Weapons cannot cut the soul, nor can fire burn it, water cannot wet it and wind cannot dry it.
That Yogi who is gladly absorbed in truth and self realization is said to be indissolubly united to spirit. Unchangeable, conqueror of senses, he looks with an equal eye an earth, stone and gold.
Those who seek deliverance from decay and death by clinging to Me know Brahman (the absolute), the all-inclusiveness of Adhyatma (the soul as repository of Spirit), and all secrets of Karma.
By diligently following his path, the Yogi, perfected by the path, perfected by the efforts of many births is purged of sin (Karmic taint) and finally enters the supreme beatitude.
Happiness is neither in this world nor anywhere else for a person who is always doubting.
People call me Maharshi and treat me like this.
But I do not see myself as a Maharshi.
On the other hand, everyone is a Maharshi for me.
— Talks 258
"To the ordinary man, even Buddha is ordinary.
But to a Buddha, everyone is a Buddha."
— The 6th Zen Patriarch Hui Neng
But I do not see myself as a Maharshi.
On the other hand, everyone is a Maharshi for me.
— Talks 258
"To the ordinary man, even Buddha is ordinary.
But to a Buddha, everyone is a Buddha."
— The 6th Zen Patriarch Hui Neng
When you understand yourself as the One dwelling in the hearts of all, you are the one who walks, you are the one who eats food, speaks, etc. Your experience is that you are that Power, and you have that "Authority".
Realize that you are the Self, the Life-Force in all. You and the sun, moon, and the stars are One. Your Life-Energy gives life to all. All move because of Your Power of Movement, they walk because of Your Life-Energy. You must be sure of this Power.
— Master of Self-Realization - Discourse 25
Realize that you are the Self, the Life-Force in all. You and the sun, moon, and the stars are One. Your Life-Energy gives life to all. All move because of Your Power of Movement, they walk because of Your Life-Energy. You must be sure of this Power.
— Master of Self-Realization - Discourse 25
In order to really grow inside,
you must first be challenged from all directions.
Things cannot just go your way.
You cannot command life or
expect it to fulfill your projections.
If things were always easy,
you would go to sleep inside your being.
As you become more sensitive,
more alert, intuitive, open and silent,
then fear, resistance and lethargy subside
and are replaced with a deep calm
and a faith in the unseen.
Though no outer company may be seen alongside you,
the one who walks with God is never alone.
The hosts of the heavens walk with them.
you must first be challenged from all directions.
Things cannot just go your way.
You cannot command life or
expect it to fulfill your projections.
If things were always easy,
you would go to sleep inside your being.
As you become more sensitive,
more alert, intuitive, open and silent,
then fear, resistance and lethargy subside
and are replaced with a deep calm
and a faith in the unseen.
Though no outer company may be seen alongside you,
the one who walks with God is never alone.
The hosts of the heavens walk with them.
The more we control thought, activity and food, the more we will be able to control sleep. But moderation ought to be the rule for the sadhak (aspirant), as explained in the Gita.
As explained in the Gita, sleep is the first obstacle for all sadhakas.
The second obstacle is said to be vikshepa, or the sense objects of the world which divert one’s attention.
The third is said to be kashaya or thoughts about previous experiences with sense
objects.
The fourth, ananda (bliss),
is also called an obstacle,
because in that state a feeling of separation from the source of ananda,
enabling the enjoyer to say,
‘I am enjoying ananda,’ is present.
Even this has to be surmounted, and the final stage of samadhana or samadhi has to be reached, where one becomes ananda, or One with the Reality, and the duality of enjoyer and enjoyment ceases
in the ocean of Satchidananda
(Existence-Consciousness-Bliss)
or the Self.
— The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi summarized by A. DEVARAJA MUDALIAR as a book: GEMS FROM BHAGAVAN.
Chapter VIII. SELF-REALIZATIO
As explained in the Gita, sleep is the first obstacle for all sadhakas.
The second obstacle is said to be vikshepa, or the sense objects of the world which divert one’s attention.
The third is said to be kashaya or thoughts about previous experiences with sense
objects.
The fourth, ananda (bliss),
is also called an obstacle,
because in that state a feeling of separation from the source of ananda,
enabling the enjoyer to say,
‘I am enjoying ananda,’ is present.
Even this has to be surmounted, and the final stage of samadhana or samadhi has to be reached, where one becomes ananda, or One with the Reality, and the duality of enjoyer and enjoyment ceases
in the ocean of Satchidananda
(Existence-Consciousness-Bliss)
or the Self.
