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At present you wrongly identify yourself as the body. Body is given a certain name; that is ‘you’; you consider it to be like that. But I say that in this body, consciousness is present, or the knowledge ‘I am’ as I call it, is there. You should identify yourself as this knowledge. That is all.
To abide in the knowledge ‘I am’ is one’s true religion – the ‘svadharma’. But instead of following it, you opted to be irreligious by submitting to the dictates of your concepts, which led you to believe that you are a body. This misconception ensured only the fear of death.
You must come to a firm decision. You must forget the thought that you are the body and be only the knowledge ‘I am’, which has no form, no name. Just be. When you stabilize in that beingness it will give all the knowledge and all the secrets to you, and when the secrets are given to you, you transcend the beingness, and you, the Absolute will know that you are also not the consciousness. Having gained all this knowledge, having understood what is what, a kind of quietude prevails, a tranquility. Beingness is transcended, but beingness is available.
Nisargadatta Maharaj on Sadhana, and Trust in the Master
__________________________________________________
Questioner: Sir, I am a humble seeker wandering from Guru to Guru in search of release. My mind is sick, burning with desire... my days flit by... my health is decaying... At this rate, I shall live in sorrow and die in despair. Is there any hope for me?
Maharaj: Nothing is wrong with you, but the ideas that you have of yourself, are altogether wrong. It is not you who desires, fears and suffers, it is the personality built on the foundation of your body by circumstances and influences. You are not that person. This must be clearly established in your mind and never lost sight of. Normally, it needs a prolonged sadhana (spiritual practice) with years of austerities and meditation.
Q: My mind is weak and vacillating. I have neither strength nor the tenacity for sadhana. My case is hopeless.
M: In a way, yours is a most hopeful case. There is an alternative to long sadhana, which is trust. If you cannot have the conviction born from fruitful search, then take advantage of my discovery, which I am so eager to share with you.
I can see with the utmost clarity that you have never been, nor are, nor will be estranged from Reality You are the fullness of perfection here and now and nothing can deprive you of your heritage, of what you are. You are in no way different from me, only you do not know it. You do not know what you are and therefore you imagine yourself to be what you are not (the personality). Hence, desires and fear, overwhelming despair, and meaningless activity in order to escape.
Just trust me and live by trusting me. I shall not mislead you. You are the Supreme Reality (Parabrahman) beyond the world and its creator, beyond Consciousness and its "Witness" beyond all assertions and denials. Remember it, think of it, act on it. Abandon all sense of separation. See yourself in all, and act accordingly.
With action (trust), bliss will come, and with bliss, conviction. After all, you doubt yourself only because you are in sorrow. Happiness, natural, spontaneous, and lasting, cannot be imagined. Either it is there, or it is not. Once you begin to experience the peace, love and happiness, which need no outer causes, all of your doubts will dissolve. Just catch hold of what I have told you and live by it.
__________________________________________________
Questioner: Sir, I am a humble seeker wandering from Guru to Guru in search of release. My mind is sick, burning with desire... my days flit by... my health is decaying... At this rate, I shall live in sorrow and die in despair. Is there any hope for me?
Maharaj: Nothing is wrong with you, but the ideas that you have of yourself, are altogether wrong. It is not you who desires, fears and suffers, it is the personality built on the foundation of your body by circumstances and influences. You are not that person. This must be clearly established in your mind and never lost sight of. Normally, it needs a prolonged sadhana (spiritual practice) with years of austerities and meditation.
Q: My mind is weak and vacillating. I have neither strength nor the tenacity for sadhana. My case is hopeless.
M: In a way, yours is a most hopeful case. There is an alternative to long sadhana, which is trust. If you cannot have the conviction born from fruitful search, then take advantage of my discovery, which I am so eager to share with you.
I can see with the utmost clarity that you have never been, nor are, nor will be estranged from Reality You are the fullness of perfection here and now and nothing can deprive you of your heritage, of what you are. You are in no way different from me, only you do not know it. You do not know what you are and therefore you imagine yourself to be what you are not (the personality). Hence, desires and fear, overwhelming despair, and meaningless activity in order to escape.
Just trust me and live by trusting me. I shall not mislead you. You are the Supreme Reality (Parabrahman) beyond the world and its creator, beyond Consciousness and its "Witness" beyond all assertions and denials. Remember it, think of it, act on it. Abandon all sense of separation. See yourself in all, and act accordingly.
With action (trust), bliss will come, and with bliss, conviction. After all, you doubt yourself only because you are in sorrow. Happiness, natural, spontaneous, and lasting, cannot be imagined. Either it is there, or it is not. Once you begin to experience the peace, love and happiness, which need no outer causes, all of your doubts will dissolve. Just catch hold of what I have told you and live by it.
This witness-state is called the Turiya or the fourth state of consciousness.
It is said that, as sweetness, liquidity and coldness, which are characteristics of water, appear as inherent in the waves, and then also in the foam, of which the waves form the background; existence, consciousness and bliss, which are the natural essences of the Atman, seem to inhere in the wakeful Jiva on account of its relation with the Atman. Likewise, these facets of the Atman are felt also in the dreaming self, by way of the impressions of the waking consciousness. And just as, on the disappearance of the foam, their characteristics, such as liquidity, revert to the waves, and, again, as with the subsiding of the waves in the sea, these exist in the waters of the sea as before; so existence, consciousness and bliss manifest themselves and shine in the waking consciousness after the disappearance of the dreaming state; and then, again, on the dissolution of the waking phenomena in the Atman, these eternal natures are experienced in the Atman, which is the highest reality. In Moksha, or the final liberation of the soul, when all objective perception is overcome in the consciousness of Brahman, even the character of being a witness drops from the self, and it realises its majestic independence.
Sometimes the states of consciousness are regarded as being sixteen in number. “There are sixteen states of consciousness. They are made up as follows: There are the four primary states of consciousness, called Jagrat, Svapna, Sushupti and Turiya (waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the Witness-consciousness). These, by differentiation, multiply into sixteen states. These are Jagrat-Jagrat (waking in waking), Jagrat-Svapna (waking in dreaming), Jagrat-Sushupti (waking in sleep), Jagrat-Turiya (waking in super-consciousness), and so on with the remaining three other states. These sixteen states, by further differentiation, become two hundred and sixty-six states. These, again, by the differentiation of the phenomenal and the noumenal, become five hundred and twelve states. To realise these states of consciousness, it is very difficult, and is not possible for everyone.†“That is called Jagrat-Jagrat, in which there are no such ideas as ‘this’ or ‘mine’ regarding visible things. The great ones call that Jagrat-Svapna in which all ideas of name and form are given up. This is preceded by the realisation of the nature of Satchidananda. In the state of Jagrat-Sushupti, there is no idea but Self-knowledge. In Jagrat-Turiya the conviction becomes firm that the three states,—gross, subtle and causal—are false. In Svapna-Jagrat there comes the conviction that even the activities proceeding from the astral plane, owing to causes set in motion previously, do not bind the self, when the knowledge of the physical plane is destroyed. In Svapna-Svapna there is no seer, seen and sight, when the Karana-Ajnana (ignorance which is the root of all) is destroyed. It is Svapna-Sushupti where by means of increased subtle thinking, the modifications of one’s mind get merged in knowledge. That is Svapna-Turiya, in which the innate bliss (pertaining to the individual self) is transcended by the attainment of universal bliss. That state is called Sushupti-Jagrat in which the experience of Self-bliss takes the shape of universal intelligence through the rising of the corresponding mental modifications. In Sushupti-Svapna one identifies oneself with the modifications of the mind which has long been immersed in the experience of inward bliss. When one attains oneness of knowledge (Bodhaikya), which is above these mental modifications and above the realisation of any abstract condition, one is said to be in Sushupti-Sushupti. In Sushupti-Turiya, Akhandaikarasa (the one undivided essence of bliss) manifests itself, of its own accord. When the enjoyment of the Akhandaikarasa is natural in the waking state, one is said to be in Turiya-Jagrat. Turiya-Svapna is difficult of attainment; it is a state in which the enjoyment of Akhandaikarasa becomes natural even in one’s dreaming condition. The still higher state of Turiya-Sushupti is even more difficult of accomplishment. In this state, the one undivided essence of bliss manifests itself to the Yogi, even in deep sleep. The highest state is Turiya-Turiya, wherein Akhandaikarasa disappears like the dust of the clearing nut (Kataka) used for clearing water. This is the Arupa or the formless state and is beyond cognition†(Vedanta in Daily Life, pp. 211-14). The Kaivalyopanishad says that the states of consciousness are appearances of one Brahman, and that one who knows this is freed from all bonds (Verse, 17).
