You are drown to Bhagavan,and familiar with His teachings,then try to practice it,and then You will see for Yourself is that is something You should pursue. And,always,always listen only Your heart! Even Buddha Himself said that.

Rely not on theory, but on experience.

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

There is only one teacher; may you find him now.

Buddha

And yes,Welcome!!! 

With love and prayers,

[Ravi.N]

Hendrik,
Hari and Jewell have said well and nothing better can be said.
I wish to clarify the 'Brahma' that the Buddhist monk referred to.He has confused the Brahma (Creator)of the Purana(Mythology) -the Trinity of Brahma(creator) Vishnu(sustainer) and Rudra(the Destroyer) with that of the Upanishads which proclaims 'satyam Jnananm Anantham Brahma'(Pardon me for the use of this phrase from the Upanishads)-It means-'Brahman is Truth consciousness Infinite'-This 'Brahma' of the Upanishads is Brahman and should not be confused with the 'God' of the puranas.Sri Ramana's Self Realization is knowing this 'Brahman' of the upanishads.

What is the Teaching of Sri Bhagavan?He says that whether other things,Gods,States of Liberation,etc exists or not-one may never be sure of;all that is a matter of hearsay or belief.The ONLY thing that one may be sure of and cannot deny is the FACT of one's Existence-the FACT-'I AM'-This PRESENCE.Just Pay full and wholesome attention to this FACT to discover its true Nature.It will then be discovered that this PRESENCE is the INFINTE TRUTH CONSCIOUSNESS(Brahman of the upanishads or Kingdom of God within of the Bible or Nirvana of the Buddhists) beyond the limitations of time and space.

There is nothing like 'ultimate'-There is only something Fundamental and this is not to be gained anew;it is ever within us and with us.We are That all the time;only we do not know this.All the Great Teachers are Saying-'Know This' or 'Discover This' and end all Fear and Feeling of insufficiency.

Fascination is not enough;it must turn into conviction and a dire need to discover -this is what is called Earnestness.This very earnestness will lead one along .This is the Guru.

Even when it comes to ordering food in a restuarant,If we are 'Hungry' any plain vanilla stuff like a bread or Doughnut will do;we will order that,eat that and feel appeased and nourished.
If we are only driven by fancy or artificial appetite,we will run through a big list of Menu and think about what to eat,what to try,what is the 'Best Dish' etc,etc.We may never come to enjoy what we ordered,and what more we may end up with dyspepsia.We then wish that we should have ordered Plain Vanilla-Bread.Quite the same in spiritual Domain as well.
The simpler we are ,the More the earnestness,the humbler our Beginning-We will not Keep our eye or aim at 'Ultimate' Thing.'Oh God,Give us this Day our daily Bread'.'One Step is enough for me'.

We will then be firm in our humble yet SURE beginning and not be distracted or shaken off by what any other person may be saying or attempting,however Great he may be-Let him seek and Get the 'Ultimate'.How does it matter to us?We Stick to our 'Small' Beginning,the very First Step-and if it is well taken,it may well be the Last!This is what happened in Sri Bhagavan's Life as a boy of seventeen or so!

Please do read Sri Ramana's 'Who am I' and all your doubts will be answered.It is a small book and a true Gem.It contains everything in a nutshell.

Wish you the very Best.

Namaskar.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Hendrik,

Brahma is not Brahman.  The buddhist friend of yours think Brahma is Brahman.  When Sri Bhagavan said Self - it is only
Atma or Brahman, which is the primordial form of God which is formless and nameless, ever present and eternal.


Arunachala Siva,.   

[Beloved Abstract]

so ......... youre looking for someone to give you ultimate enlightenment huh ?
ha ha ha ha ha
call off the search ! ..... papaji
simply stop and see the truth of who you really are without any stories about ultimate enlightenment
what if you simply stopped telling ALL the stories running in your mind ? what would happen ?
if you answer , that is another story
the invitation is to investigate for yourself what would happen through direct experience  ...
so if you are WILLING to stop and see for yourself ..... stop ..... really stop
 

[hendrik2k1]

I thank you all wholeheartedly. I see now where the misapprehension of the buddhist monk is.
I'm now very encouraged to strie sri ramana's path of self-realisation.

Again thank you all my firends. 

Greetings

[ksksat27]

I thank you all wholeheartedly. I see now where the misapprehension of the buddhist monk is.
I'm now very encouraged to strie sri ramana's path of self-realisation.

Again thank you all my firends. 

Greetings

dear hendrik

I dont think with this simple thread your doubts will be cleared.  You will again and again get this doubts recursively and it will ony slowly subside.

I have a nice tips --  next time when somebody says like Ramana will lead you only to intermediary stage, simply say to yourself this:  even merging with Brahma is not an easy task.  first let me merge with Brahmna,  let me finish that first,  then we can think of how to jump to nirvana from there.

The mistake we people commit is, we are so bookish, we think every stage stated in a book is a mere words.  No, it is not that way.  even to ascend to next level spiritually is a great and haunting task. it is no joke.

so any teacher you believe going to just drop you in next station is far far better. first let us go to next station. then we can decide how to jump all intermediary stations and reach the junction.

[Beloved Abstract]

so many stories about levels and states of mind  ...  so little time
ha ha ha   

[Hari]

so many stories about levels and states of mind  ...  so little time
ha ha ha   

The stories of the mind are like the fairy tales - they don't die, just the opposite - they multiply more and more through the centuries. The point is to realize that you are not a character from these fairy tales, just a listener. Trying to stop the mind is the same as to engage it in more and more stories.

[Beloved Abstract]

theres nothing wrong with stories
and theres no trying required to stop telling them
the trying is all in how we started telling them and them going through belief that they will bring us something or get rid of something
once we see how they started we have a choice to simply stop using the effort to tell them or not
before this there is no choice just rebirth after rebirth of the story
the biggest story of all is the story of the self and the belief that it is true
this "you" that wants to become realized , this "you" that comes to this forum for insight , this "you" that thinks it is the self ... this "you" ... IS THE STORY ... not tells the story , but IS THE STORY
Ramanas invitation is to investigate this "you" and see the truth of who we really are without the story