— The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi summarized by A. DEVARAJA MUDALIAR as a book: GEMS FROM BHAGAVAN.
Chapter VIII. SELF-REALIZATIO
Don't be all the time immersed in your experiences. Remember that you are beyond the experiencer, ever unborn and deathless.
In remembering it, the quality of pure knowledge will emerge, the light of unconditional awareness.
In remembering it, the quality of pure knowledge will emerge, the light of unconditional awareness.
Having once experienced the bliss of peace no one wants to be out of it or engage in any other activity.
— Be as you are
— Be as you are
Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.
What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance.
What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?
Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the self.
When we don't see the self as self,
what do we have to fear?
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.
— Tao Te Ching
Hope is as hollow as fear.
What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance.
What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?
Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the self.
When we don't see the self as self,
what do we have to fear?
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.
— Tao Te Ching
Those who understand
see themselves in all,
and all, in themselves.
see themselves in all,
and all, in themselves.
Рама спросил:
Когда человек осознает высшую истину, кем он становится?
Васиштха ответил:
Для него даже камни становятся друзьями и деревья в лесу родственниками; даже когда он живет посреди леса, животные становятся его знакомыми и родными. Королевство ему кажется пустым, страдания становятся везением, и даже когда он живет в королевстве, он наслаждается (празднует) свои невезения. Отсутствие гармонии становится гармонией, печаль – великой радостью и даже погруженный в интенсивную деятельность, он ощущает внутреннее молчание. Он видит совершенное бездействие в действии. Пробужденный, он находится в глубоком сне; живой, он также хорош, как и мертвый. Он делает все и ничего. Он наслаждается, не пробуя удовольствия. Он – лучший друг любого. Он свободен от жалости к другим, но полон сочувствия. Свободный от стремлений, он кажется желающим чего-то. Он только интересуется должным исполнением своих действий.
Он кажется счастливым или несчастным в соответствующих ситуациях. Он не оставляет то, что естественно и играет свою соответствующую роль в этой драме жизни. Он симпатизирует печалящимся и радуется со счастливыми, и ни то, ни другое не загрязняет его сердца.
Когда человек осознает высшую истину, кем он становится?
Васиштха ответил:
Для него даже камни становятся друзьями и деревья в лесу родственниками; даже когда он живет посреди леса, животные становятся его знакомыми и родными. Королевство ему кажется пустым, страдания становятся везением, и даже когда он живет в королевстве, он наслаждается (празднует) свои невезения. Отсутствие гармонии становится гармонией, печаль – великой радостью и даже погруженный в интенсивную деятельность, он ощущает внутреннее молчание. Он видит совершенное бездействие в действии. Пробужденный, он находится в глубоком сне; живой, он также хорош, как и мертвый. Он делает все и ничего. Он наслаждается, не пробуя удовольствия. Он – лучший друг любого. Он свободен от жалости к другим, но полон сочувствия. Свободный от стремлений, он кажется желающим чего-то. Он только интересуется должным исполнением своих действий.
Он кажется счастливым или несчастным в соответствующих ситуациях. Он не оставляет то, что естественно и играет свою соответствующую роль в этой драме жизни. Он симпатизирует печалящимся и радуется со счастливыми, и ни то, ни другое не загрязняет его сердца.
The measure of a man is what he does with power.
I was educated once, it took me years to get over it.
В: Вы можете посоветовать мне какое‑то специальное место, где мне лучше заняться духовной практикой?
М: Единственное правильное место находится внутри. Внешний мир не может ни помочь, ни помешать. Никакая система, никакая структура действий не приведёт вас к вашей цели. Перестаньте работать на будущее, сконцентрируйтесь тотально на сейчас , обращайте внимание только на свою реакцию на каждое движение жизни, как она происходит.
В: В чём причина стремления странствовать?
М: Причины нет. Вам просто снится, что вы странствуете. Через несколько лет ваши скитания по Индии покажутся вам сном. В то время вам будет сниться какой‑то другой сон. Осознайте, что это не вы движетесь ото сна ко сну, а сны текут перед вами, вы неизменный свидетель. Ничто происходящее не влияет на ваше истинное бытие – это абсолютная истина.
В: Можно путешествовать физически и оставаться неизменным внутри?
М: Можно, но какой в этом толк? Если в вас есть устремлённость, вам в конце концов надоест скитаться и вы пожалеете о такой потере энергии и времени. Чтобы найти себя, вам не нужно делать ни единого шага.