It is said that, as sweetness, liquidity and coldness, which are characteristics of water, appear as inherent in the waves, and then also in the foam, of which the waves form the background; existence, consciousness and bliss, which are the natural essences of the Atman, seem to inhere in the wakeful Jiva on account of its relation with the Atman. Likewise, these facets of the Atman are felt also in the dreaming self, by way of the impressions of the waking consciousness. And just as, on the disappearance of the foam, their characteristics, such as liquidity, revert to the waves, and, again, as with the subsiding of the waves in the sea, these exist in the waters of the sea as before; so existence, consciousness and bliss manifest themselves and shine in the waking consciousness after the disappearance of the dreaming state; and then, again, on the dissolution of the waking phenomena in the Atman, these eternal natures are experienced in the Atman, which is the highest reality. In Moksha, or the final liberation of the soul, when all objective perception is overcome in the consciousness of Brahman, even the character of being a witness drops from the self, and it realises its majestic independence.
Sometimes the states of consciousness are regarded as being sixteen in number. “There are sixteen states of consciousness. They are made up as follows: There are the four primary states of consciousness, called Jagrat, Svapna, Sushupti and Turiya (waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the Witness-consciousness). These, by differentiation, multiply into sixteen states. These are Jagrat-Jagrat (waking in waking), Jagrat-Svapna (waking in dreaming), Jagrat-Sushupti (waking in sleep), Jagrat-Turiya (waking in super-consciousness), and so on with the remaining three other states. These sixteen states, by further differentiation, become two hundred and sixty-six states. These, again, by the differentiation of the phenomenal and the noumenal, become five hundred and twelve states. To realise these states of consciousness, it is very difficult, and is not possible for everyone.†“That is called Jagrat-Jagrat, in which there are no such ideas as ‘this’ or ‘mine’ regarding visible things. The great ones call that Jagrat-Svapna in which all ideas of name and form are given up. This is preceded by the realisation of the nature of Satchidananda. In the state of Jagrat-Sushupti, there is no idea but Self-knowledge. In Jagrat-Turiya the conviction becomes firm that the three states,—gross, subtle and causal—are false. In Svapna-Jagrat there comes the conviction that even the activities proceeding from the astral plane, owing to causes set in motion previously, do not bind the self, when the knowledge of the physical plane is destroyed. In Svapna-Svapna there is no seer, seen and sight, when the Karana-Ajnana (ignorance which is the root of all) is destroyed. It is Svapna-Sushupti where by means of increased subtle thinking, the modifications of one’s mind get merged in knowledge. That is Svapna-Turiya, in which the innate bliss (pertaining to the individual self) is transcended by the attainment of universal bliss. That state is called Sushupti-Jagrat in which the experience of Self-bliss takes the shape of universal intelligence through the rising of the corresponding mental modifications. In Sushupti-Svapna one identifies oneself with the modifications of the mind which has long been immersed in the experience of inward bliss. When one attains oneness of knowledge (Bodhaikya), which is above these mental modifications and above the realisation of any abstract condition, one is said to be in Sushupti-Sushupti. In Sushupti-Turiya, Akhandaikarasa (the one undivided essence of bliss) manifests itself, of its own accord. When the enjoyment of the Akhandaikarasa is natural in the waking state, one is said to be in Turiya-Jagrat. Turiya-Svapna is difficult of attainment; it is a state in which the enjoyment of Akhandaikarasa becomes natural even in one’s dreaming condition. The still higher state of Turiya-Sushupti is even more difficult of accomplishment. In this state, the one undivided essence of bliss manifests itself to the Yogi, even in deep sleep. The highest state is Turiya-Turiya, wherein Akhandaikarasa disappears like the dust of the clearing nut (Kataka) used for clearing water. This is the Arupa or the formless state and is beyond cognition†(Vedanta in Daily Life, pp. 211-14). The Kaivalyopanishad says that the states of consciousness are appearances of one Brahman, and that one who knows this is freed from all bonds (Verse, 17).
We have a conception that by practice we shall become free. Such a person is postponing his freedom. We become enlightened in this instant only and not as a result of ten years practice. Freedom is available now
True awareness (samvid) is a state of pure witnessing, without the least attempt to do anything about the event witnessed. Your thoughts and feelings, words and actions may also be a part of the event; you watch all unconcerned in the full light of clarity and understanding. You understand precisely what is going on, because it does not affect you. It may seem to be an attitude of cold aloofness, but it is not really so. Once you are in it, you will find that you love what you see, whatever may be its nature. This choiceless love is the touchstone of awareness. If it is not there, you are merely interested -- for some personal reasons
An artist does not enjoy other artist's music as a common listener does. Because when he listen to a track, he will be thinking about the music, about the sounds, style etc..and wondering how this sound, effect, melody etc is created.
He get stuck on parts instead of flowing with the music.
But a simple listener enjoys because He is not interested in creating his own music. he flows with the music and stays in the present and enjoy.
If we are suffering and cannot enjoy each sound of our life, we are being like that artist.
If you think you are going to create your own life the way your mind wants, you are being like that artist.
If you hang on to something or try to avoid something you are like that artist.
Hey...comeoooon every body..here we have our DJ always playing his own tunes in his own ways.
I introduce to you 'the Boss'
The greatest eternal artist
Lets throw away all our worries
Lets give up our ego
let us flow with the music
Lets dance to his soft, hard, melodic, weird, sad, happy, trippy tracks
Lets dance life to its fullest
He get stuck on parts instead of flowing with the music.
But a simple listener enjoys because He is not interested in creating his own music. he flows with the music and stays in the present and enjoy.
If we are suffering and cannot enjoy each sound of our life, we are being like that artist.
If you think you are going to create your own life the way your mind wants, you are being like that artist.
If you hang on to something or try to avoid something you are like that artist.
Hey...comeoooon every body..here we have our DJ always playing his own tunes in his own ways.
I introduce to you 'the Boss'
The greatest eternal artist
Lets throw away all our worries
Lets give up our ego
let us flow with the music
Lets dance to his soft, hard, melodic, weird, sad, happy, trippy tracks
Lets dance life to its fullest
The world appears to you so overwhelmingly real, because you think of it all the time.
Your Idea of Will-power is success insured. Will-power should be understood to be the strength of mind which makes it capable for meeting success or failure with equanimity.
It is not synonymous with certain success. Why should one’s attempts be always attended with success. Success develops arrogance and the man’s spiritual progress is thus affected. Failure on the other hand is beneficial, in as much as it opens the eyes of the man to his limitations and prepares him to surrender himself.
Self- surrender is synonymous with eternal happiness. Therefore one should try to gain the equipoise of mind under all circumstances. That is Will –Power.
Again, success and failure are the results of accumulated fate and not of will power.
A man may be doing only good and noble actions and yet prove a failure. Another man do otherwise and yet be uniformly successful. This does not mean that the will power is present in the one and not in the other.
It is not synonymous with certain success. Why should one’s attempts be always attended with success. Success develops arrogance and the man’s spiritual progress is thus affected. Failure on the other hand is beneficial, in as much as it opens the eyes of the man to his limitations and prepares him to surrender himself.
Self- surrender is synonymous with eternal happiness. Therefore one should try to gain the equipoise of mind under all circumstances. That is Will –Power.
Again, success and failure are the results of accumulated fate and not of will power.
A man may be doing only good and noble actions and yet prove a failure. Another man do otherwise and yet be uniformly successful. This does not mean that the will power is present in the one and not in the other.
Ramana Maharshi on overcoming Passions
Question - How shall I overcome my passions?
Ramana Maharshi - Find their root and then it will be easy. (Later) What are the passions? Kama (lust), krodha (anger), etc. Why do they arise? Because of likes and dislikes towards the objects seen. How do the objects project themselves in your view? Because of your avidya, i.e., ignorance. Ignorance of what? Of the Self. Thus, if you find the Self and abide therein there will be no trouble owing to the passions.
(Later) Again, what is the cause of the passions? Desire to be happy or enjoy pleasure. Why does the desire for happiness arise? Because your nature is happiness itself and it is natural that you come into your own. This happiness is not found anywhere besides the Self.
Do not look for it elsewhere. But seek the Self and abide therein. Still again, that happiness which is natural is simply re-discovered, so it cannot be lost. Whereas the happiness arising from other objects are external and thus liable to be lost. Therefore it cannot be permanent and so it is not worth seeking. Moreover craving for pleasures should not be encouraged.
One cannot put out burning fire by pouring petrol over it. An attempt to satisfy your craving for the time being, so that the passion may later be suppressed, is simply foolish.There are, no doubt, other methods for the suppression of passion. They are (1) regulated food, (2) fasting, (3) yoga practice, (4) medicines. But their effects are transitory. The passions reappear with greater force as soon as the check is removed. The only way to overcome them is to eradicate them. That is done by finding their source as stated above.
Question - How shall I overcome my passions?
Ramana Maharshi - Find their root and then it will be easy. (Later) What are the passions? Kama (lust), krodha (anger), etc. Why do they arise? Because of likes and dislikes towards the objects seen. How do the objects project themselves in your view? Because of your avidya, i.e., ignorance. Ignorance of what? Of the Self. Thus, if you find the Self and abide therein there will be no trouble owing to the passions.
(Later) Again, what is the cause of the passions? Desire to be happy or enjoy pleasure. Why does the desire for happiness arise? Because your nature is happiness itself and it is natural that you come into your own. This happiness is not found anywhere besides the Self.
Do not look for it elsewhere. But seek the Self and abide therein. Still again, that happiness which is natural is simply re-discovered, so it cannot be lost. Whereas the happiness arising from other objects are external and thus liable to be lost. Therefore it cannot be permanent and so it is not worth seeking. Moreover craving for pleasures should not be encouraged.
One cannot put out burning fire by pouring petrol over it. An attempt to satisfy your craving for the time being, so that the passion may later be suppressed, is simply foolish.There are, no doubt, other methods for the suppression of passion. They are (1) regulated food, (2) fasting, (3) yoga practice, (4) medicines. But their effects are transitory. The passions reappear with greater force as soon as the check is removed. The only way to overcome them is to eradicate them. That is done by finding their source as stated above.
Ramana Maharshi on overcoming Passions
Question - How shall I overcome my passions?
Ramana Maharshi - Find their root and then it will be easy. (Later) What are the passions? Kama (lust), krodha (anger), etc. Why do they arise? Because of likes and dislikes towards the objects seen. How do the objects project themselves in your view? Because of your avidya, i.e., ignorance. Ignorance of what? Of the Self. Thus, if you find the Self and abide therein there will be no trouble owing to the passions.
(Later) Again, what is the cause of the passions? Desire to be happy or enjoy pleasure. Why does the desire for happiness arise? Because your nature is happiness itself and it is natural that you come into your own. This happiness is not found anywhere besides the Self.
Do not look for it elsewhere. But seek the Self and abide therein. Still again, that happiness which is natural is simply re-discovered, so it cannot be lost. Whereas the happiness arising from other objects are external and thus liable to be lost. Therefore it cannot be permanent and so it is not worth seeking. Moreover craving for pleasures should not be encouraged.
One cannot put out burning fire by pouring petrol over it. An attempt to satisfy your craving for the time being, so that the passion may later be suppressed, is simply foolish.There are, no doubt, other methods for the suppression of passion. They are (1) regulated food, (2) fasting, (3) yoga practice, (4) medicines. But their effects are transitory. The passions reappear with greater force as soon as the check is removed. The only way to overcome them is to eradicate them. That is done by finding their source as stated above.
Question - How shall I overcome my passions?
Ramana Maharshi - Find their root and then it will be easy. (Later) What are the passions? Kama (lust), krodha (anger), etc. Why do they arise? Because of likes and dislikes towards the objects seen. How do the objects project themselves in your view? Because of your avidya, i.e., ignorance. Ignorance of what? Of the Self. Thus, if you find the Self and abide therein there will be no trouble owing to the passions.
(Later) Again, what is the cause of the passions? Desire to be happy or enjoy pleasure. Why does the desire for happiness arise? Because your nature is happiness itself and it is natural that you come into your own. This happiness is not found anywhere besides the Self.
Do not look for it elsewhere. But seek the Self and abide therein. Still again, that happiness which is natural is simply re-discovered, so it cannot be lost. Whereas the happiness arising from other objects are external and thus liable to be lost. Therefore it cannot be permanent and so it is not worth seeking. Moreover craving for pleasures should not be encouraged.
One cannot put out burning fire by pouring petrol over it. An attempt to satisfy your craving for the time being, so that the passion may later be suppressed, is simply foolish.There are, no doubt, other methods for the suppression of passion. They are (1) regulated food, (2) fasting, (3) yoga practice, (4) medicines. But their effects are transitory. The passions reappear with greater force as soon as the check is removed. The only way to overcome them is to eradicate them. That is done by finding their source as stated above.
* * *
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Заповедь.
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Верь Ñам в ÑебÑ, наперекор вÑеленной,
И маловерным отпуÑти их грех;
ПуÑÑ‚ÑŒ Ñ‡Ð°Ñ Ð½Ðµ пробил - жди, не уÑтаваÑ,
ПуÑÑ‚ÑŒ лгут лжецы - не ÑниÑходи до них;
Умей прощать и не кажиÑÑŒ, прощаÑ,
Великодушней и мудрей других.
Умей мечтать, не Ñтав рабом мечтаниÑ,
И мыÑлить, мыÑли не обожеÑтвив;
Равно вÑтречай уÑпех и поруганье,
Ðе забываÑ, что их Ð³Ð¾Ð»Ð¾Ñ Ð»Ð¶Ð¸Ð²;
ОÑтаньÑÑ Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ…, когда твое же Ñлово
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Когда вÑÑ Ð¶Ð¸Ð·Ð½ÑŒ разрушена и Ñнова
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Ð’Ñе проиграть и нищим Ñтать, как прежде,
И никогда не пожалеть о том,
Умей принудить Ñердце, нервы, тело
Тебе Ñлужить, когда в твоей груди
Уже давно вÑе пуÑто, вÑе Ñгорело
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Тогда веÑÑŒ мир Ñ‚Ñ‹ примешь во владенье,
Тогда, мой Ñын, Ñ‚Ñ‹ будешь Человек!
Do not search for the truth, only cease to cherish opinions.
Buddhist narratives recount one story in which Atisha comes across a woman alternately crying and laughing. Confused with her behaviour, he inquires about her condition, and she responds: "[O]ne's own mind has been a Buddha from beginning less time. By not knowing this, great complications follow from such a small base of error for hundreds of thousands of sentient beings…. Not being able to bear the suffering for so many beings, I cry. And then, I laugh because when this small basis of error is known—when one knows one's own mind—one is freed
A Sufi Story
Once it happened that a fish in the ocean heard somebody talking about ocean, and the fish heard for the first time that there exist something like ocean. She started to search, ask and inqiure, but nobody knew where the ocean w...as. they all said " Sometime in the past our ancestors knew it- it is written in scriptures. And the ocean was all around!. They were in the ocean ; they were talking , living in the ocean". Sometimes it happen that the closest, the nearest, is so obvious that you can forget it. The nearest is so near that you cannot look at it, because even to look at something a certain distance is needed. And there is no space between the fish and the ocean- no gap. the fish is the part of the ocean, just like a wave; or the ocean is just the infinite spread of the being of the fish. They are not two; they exist together, their being is joined together. Their bodies may appear different but their inner spirit is one, it is unitary. The same is the situation with us. We go on asking about existence of God. God cannot be an object of any search; he remains the very subjectivity. You are not going to find him somewhere else because he is everywhere. God just means the whole existence, the totality, the ocean that surrounds you, the ocean of life...
Once it happened that a fish in the ocean heard somebody talking about ocean, and the fish heard for the first time that there exist something like ocean. She started to search, ask and inqiure, but nobody knew where the ocean w...as. they all said " Sometime in the past our ancestors knew it- it is written in scriptures. And the ocean was all around!. They were in the ocean ; they were talking , living in the ocean". Sometimes it happen that the closest, the nearest, is so obvious that you can forget it. The nearest is so near that you cannot look at it, because even to look at something a certain distance is needed. And there is no space between the fish and the ocean- no gap. the fish is the part of the ocean, just like a wave; or the ocean is just the infinite spread of the being of the fish. They are not two; they exist together, their being is joined together. Their bodies may appear different but their inner spirit is one, it is unitary. The same is the situation with us. We go on asking about existence of God. God cannot be an object of any search; he remains the very subjectivity. You are not going to find him somewhere else because he is everywhere. God just means the whole existence, the totality, the ocean that surrounds you, the ocean of life...