М: Единственное правильное место находится внутри. Внешний мир не может ни помочь, ни помешать. Никакая система, никакая структура действий не приведёт вас к вашей цели. Перестаньте работать на будущее, сконцентрируйтесь тотально на сейчас , обращайте внимание только на свою реакцию на каждое движение жизни, как она происходит.
В: В чём причина стремления странствовать?
М: Причины нет. Вам просто снится, что вы странствуете. Через несколько лет ваши скитания по Индии покажутся вам сном. В то время вам будет сниться какой‑то другой сон. Осознайте, что это не вы движетесь ото сна ко сну, а сны текут перед вами, вы неизменный свидетель. Ничто происходящее не влияет на ваше истинное бытие – это абсолютная истина.
В: Можно путешествовать физически и оставаться неизменным внутри?
М: Можно, но какой в этом толк? Если в вас есть устремлённость, вам в конце концов надоест скитаться и вы пожалеете о такой потере энергии и времени. Чтобы найти себя, вам не нужно делать ни единого шага.
While doing the work Sri Bhagavan had a way of teaching the highest wisdom through homely, casual remarks.
One night, when a vegetable grown in England was being cut, a worker remarked, 'How nice it would be if this vegetable could be grown in our ashram garden!'
At once Sri Bhagavan retorted, saying, 'Where do you think it was grown? That was also our garden. Otherwise how could we get it? Indeed, all the gardens in the world are our ashram gardens.'
One morning, at around 3 a.m., we were all with Sri Bhagavan in the grinding room. I was called away and told that some people were waiting for me near he hall. I found that they were a party of women and children from Nayudupet. They were starting to go round the hill and wanted Sri Bhagavan's darshan and blessings. I curtly told them that it was impossible to see Sri Bhagavan at that hour, and I went back into the kitchen. Sri Bhagavan asked me who had called me away.
When he heard my story he said, 'Poor people! Why should they go away disappointed? Tell them to come to the back door and I shall meet them there.'
I informed them and they ran there. Sri Bhagavan stood on the doorstep, with no attendant in the way. The whole party fell at his feet, kissed them and bathed them with their tears. In short, they seemed to loot and plunder his grace while he looked on, beaming with benignity. I envied the good luck of the party and realized the full force of calling Sri Bhagavan karuna purna sudhabdhi [the nectarous ocean of grace].
Sri Bhagavan would mostly refuse when people asked if they could offer their services in be kitchen or in other areas where it was possible to have personal contact with him, so we knew how lucky we were to be allowed to work with him in the kitchen. A few days later Rao Bahadur A. S. Krishna Rao, a veteran lawyer and statesman of Nellore, came for Sri Bhagavan's darshan. After relating all the details of his career, he said that his one remaining desire was to do service at the feet of great souls like Maharshi and to attain salvation. He prayed for Sri Bhagavan's advice and guidance.
Sri Bhagavan told him, 'What service can you do at your age? You need not go out and do anything. Just cling steadfastly to the thought, "I must attain salvation", and that itself will lead you to salvation.'
— The Power of the Presence, III, p. 149 ff
G.V. SUBBARAMAYYA,
part 35
One night, when a vegetable grown in England was being cut, a worker remarked, 'How nice it would be if this vegetable could be grown in our ashram garden!'
At once Sri Bhagavan retorted, saying, 'Where do you think it was grown? That was also our garden. Otherwise how could we get it? Indeed, all the gardens in the world are our ashram gardens.'
One morning, at around 3 a.m., we were all with Sri Bhagavan in the grinding room. I was called away and told that some people were waiting for me near he hall. I found that they were a party of women and children from Nayudupet. They were starting to go round the hill and wanted Sri Bhagavan's darshan and blessings. I curtly told them that it was impossible to see Sri Bhagavan at that hour, and I went back into the kitchen. Sri Bhagavan asked me who had called me away.
When he heard my story he said, 'Poor people! Why should they go away disappointed? Tell them to come to the back door and I shall meet them there.'
I informed them and they ran there. Sri Bhagavan stood on the doorstep, with no attendant in the way. The whole party fell at his feet, kissed them and bathed them with their tears. In short, they seemed to loot and plunder his grace while he looked on, beaming with benignity. I envied the good luck of the party and realized the full force of calling Sri Bhagavan karuna purna sudhabdhi [the nectarous ocean of grace].
Sri Bhagavan would mostly refuse when people asked if they could offer their services in be kitchen or in other areas where it was possible to have personal contact with him, so we knew how lucky we were to be allowed to work with him in the kitchen. A few days later Rao Bahadur A. S. Krishna Rao, a veteran lawyer and statesman of Nellore, came for Sri Bhagavan's darshan. After relating all the details of his career, he said that his one remaining desire was to do service at the feet of great souls like Maharshi and to attain salvation. He prayed for Sri Bhagavan's advice and guidance.