One who has faith and concentration and has subdued his senses attains knowledge. Having gained knowledge he speedily attains Supreme Peace
The mind says 'How?', the heart says 'Now'.
Dangers of Attacing to Samadhi
Zen Master Seung Sahn(4) speaks of two stories that illuminate the dangers of attaching to Samadhi:
A long time ago in China, during the time of Zen Master Lin Chi, there was a monk who was very famous for his Samadhi practicing. This monk, similar to the traditions of digambara, never wore any clothes and was known as the 'naked monk.' He had mastered many kinds of Samadhi, had lots of energy, and didn't need to wear clothes even in winter.
One day Lin Chi decided to test this monk. He called a student of his, gave him a set of beautiful clothes, and asked him to present them to the monk. The student went to the monk and said, 'Ah, you are wonderful. Your practicing is very strong. So my teacher wants to give you these beautiful clothes as a present.' The monk kicked away the clothes and said, 'I don't need these clothes. I have original clothes, from my parents! Your clothes can only be kept a short time, then they will wear out. But my original clothes are never broken. Also, if they become dirty, I just take a shower and they are clean again. I don't need your clothes!'
The student went back to Lin Chi and told him what happened. Lin Chi said, 'You must go to this monk once more and ask him a certain question.' So the student went to the monk and said, 'Great monk! I have one question for you. You said you got your original clothes from your parents.' 'Of course!' said the monk. 'Then I ask you, before you got these original clothes from your parents, what kind of clothes did you have?' Upon hearing this, the naked monk went deep into Samadhi, then into Nirvana and died.
Everyone was very surprised and sad. But when the monk's body was cremated, many Sarira appeared, so everyone thought, 'Ah, this was a great monk.' Sitting on the high rostrum, Lin Chi hit the stand with his Zen stick and said, 'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.' He hit it again, 'No form, no emptiness.' He hit it a third time, 'Form is form, emptiness is emptiness. Which one is correct?' Nobody understood. Then the Zen Master shouted 'KATZ!' and said, 'The sky is blue, the tree is green.' If you cannot answer in one word the question about your original clothes, then, although you can get Samadhi and Nirvana, you cannot get freedom from life and death.
Then the Zen Master stared at the Sarira -- poof! -- they turned to water. This is magic! They all turned to water and disappeared. Everyone was surprised. The meaning of this is: if you do Samadhi practice deeply, then when you die many Sarira will appear. But, these Sarira will not last long because they represent ,one mind,' not 'clear mind' which is our original nature. Our original nature has no life, no death, no coming or going. When the true Dharma appears, which means form is form, emptiness is emptiness or sky is blue, tree is green- that energy -BOOM! - will appear, all the Sarira will turn to water and disappear. Our teaching is substance, truth, and correct life. Our Zen practicing means attain your true self, find the correct way, truth, and life. Any style of practice is OK -- even using a mantra. But, don't be attached to Samadhi -- you must 'pass' Samadhi. Zen means 'everyday mind,' not special states of mind. Moment to moment keeping a clear mind is what's important.
And a second example. Once one of my students decided to practice with an Indian guru. This guru taught Samadhi practice. So my student got a Mantra, tried it all the time when he wasn't working, and went deeply into Samadhi. All the time he was having a very good feeling. Then one day while doing this Mantra, he was crossing the street. The next thing he knew, a car screeched to a halt, almost hitting him, and loudly sounded its horn. The driver shouted at him, 'Keep clear mind!' Then my student was very afraid. The next day he came to me and said, 'Dae Soen Sa Nim, I have a problem. Last night I almost died. I was practicing Samadhi, didn't pay attention and was almost hit by a car. Please teach me my mistake.'
So I explained to him, Samadhi practicing takes away your consciousness. But Zen means moment to moment keeping clear mind. What are you doing now? When you are doing something, just do it. Then this kind of accident cannot happen. So don't make Samadhi. Don't make anything! Just do it, O.K
Zen Master Seung Sahn(4) speaks of two stories that illuminate the dangers of attaching to Samadhi:
A long time ago in China, during the time of Zen Master Lin Chi, there was a monk who was very famous for his Samadhi practicing. This monk, similar to the traditions of digambara, never wore any clothes and was known as the 'naked monk.' He had mastered many kinds of Samadhi, had lots of energy, and didn't need to wear clothes even in winter.
One day Lin Chi decided to test this monk. He called a student of his, gave him a set of beautiful clothes, and asked him to present them to the monk. The student went to the monk and said, 'Ah, you are wonderful. Your practicing is very strong. So my teacher wants to give you these beautiful clothes as a present.' The monk kicked away the clothes and said, 'I don't need these clothes. I have original clothes, from my parents! Your clothes can only be kept a short time, then they will wear out. But my original clothes are never broken. Also, if they become dirty, I just take a shower and they are clean again. I don't need your clothes!'
The student went back to Lin Chi and told him what happened. Lin Chi said, 'You must go to this monk once more and ask him a certain question.' So the student went to the monk and said, 'Great monk! I have one question for you. You said you got your original clothes from your parents.' 'Of course!' said the monk. 'Then I ask you, before you got these original clothes from your parents, what kind of clothes did you have?' Upon hearing this, the naked monk went deep into Samadhi, then into Nirvana and died.
Everyone was very surprised and sad. But when the monk's body was cremated, many Sarira appeared, so everyone thought, 'Ah, this was a great monk.' Sitting on the high rostrum, Lin Chi hit the stand with his Zen stick and said, 'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.' He hit it again, 'No form, no emptiness.' He hit it a third time, 'Form is form, emptiness is emptiness. Which one is correct?' Nobody understood. Then the Zen Master shouted 'KATZ!' and said, 'The sky is blue, the tree is green.' If you cannot answer in one word the question about your original clothes, then, although you can get Samadhi and Nirvana, you cannot get freedom from life and death.
Then the Zen Master stared at the Sarira -- poof! -- they turned to water. This is magic! They all turned to water and disappeared. Everyone was surprised. The meaning of this is: if you do Samadhi practice deeply, then when you die many Sarira will appear. But, these Sarira will not last long because they represent ,one mind,' not 'clear mind' which is our original nature. Our original nature has no life, no death, no coming or going. When the true Dharma appears, which means form is form, emptiness is emptiness or sky is blue, tree is green- that energy -BOOM! - will appear, all the Sarira will turn to water and disappear. Our teaching is substance, truth, and correct life. Our Zen practicing means attain your true self, find the correct way, truth, and life. Any style of practice is OK -- even using a mantra. But, don't be attached to Samadhi -- you must 'pass' Samadhi. Zen means 'everyday mind,' not special states of mind. Moment to moment keeping a clear mind is what's important.
And a second example. Once one of my students decided to practice with an Indian guru. This guru taught Samadhi practice. So my student got a Mantra, tried it all the time when he wasn't working, and went deeply into Samadhi. All the time he was having a very good feeling. Then one day while doing this Mantra, he was crossing the street. The next thing he knew, a car screeched to a halt, almost hitting him, and loudly sounded its horn. The driver shouted at him, 'Keep clear mind!' Then my student was very afraid. The next day he came to me and said, 'Dae Soen Sa Nim, I have a problem. Last night I almost died. I was practicing Samadhi, didn't pay attention and was almost hit by a car. Please teach me my mistake.'
So I explained to him, Samadhi practicing takes away your consciousness. But Zen means moment to moment keeping clear mind. What are you doing now? When you are doing something, just do it. Then this kind of accident cannot happen. So don't make Samadhi. Don't make anything! Just do it, O.K
Freedom
I. Mind
1. Mind is everything. Nothing exists but mind. Mind creates everything, from the atom to the cosmos, from a blade of grass to a grain of sand, from an elephant to a flower and the scent of the flower. Your feelings, objects you see, your body, your aches and pains are all mind stuff. Everything is mind; everything!
2. From deep sleep, mind arises and you dream, dreamed self and objects. All is mind-only.
3. Yet mind does not exist. It only has an apparent shadow-like existence. Mind is just uncoordinated thoughts floating in an imaginal space. Mind is thoughts only; imaginal thoughts in imaginal space. They have a dream-stuff quality when you see them clearly.
4. Thoughts do not exist even though they appear to. By non-existence, I mean they have no tangibility, no solidity, no permanence, just like a dreamed body or dreamed people. They have a dream quality when you observe them closely.
5. When you awaken from a dream, the dreamed images disappear and you know they were not real; they had an imaginal quality only.
6. So too does the waking dream disappears when the mind and thoughts are seen to be imagination only. Space is the imaginal world's essential quality and itself is unreal.
7. Mind has one central thought, which is the thought I. It is that I thought that one refers to all day long as me, or I. There is no I that the I-thought refers to. None. That is, there is no object that is I existing separate from other objects, people, places and things. There is no ego that the I thought refers to although it feels that way before awakening. There is no separation between imaginal objects as space is imaginal itself.
8. There is only an I thought. It is like a name with no person that name points to. You think you (I as subject) exist, but there is no you (I as subject).
9. The I is the I-thought only. It has no existence in itself except as a thought, yet all other thoughts appear to be connected to the I-thought. I thought is the lynch-pin. Without the I thought having an apparent reality, the world too is seen as having no reality. I is the apparent subject, the world the apparent object, but neither exists without the other. Both are imagination.
10. You do not exist; that is the great discovery. There is no I or ego that exists. There is no me. The I-thou is a false duality. Me, you, is a duality. Inward and outward is a duality. All dualities depend on the reality of I-Thou, I vs. World, and ultimately the reality of the I thought or subject.
11. When you recognize you (as a person) do not exist, the world immediately disappears also. Imaginal space disappears.
12. When you realize you are not the mind, no thing, you realize you do not exist as a person, then you realize that “all that is†does not exist either. No thing exists. It is all a dream created by mind.
13. You can hear this a million times, but until this is your experience, it is only your concept of what an I-less state is like. That is, it is a belief, an idea.
14. In this realization, there is a recognition that there is nothing to do. There is no decision to make. You are responsible for nothing. You, as an apparent mind and body, no longer have anything to do. 'God' does everything; you do nothing.
15. All human problems come from the belief you are a separate body-mind. Once you see you do not exist in this way, great and restful peace comes. There is nothing for you to do, because 'It' does everything. (It does no good to give this 'force' a name such as God; labels only obscure and leave an impression of existence as a sublime object.)
II. True Self
1. All the above is obtained in the waking state, the state of everyday wakefulness. All that you know or understand, as you, is mind in the waking state of consciousness.
2. That waking state comes and goes. It goes when you fall asleep. It goes when you get drunk. It goes sometimes when you get hit in the head. It goes when your body dies. It is not permanent. It is like a candle’s flame in a breeze, sometimes it flickers hot, sometimes almost dies, but eventually burns out.
3. Always in the waking state there is an associated body, which has a conceptual, apparent existence. It is the body’s senses and the mind that creates the world and me. But it is all illusion, imagination in consciousness.
4. Waking consciousness is body consciousness. Without a body, there are no senses; without senses there are no sense objects or the world. Or so it appears.
Dreaming consciousness also requires an imaginal body. All things are created by mind, and the individual mind is associated with an apparent brain and body.
5. In fact, even the waking state and the dream states themselves arise as mindstuff out of the fundamental, before mind, nature. That is, not only are waking and dream objects a figment of the human mind, the waking and dream states themselves, along with the dream-conceived body, have no real existence.
6. The apparent body/mind is a “knot†of awareness. There is a awareness beyond that knot. That ‘beyond’ awareness contains and gives an apparent existence to waking and dream consciousness, otherwise called the waking and dream states, and the objects that populate those states.
7. The first awakening destroys the I and the object world. The second awakening destroys the awake consciousness and dream consciousness. All continue to appear to exist, but you now know they are fraudulent. They arise out of something 'deeper'. (The term 'deeper' also creates an imaginal duality; a duality that is not real but is stated for exposition only.)
8. Even the deep sleep state is a state of consciousness. The brain, mind and body are shut down during that ‘time’. All is forgotten because remembering requires mind. Mind is shut down during deep sleep as is the brain. Both are forgotten. But an underlying tone of awareness continues. Many people after some practice "feel" the presence of the sleep state even when awake, and also that they are prior to both the waking and sleep states. YOU are that which can simultaneously be aware of both waking and sleeping, even though you are primarily the waking state at the time.
9. That deeper awareness or consciousness, YOU, observes waking, dream and sleep.
10. There is no argument that can prove there is an observing consciousness or existence in sleep. All arguments that there is consciousness in sleep depend on argumentation and inference. They try to convince the reader that this is their direct experience by inference. This is a weakness of all Jnani-style expositions: the mystery of the deep sleep state, or the third state of consciousness.
11. There is a “state†of consciousness that is “beyond†the deep sleep state. That primary consciousness classically is called awareness here for the sake of communication. That awareness is beyond waking and dream consciousness. That awareness exists and witnesses all the other states of waking, dream and deep sleep. Finding that core awareness in the waking state, and disidentifying with the objects of the waking state, is called self-realization. In that realization, the waking state itself is seen as fraud. Further explanation here.
12. All other states come and go on this stateless state of awareness, often called the fourth state. The fourth state is the witness of waking, sleep and dream. It is the constant note of the fundamental awareness that appears to be you as a small and insignificant body/mind.
13. The concept of a fourth state is is a conceptual distinction only, but as close to “truth†as can be put into words, as It lies “before†and beyond the waking, sleep and dream states, and, in fact dwells as a constant presence in all. Every state of consciousness and all objects that populate all waking and dream worlds, flow from it and are observed by it. Waking, dream and sleep are derivative, but it is not a state itself. It is the subjective source from which all other states arise as object. You cannot see or witness it as it is the witness of all.
14. Until you know this fundamental truth consciously, that is, through the use of the waking mind, the fourth state is only an idea, a concept, one among many concepts and certainly not proved through argumentation.
15. This fourth (non) state is given the label, “Turiya,†for the sake of exposition. The terms “the fourth state†and “Turiya†are only concepts, words, until you experience that beyond and before the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states. The latter are temporary and unstable. Turiya alone is permanent and stable. Essentially only Turiya exists, all else is temporary, imaginal, derivative.
16. In fact, Turiya, the stateless state, awareness has no existence as existence is a property of the imaginary world. Awareness is beyond any existence and is the observer of the apparent existent.
17. The deathless and stateless awareness, Turiya, is aware always, and itself is aware that it exists and transcends everything, but itself is not perceived. This is known in silence. Until you know this awareness in silence, you cannot know you are not an individual, a human, who lives and dies, has a beginning and an end.
18. Turiya is the permanent state, the deathless state, the eternal state beyond and before existence. You, as awareness, always were. There never was a time you were not, nor will there ever be.
19. This silent absolutely still awareness called Turiya is discovered either in the waking state, or during the apparent gap between waking and the dream states. This is the place most “people†first recognize Turiya. In that gap, mind does not prevail. Awareness alone prevails. At this time, awareness becomes aware of itself as apart from the states of waking, dream and sleep.
20. One step more and you understand you are beyond even Turiya. Turiya is still the witness of all, but you are beyond even this. You are the knower of awareness.
III. Self-realization
1. This is difficult to express, but fundamentally, only Turiya exists, all other states are derivative and all objects are derivative of the derivative states. Yet, when Turiya is stabilized as your primary state—when one is always aware of that fundamental state—the other states and the world are also seen to be you, but merely as a shadow of the real you. These states have so little in common with the real you, you might as well as say they do not exist. To say more than this creates too many conceptual problems that lead to unending philosophical discourse which is an insolvable diversion from correct practice of abiding in self. Therefore, such inquiry should never be pursued. Only abiding in the self should be pursued.
2. The initial insight that you really are the background state, the deathless state, Turiya, is the beginning of self-realization. Self, as the derivative waking state, recognizes its fundamental nature as the deathless fourth stateless state, Turiya, which is beyond and before waking, dream or sleep consciousness.
3. Most people who discover this lose it, because they do not stabilize in the Turiya state. Stabilization requires practice. In many persons that the Turiya recognition comes to, the mind as an apparent entity is destroyed forever. However, to most who become aware of Turiya, that recognition is eventually lost, but the memory of the truth of the fundamental state and the derivative states remains forever.
4. ‘Effort’ is needed by most to stabilize in the fourth state, even though there is no effort in the fourth state itself. Using effort you need to practice being in the effortless state. This means in actuality, remaining in thoughtless silence. Ramana “practiced†remaining in that fourth state, silence, single-mindedly for many years before he taught anyone. However, once the human mind dies permanently, one is always in the stateless state, the fourth state, Turiya. It is better to practice self-inquiry than know this.