Sri Bhagavan told him, 'What service can you do at your age? You need not go out and do anything. Just cling steadfastly to the thought, "I must attain salvation", and that itself will lead you to salvation.'
— The Power of the Presence, III, p. 149 ff
G.V. SUBBARAMAYYA,
part 35
SELF-REMEMBRANCE
Remembering the Self, one’s real nature, without faltering even slightly, is the eminent victory of true jnana.
With your consciousness hold fast to and never abandon the substratum, your real nature, the Supreme that can neither be held nor relinquished.
Is the Self something far away that you have to touch? The higher Self exists as one but it is only your thoughts that make you feel it is not.
You can neither think about it nor forget it.
Other than the thought of the Self, any other thought you may associate with is a mere mental construct, foreign to that Self.
Thinking of the Self is to abide as that tranquil consciousness. Padam, the true swarupa, can neither be remembered nor forgotten.
The Self is self-luminous without darkness and light and is the reality which is self-manifest. Therefore, one should not think of it as this or that.
All such thoughts would only end in bondage. The purport of meditation on the Self is to make the mind take the ‘form’ of the Self. In the middle of the heart-cave is the pure Brahman directly manifest as the Self in the form of ‘I-I’. Can there be greater ignorance than to think of It in manifold ways, without knowing it as aforementioned?
— Padamalai
Remembering the Self, one’s real nature, without faltering even slightly, is the eminent victory of true jnana.
With your consciousness hold fast to and never abandon the substratum, your real nature, the Supreme that can neither be held nor relinquished.
Is the Self something far away that you have to touch? The higher Self exists as one but it is only your thoughts that make you feel it is not.
You can neither think about it nor forget it.
Other than the thought of the Self, any other thought you may associate with is a mere mental construct, foreign to that Self.
Thinking of the Self is to abide as that tranquil consciousness. Padam, the true swarupa, can neither be remembered nor forgotten.
The Self is self-luminous without darkness and light and is the reality which is self-manifest. Therefore, one should not think of it as this or that.
All such thoughts would only end in bondage. The purport of meditation on the Self is to make the mind take the ‘form’ of the Self. In the middle of the heart-cave is the pure Brahman directly manifest as the Self in the form of ‘I-I’. Can there be greater ignorance than to think of It in manifold ways, without knowing it as aforementioned?
— Padamalai
If you are authentic about your joy, your tears, your dance, sooner or later there will be people who will start understanding you, who may start joining your Caravan. I myself had started alone on the path, and then people went on coming and it became a worldwide Caravan! And I have not invited anybody; I have simply done whatever I felt was coming from my heart.
Do not wait for anybody or anything. Do whatever you can. Build your hope on none.
You must get rid of this idea that you are a sinner because it is just an idea that gives you trouble. I don’t say that you are a sinner. I know who you really are. You are me, and you are free. The whole world is affected like this. It is in the blood of each generation, and it goes on indefinitely. But it is all imagination. It is a pile of straw that you can destroy with a single match. But you have been so trained to think about sin and good and evil, you even think that setting fire to this pile of straw might also be a sin. It is all these ideas about good and bad, right and wrong, that stop you from striking the match. Your impediments can all go in a bonfire that is lit by a single match. That fire is freedom. Burn everything with this fire of freedom.
ANNAMALAI SWAMI REMEMBERED
Ashram Food, part 5
Echammal
Bhagavan had an ulterior motive in trying to prevent Echammal from bringing food. Although she was a good devotee, she was a very bad cook. Her standard offering of rice and dhal would always be under-cooked, and more often than not it would be permeated with rancid ghee [clarified butter]. Each day she would present this rather unappetizing mixture to Bhagavan in the form of a compressed ball. It was usually so under-cooked that Bhagavan often had difficulty in breaking it down into pieces that were small enough to swallow. About an hour after eating this food Bhagavan would have digestion problems. He would rub his stomach and make loud groaning noises.
If anyone asked him what the trouble was he would say, 'It is my destiny to suffer like this'.
The attendants tried many times to persuade Echammal to cook her food properly, and to use fresh instead of rancid ghee, but she never paid any attention. Bhagavan himself asked her on several occasions to stop bringing this food but she was a stubborn woman who rarely listened to anyone. 'If you force me to stop,' she told Bhagavan, 'I will commit suicide. Then my death will be your responsibility.'