5. Robert advised holding onto that state as an act of will until it is forever your understanding.
6. Awareness of, immersion in that stateless, eternal state comes and goes until the core thought processes cease with the so-called ego’s death. Then there is total stability in the root consciousness. Please recognize that all that I have just said is concept to you and has as little value as any other dream. It is a little lie to get you to practice trying to hold onto awareness. The important thing is to abide in the self.
7. What is important is the experience of Samadhi and finally Sahaj Samadhi, the total annihilation of the personal and imaginal self.
8. Even then, know you are beyond even this. No description can be given. It is ineffable.
9. Most of what meditators consider advanced meditative states, including all the talk about the self-illumined Clear Light Emptiness, are really still a phenomena within imaginal space. The so-called "pure awareness" happens to you when the entirety of imaginal space disappears along with the feeling of existence and the sense of I-ness. The totality of the sense of presence is just a complex of thought forms tied into our sense of physical existence as a body-mind. This is what Nisargadatta calls "I-Am." All that disappears at awakening. One becomes empty, silent, non-existent and beyond all existence.
IV Finally
1. By now you probably recognize that both the personal and spiritual life are all about identification.
2. Do you identify with the objects of the imaginal space emanating from your non-existent mind?
3. Do you instead identify with the entire manifestation of consciousness, all phenomenality, the comings and goings of consciousness and objects in consciousness? This is the oneness or unity state that Bernadette Roberts and others talk about. This is also the Samadhi state where all that there is is consciousness and an identification with the totality. These were my Mt. Baldy experiences.
4. Or do you identify with the background upon which All comes and goes? THAT which is aware of the coming and going of consciousness? The pure, cold, emptiness that contains everything but itself does not exist?
5. One might be tempted to call this background pure consciousness or the void, but it is beyond any concepts or pointers.
6. At some moment you will become aware that there is at once a sense of existence and then it passes. In the morning, a sense of existence arises and disappears at sleep. There is something that is firmly aware of the comings and goings of this waking consciousness. The "feeling" is that the existence and then non-existence states come to you. You know both that you are, and you know that you, at times, also are not.
7. This knowingness of the coming and going of the oneness consciousness state, automatically reveals you are not that oneness state. That oneness state comes to you and then it leaves. You have nothing to do with it.
8. Once this conviction of a prior “existence†is strong, a “disidentification†with the body/mind and the totality of the comings and goings of the world, dream and sleep can take place, supplanted by the firm knowledge that you are beyond all that.
9. To use ignorance producing words, there is an identification with that which cannot be perceived as who you really are. One becomes That, but cannot be aware of that.
10. Freedom is a disruption of the identification with phenomenality. First it is a disidentification with the objects in the imaginal world, both dream and waking, then a disidentification with the process of the coming and going of consciousness itself. You rest in yourself, having the position of this Self beyond all.
11. You are before being and not being, awake and dream take place in time. You have no time.
12. With this comes peace, happiness, and an end to searching.
13. You have not attained You; instead you have lost the false identification with the smallest part of You, the imaginal passing show of consciousness. You are the awareness of that consciousness.
14. When this disidentification comes, all the Jnana sutras become clear.
15. When this disidentification comes, You realize You are beyond all.
16. That realization is felt as absolute conviction associated with an immediate 'apprehension' that You are beyond the comings and goings of consciousness. It is not merely an intellection discovery, and only a conviction, but a conviction arises from a direct apprehension of your true nature. This apprehension is not an experience. Both experiences and ordinary convictions come and go. This is an apprehension at the deepest level of being of that which lies prior to beingness, which Zen masters and Nisargadatta call the Unborn.
17. This is not the end, it is the real beginning of sadhana. Before there was only practice and effort, but now you have the taste for and the direction of the Infinite, your unborn true self.
18. You are beyond even the knowledge that you are beyond all; but that knowledge liberates you from the all. Then you are totally free, abiding in that which is entirely beyond. Once you know this, stay there as often and long as you can until all humanhood is burnt out and exhausted and you live in peace.
19. Then, as Robert often said, you are happy beyond belief, fearless, for you cannot die as you realize you, as a human and even as consciousness, were never born. Then, though you appear to be human and functioning, and that identification is still possible for a long while, the sting of suffering is gone, and you are happy.
V. Practice
1. The neo-jnanis proclaim instant enlightenment is possible if only you understand the Jnani-words. They may say look inside and you will immediately see that the I-thought has no basis and this is all you have to do. If only it were that easy.
2. Truly though, recognizing that the I-thought noun does not point to anything in existence is the beginning of right understanding. This right understanding can be taught. This is Advaita philosophy. It is also many forms of Buddhist philosophy. Just this “correct†teaching can go a long way towards realizing the I is only a concept, and when the concept is destroyed, so it the world and all burdens of the world, including the need to plan and work towards goals, as they do not exist.
3. However, true self-realization is not just seeing the I does not exist, and therefore the body and world do not exist. This only allows at some point an identification with awareness itself.
4. The Turiya stateless state, pure, silent awareness, is always there, both containing and being embedded in the waking, dream and deep sleep states.
5. How to ‘find’ Turiya amongst all the other states and objects that comprise the body/mind/feelings/thoughts that are the ordinary human condition is the problem of practice. How to find the self, that which exists always and knows its own existence; that is the single main point, the main question. It is always there, it is your fundamental state, but ‘you’ do not know this because of mind which takes only itself and the world as existent.
6. The “true†ways of practice are also a fundamental problem. You will hear many different methods discussed, even by Ramana, Robert, Nisargadatta and many others. It is easy to get confused because until Turiya is uncovered in your waking consciousness, you do not know how or where to go. All methods are based on trust. Some say go East, some West. Others say Northwest or South. Which way to go? Some say go nowhere. What to do; what to do?
7. It is my finding that correct practicing is the most difficult thing of all. In fact, a misunderstanding or incorrect practice of hunting for Turiya can lead to a lifetime of frustrated seeking leading to abandonment of seeking, leaving an aftertaste of bitterness. Very few people I have know who had started out with very sincere intent and practice maintain it more than five years. Even listening to a close personal teacher who really has realized can lead to frustration for many reasons. One is that you cannot understand his directions because you do not have his discrimination. Another is you become a friend and do not see his direction as coming from the ultimate silent awareness. You regard him or her as human.
8. For me, correct practice was not willful; it happened by itself. After Robert left, I could not help myself and just sank into myself. I lay around my house, unable or willing to work, listening to sacred music and gradually sinking into ever increasing happiness. There I stayed but not willfully. The “practice†of self-abiding just happened by itself. Therefore practice was without effort. Yet, had I not practiced variously for many years, the effortless practice would not have occurred.
9. If you assume you need a teacher—which you should have if he is right for you—how do you find him? One can write a mountain of books about finding a teacher or hunt him through space and time, none of which will help you.
10. Even worse than that is practicing without the guidance of a teacher. Truly you are blind and attempting to find the “light switch†in a house with no light. In fact, you cannot even be sure a light switch exists let alone know how to look around the house to find a light-switch. It is because of this situation most Jnanis search for 30 years and still do not find. They give up at some point. Some even give up when they have a good teacher.
11. Therefore no advice about teachers can be given. Sometimes for someone, a teacher is necessary. For even that same person, at other times all teachers are to be avoided, either because they are wrong, or because it is not yet time, or is past time.
12.It is easy enough to blame that failure of self-realization on not having the right teacher, the right understanding or the right practice. All these could be true. However, you can have the right teacher, the right understanding and the right practice and still not find Turiya. Sometimes that is how things are. But having all three correctly; the three pillars of the correct teacher, correct understanding and correct practice, is better than half the game. The rest is a mystery. Some use the term ‘grace’, but grace is only another name given to that same mystery.
13. The right practice is to find that common note contained within every moment of any consciousness. This requires an abiding in the consciousness of self. Constant self-abidance gradually reveals everything. Constant self-abidance requires constant vigilance, a dwelling in the “feeling†of I at the core of perception of being an ordinary person. Turiya is “behind†and beyond the sense of being a person in the world. It is found in ordinary consciousness. It is not found by constantly looking into and trying to penetrate the void. It is found by attending to the self that perceives the world this minute. Turiya is not hidden. It is the fundamental awareness that is with you every day and night, and is found when looking into your ordinariness. Everything flows from Turiya.
14. Sometimes that background awareness is experienced as the witness of all. That is, it is perceived as the subject. But this is not the true subject.
15. Getting lost in the Void is a big problem. It is easy to find the void or emptiness of consciousness during self-observation. But then the person may explore the void and the self-luminous light of the void forever and not get anywhere by looking “inside†the void. Remember, the void itself is object in meditation, it is not the source of all. (See "Self-Realization, paragraph 9 above.)
16. Correct practice depends a lot on where you are. For most it is looking into the feeling of beingness or I, the core feeling in the area of the heart. This is where you learn to separate consciousness of the body as an object, from the subjective sense of self, I.
For others the correct practice is doing nothing and just being aware of consciousness as a whole.
17. Correct practice is a point of great confusion. Finding and maintaining the correct practice—FOR YOU—is a great mystery. There are so many methods, so many teachers, and so many interpretations of even what one teacher offers as the best method.
18. Always though, the method is to understand the self-the fundamental state, the ultimate Witness of all things, including the Void and its self-luminous nature. This Void is not the self, not the fundamental samadhi or awareness; it is a property of awareness.
19. For this reason I will recommend several resources in terms of books and teachings. Correct teachings and correct understanding work hand in hand. Therefore, you need both teaching about the truth of the real self and also pointers about how to abide in the self. Correct understanding that I does not exist, there is nothing associated with the I-thought, can destroy the reality of your humanness and human world, revealing the undifferentiated oneness of the waking state. But long self-abidance reveals a deeper truth, namely that the correct understanding of No-I and the oneness of existence, only happens to the waking state, and the waking state itself is only a concept, a derivative state of the eternal self.
20. Even this is a poor misstatement that will confuse more than it helps. Therefore, we must remain silent and only seek to know how to abide in the self through correct practice.
21. Self-inquiry and self abidance are the same; they only appear to be different at the beginning. Self-inquiry of various sorts is/was common in Rinzai Zen, where the ultimate question always was “Who Am I?†For years one practiced Who Am I inquiry. The biography of those who thus practiced and succeeded are rare, but revealing. The biography of Zen Master Bassui cames immediately to mind.
22. Abiding in the self through undifferentiated self-awareness, awareness alone, abiding in the ultimate silence prior to human existence is the practice called Shikantaza in the Soto school of Zen. These techniques are true, tested and universal. Unfortunately, it usually takes a long, long time to find the true emptiness and true void without elements of the imaginal space. However, when it is first encountered, when it first happens to you, you will know without ANY doubt that you have gone beyond mind and the imaginal world. If one goes to a Zen monastery and practices hard, this can happen in a relatively short time, albeit not permanently. It is a matter of intensity at first.
VI. Admonition
1. All of the above is mindstuff. You will translate it into your mindstuff. As such it is entertainment. The hope is that it will lead you to self-investigation—practice—rather than just going to teachers or reading books.
2. Everything above is true at one level and total bull on another. To try to express different levels of concept simultaneously is the utmost disservice.
3. There is enough “meat†in the above to generate a lot of confusing “sticking†points that make you feel impelled to discover answers for yourself. It really helps to have your own kernel question that impels you to investigate yourself with intensity and a desire to know. When you have your kernel question, you will listen to many teachers and question them and read many books to find an answer. You will likely not find a given answer that satisfies you. Then you will hopefully see this problem as a gift rather than a terrible impediment. That deep questioning lead to intensity or investigation.
4. Of course this problem is only one of words, concepts. It is not a real problem. The real problem is how to abide in the self, how to love the self.
I. Mind
1. Mind is everything. Nothing exists but mind. Mind creates everything, from the atom to the cosmos, from a blade of grass to a grain of sand, from an elephant to a flower and the scent of the flower. Your feelings, objects you see, your body, your aches and pains are all mind stuff. Everything is mind; everything!
2. From deep sleep, mind arises and you dream, dreamed self and objects. All is mind-only.
3. Yet mind does not exist. It only has an apparent shadow-like existence. Mind is just uncoordinated thoughts floating in an imaginal space. Mind is thoughts only; imaginal thoughts in imaginal space. They have a dream-stuff quality when you see them clearly.
4. Thoughts do not exist even though they appear to. By non-existence, I mean they have no tangibility, no solidity, no permanence, just like a dreamed body or dreamed people. They have a dream quality when you observe them closely.
5. When you awaken from a dream, the dreamed images disappear and you know they were not real; they had an imaginal quality only.
6. So too does the waking dream disappears when the mind and thoughts are seen to be imagination only. Space is the imaginal world's essential quality and itself is unreal.
7. Mind has one central thought, which is the thought I. It is that I thought that one refers to all day long as me, or I. There is no I that the I-thought refers to. None. That is, there is no object that is I existing separate from other objects, people, places and things. There is no ego that the I thought refers to although it feels that way before awakening. There is no separation between imaginal objects as space is imaginal itself.
8. There is only an I thought. It is like a name with no person that name points to. You think you (I as subject) exist, but there is no you (I as subject).
9. The I is the I-thought only. It has no existence in itself except as a thought, yet all other thoughts appear to be connected to the I-thought. I thought is the lynch-pin. Without the I thought having an apparent reality, the world too is seen as having no reality. I is the apparent subject, the world the apparent object, but neither exists without the other. Both are imagination.
10. You do not exist; that is the great discovery. There is no I or ego that exists. There is no me. The I-thou is a false duality. Me, you, is a duality. Inward and outward is a duality. All dualities depend on the reality of I-Thou, I vs. World, and ultimately the reality of the I thought or subject.
11. When you recognize you (as a person) do not exist, the world immediately disappears also. Imaginal space disappears.
12. When you realize you are not the mind, no thing, you realize you do not exist as a person, then you realize that “all that is†does not exist either. No thing exists. It is all a dream created by mind.
13. You can hear this a million times, but until this is your experience, it is only your concept of what an I-less state is like. That is, it is a belief, an idea.
14. In this realization, there is a recognition that there is nothing to do. There is no decision to make. You are responsible for nothing. You, as an apparent mind and body, no longer have anything to do. 'God' does everything; you do nothing.
15. All human problems come from the belief you are a separate body-mind. Once you see you do not exist in this way, great and restful peace comes. There is nothing for you to do, because 'It' does everything. (It does no good to give this 'force' a name such as God; labels only obscure and leave an impression of existence as a sublime object.)
II. True Self
1. All the above is obtained in the waking state, the state of everyday wakefulness. All that you know or understand, as you, is mind in the waking state of consciousness.
2. That waking state comes and goes. It goes when you fall asleep. It goes when you get drunk. It goes sometimes when you get hit in the head. It goes when your body dies. It is not permanent. It is like a candle’s flame in a breeze, sometimes it flickers hot, sometimes almost dies, but eventually burns out.
3. Always in the waking state there is an associated body, which has a conceptual, apparent existence. It is the body’s senses and the mind that creates the world and me. But it is all illusion, imagination in consciousness.
4. Waking consciousness is body consciousness. Without a body, there are no senses; without senses there are no sense objects or the world. Or so it appears.
Dreaming consciousness also requires an imaginal body. All things are created by mind, and the individual mind is associated with an apparent brain and body.
5. In fact, even the waking state and the dream states themselves arise as mindstuff out of the fundamental, before mind, nature. That is, not only are waking and dream objects a figment of the human mind, the waking and dream states themselves, along with the dream-conceived body, have no real existence.
6. The apparent body/mind is a “knot†of awareness. There is a awareness beyond that knot. That ‘beyond’ awareness contains and gives an apparent existence to waking and dream consciousness, otherwise called the waking and dream states, and the objects that populate those states.
7. The first awakening destroys the I and the object world. The second awakening destroys the awake consciousness and dream consciousness. All continue to appear to exist, but you now know they are fraudulent. They arise out of something 'deeper'. (The term 'deeper' also creates an imaginal duality; a duality that is not real but is stated for exposition only.)
8. Even the deep sleep state is a state of consciousness. The brain, mind and body are shut down during that ‘time’. All is forgotten because remembering requires mind. Mind is shut down during deep sleep as is the brain. Both are forgotten. But an underlying tone of awareness continues. Many people after some practice "feel" the presence of the sleep state even when awake, and also that they are prior to both the waking and sleep states. YOU are that which can simultaneously be aware of both waking and sleeping, even though you are primarily the waking state at the time.
9. That deeper awareness or consciousness, YOU, observes waking, dream and sleep.
10. There is no argument that can prove there is an observing consciousness or existence in sleep. All arguments that there is consciousness in sleep depend on argumentation and inference. They try to convince the reader that this is their direct experience by inference. This is a weakness of all Jnani-style expositions: the mystery of the deep sleep state, or the third state of consciousness.