Bhagavan accepted defeat. 'What can I do?' he asked. 'It must be my destiny to eat this food.'
Although Bhagavan requested Echammal to stop bringing food on several occasions, he was not in favor of issuing a formal ban.
When Chinnaswami once forbade her from bringing food, in the interests of Bhagavan's health, Bhagavan refused to enter the dining room when the bell for the midday meal was rung. He never gave any reason but the devotees soon surmised that he was protesting against the ban on Echammal. Echammal by this time had gone back to town, so a delegation of devotees was despatched to fetch her. At first, she was unwilling to come, since she was still angry with the ashram management, but when it was pointed out to her that Bhagavan would probably starve unless she came in person, she agreed to come and break the impasse. When she requested Bhagavan to go to the dining room and eat, he got up and went for his meal. No one in the previous hour had managed to persuade him to move from the old hall. After this incident, Echamma's serving rights were never challenged again.
Echammal continued to serve food but Bhagavan would always look at her in a very disapproving way whenever she approached him in the dining room.
- Living by the words of Bhagavan, p. 74
Ashram Food, part 5
Echammal
Bhagavan had an ulterior motive in trying to prevent Echammal from bringing food. Although she was a good devotee, she was a very bad cook. Her standard offering of rice and dhal would always be under-cooked, and more often than not it would be permeated with rancid ghee [clarified butter]. Each day she would present this rather unappetizing mixture to Bhagavan in the form of a compressed ball. It was usually so under-cooked that Bhagavan often had difficulty in breaking it down into pieces that were small enough to swallow. About an hour after eating this food Bhagavan would have digestion problems. He would rub his stomach and make loud groaning noises.
If anyone asked him what the trouble was he would say, 'It is my destiny to suffer like this'.
The attendants tried many times to persuade Echammal to cook her food properly, and to use fresh instead of rancid ghee, but she never paid any attention. Bhagavan himself asked her on several occasions to stop bringing this food but she was a stubborn woman who rarely listened to anyone. 'If you force me to stop,' she told Bhagavan, 'I will commit suicide. Then my death will be your responsibility.'
Bhagavan accepted defeat. 'What can I do?' he asked. 'It must be my destiny to eat this food.'
Although Bhagavan requested Echammal to stop bringing food on several occasions, he was not in favor of issuing a formal ban.
When Chinnaswami once forbade her from bringing food, in the interests of Bhagavan's health, Bhagavan refused to enter the dining room when the bell for the midday meal was rung. He never gave any reason but the devotees soon surmised that he was protesting against the ban on Echammal. Echammal by this time had gone back to town, so a delegation of devotees was despatched to fetch her. At first, she was unwilling to come, since she was still angry with the ashram management, but when it was pointed out to her that Bhagavan would probably starve unless she came in person, she agreed to come and break the impasse. When she requested Bhagavan to go to the dining room and eat, he got up and went for his meal. No one in the previous hour had managed to persuade him to move from the old hall. After this incident, Echamma's serving rights were never challenged again.
Echammal continued to serve food but Bhagavan would always look at her in a very disapproving way whenever she approached him in the dining room.
- Living by the words of Bhagavan, p. 74
CONVERSATIONS WITH ANNAMALAI SWAMI
Q: I went to Skandashram yesterday. As I sat there, for no reason at all, tears started to come. I cried and cried. I am a little puzzled by this. Why should something like this happen?
AS: A similar thing happened to me once. When I was very young I went to the town and the temple where Siva first appeared to Manikkavachagar. When I sat in the temple tears flowed down my face.
Tears like this are often a sign of grace. When your tears are for God rather than for worldly things, the mind and the heart are purified. If you want God so much that you cry when you call on Him, He will surely come to you. When a baby cries, its mother comes to feed it. When a devotee cries because he is hungry for grace. God sends the grace to nourish him.
— Living by the words of Bhagavan, p. 291
Q: I went to Skandashram yesterday. As I sat there, for no reason at all, tears started to come. I cried and cried. I am a little puzzled by this. Why should something like this happen?
AS: A similar thing happened to me once. When I was very young I went to the town and the temple where Siva first appeared to Manikkavachagar. When I sat in the temple tears flowed down my face.
Tears like this are often a sign of grace. When your tears are for God rather than for worldly things, the mind and the heart are purified. If you want God so much that you cry when you call on Him, He will surely come to you. When a baby cries, its mother comes to feed it. When a devotee cries because he is hungry for grace. God sends the grace to nourish him.
— Living by the words of Bhagavan, p. 291
Beings
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