11. There is a “state†of consciousness that is “beyond†the deep sleep state. That primary consciousness classically is called awareness here for the sake of communication. That awareness is beyond waking and dream consciousness. That awareness exists and witnesses all the other states of waking, dream and deep sleep. Finding that core awareness in the waking state, and disidentifying with the objects of the waking state, is called self-realization. In that realization, the waking state itself is seen as fraud. Further explanation here.
12. All other states come and go on this stateless state of awareness, often called the fourth state. The fourth state is the witness of waking, sleep and dream. It is the constant note of the fundamental awareness that appears to be you as a small and insignificant body/mind.
13. The concept of a fourth state is is a conceptual distinction only, but as close to “truth†as can be put into words, as It lies “before†and beyond the waking, sleep and dream states, and, in fact dwells as a constant presence in all. Every state of consciousness and all objects that populate all waking and dream worlds, flow from it and are observed by it. Waking, dream and sleep are derivative, but it is not a state itself. It is the subjective source from which all other states arise as object. You cannot see or witness it as it is the witness of all.
14. Until you know this fundamental truth consciously, that is, through the use of the waking mind, the fourth state is only an idea, a concept, one among many concepts and certainly not proved through argumentation.
15. This fourth (non) state is given the label, “Turiya,†for the sake of exposition. The terms “the fourth state†and “Turiya†are only concepts, words, until you experience that beyond and before the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states. The latter are temporary and unstable. Turiya alone is permanent and stable. Essentially only Turiya exists, all else is temporary, imaginal, derivative.
16. In fact, Turiya, the stateless state, awareness has no existence as existence is a property of the imaginary world. Awareness is beyond any existence and is the observer of the apparent existent.
17. The deathless and stateless awareness, Turiya, is aware always, and itself is aware that it exists and transcends everything, but itself is not perceived. This is known in silence. Until you know this awareness in silence, you cannot know you are not an individual, a human, who lives and dies, has a beginning and an end.
18. Turiya is the permanent state, the deathless state, the eternal state beyond and before existence. You, as awareness, always were. There never was a time you were not, nor will there ever be.
19. This silent absolutely still awareness called Turiya is discovered either in the waking state, or during the apparent gap between waking and the dream states. This is the place most “people†first recognize Turiya. In that gap, mind does not prevail. Awareness alone prevails. At this time, awareness becomes aware of itself as apart from the states of waking, dream and sleep.
20. One step more and you understand you are beyond even Turiya. Turiya is still the witness of all, but you are beyond even this. You are the knower of awareness.
III. Self-realization
1. This is difficult to express, but fundamentally, only Turiya exists, all other states are derivative and all objects are derivative of the derivative states. Yet, when Turiya is stabilized as your primary state—when one is always aware of that fundamental state—the other states and the world are also seen to be you, but merely as a shadow of the real you. These states have so little in common with the real you, you might as well as say they do not exist. To say more than this creates too many conceptual problems that lead to unending philosophical discourse which is an insolvable diversion from correct practice of abiding in self. Therefore, such inquiry should never be pursued. Only abiding in the self should be pursued.
2. The initial insight that you really are the background state, the deathless state, Turiya, is the beginning of self-realization. Self, as the derivative waking state, recognizes its fundamental nature as the deathless fourth stateless state, Turiya, which is beyond and before waking, dream or sleep consciousness.
3. Most people who discover this lose it, because they do not stabilize in the Turiya state. Stabilization requires practice. In many persons that the Turiya recognition comes to, the mind as an apparent entity is destroyed forever. However, to most who become aware of Turiya, that recognition is eventually lost, but the memory of the truth of the fundamental state and the derivative states remains forever.
4. ‘Effort’ is needed by most to stabilize in the fourth state, even though there is no effort in the fourth state itself. Using effort you need to practice being in the effortless state. This means in actuality, remaining in thoughtless silence. Ramana “practiced†remaining in that fourth state, silence, single-mindedly for many years before he taught anyone. However, once the human mind dies permanently, one is always in the stateless state, the fourth state, Turiya. It is better to practice self-inquiry than know this.
5. Robert advised holding onto that state as an act of will until it is forever your understanding.
6. Awareness of, immersion in that stateless, eternal state comes and goes until the core thought processes cease with the so-called ego’s death. Then there is total stability in the root consciousness. Please recognize that all that I have just said is concept to you and has as little value as any other dream. It is a little lie to get you to practice trying to hold onto awareness. The important thing is to abide in the self.
7. What is important is the experience of Samadhi and finally Sahaj Samadhi, the total annihilation of the personal and imaginal self.
8. Even then, know you are beyond even this. No description can be given. It is ineffable.
9. Most of what meditators consider advanced meditative states, including all the talk about the self-illumined Clear Light Emptiness, are really still a phenomena within imaginal space. The so-called "pure awareness" happens to you when the entirety of imaginal space disappears along with the feeling of existence and the sense of I-ness. The totality of the sense of presence is just a complex of thought forms tied into our sense of physical existence as a body-mind. This is what Nisargadatta calls "I-Am." All that disappears at awakening. One becomes empty, silent, non-existent and beyond all existence.
IV Finally
1. By now you probably recognize that both the personal and spiritual life are all about identification.
2. Do you identify with the objects of the imaginal space emanating from your non-existent mind?
3. Do you instead identify with the entire manifestation of consciousness, all phenomenality, the comings and goings of consciousness and objects in consciousness? This is the oneness or unity state that Bernadette Roberts and others talk about. This is also the Samadhi state where all that there is is consciousness and an identification with the totality. These were my Mt. Baldy experiences.
4. Or do you identify with the background upon which All comes and goes? THAT which is aware of the coming and going of consciousness? The pure, cold, emptiness that contains everything but itself does not exist?
5. One might be tempted to call this background pure consciousness or the void, but it is beyond any concepts or pointers.
6. At some moment you will become aware that there is at once a sense of existence and then it passes. In the morning, a sense of existence arises and disappears at sleep. There is something that is firmly aware of the comings and goings of this waking consciousness. The "feeling" is that the existence and then non-existence states come to you. You know both that you are, and you know that you, at times, also are not.
7. This knowingness of the coming and going of the oneness consciousness state, automatically reveals you are not that oneness state. That oneness state comes to you and then it leaves. You have nothing to do with it.
8. Once this conviction of a prior “existence†is strong, a “disidentification†with the body/mind and the totality of the comings and goings of the world, dream and sleep can take place, supplanted by the firm knowledge that you are beyond all that.
9. To use ignorance producing words, there is an identification with that which cannot be perceived as who you really are. One becomes That, but cannot be aware of that.
10. Freedom is a disruption of the identification with phenomenality. First it is a disidentification with the objects in the imaginal world, both dream and waking, then a disidentification with the process of the coming and going of consciousness itself. You rest in yourself, having the position of this Self beyond all.
11. You are before being and not being, awake and dream take place in time. You have no time.
12. With this comes peace, happiness, and an end to searching.
13. You have not attained You; instead you have lost the false identification with the smallest part of You, the imaginal passing show of consciousness. You are the awareness of that consciousness.
14. When this disidentification comes, all the Jnana sutras become clear.
15. When this disidentification comes, You realize You are beyond all.
16. That realization is felt as absolute conviction associated with an immediate 'apprehension' that You are beyond the comings and goings of consciousness. It is not merely an intellection discovery, and only a conviction, but a conviction arises from a direct apprehension of your true nature. This apprehension is not an experience. Both experiences and ordinary convictions come and go. This is an apprehension at the deepest level of being of that which lies prior to beingness, which Zen masters and Nisargadatta call the Unborn.
17. This is not the end, it is the real beginning of sadhana. Before there was only practice and effort, but now you have the taste for and the direction of the Infinite, your unborn true self.
18. You are beyond even the knowledge that you are beyond all; but that knowledge liberates you from the all. Then you are totally free, abiding in that which is entirely beyond. Once you know this, stay there as often and long as you can until all humanhood is burnt out and exhausted and you live in peace.
19. Then, as Robert often said, you are happy beyond belief, fearless, for you cannot die as you realize you, as a human and even as consciousness, were never born. Then, though you appear to be human and functioning, and that identification is still possible for a long while, the sting of suffering is gone, and you are happy.
V. Practice
1. The neo-jnanis proclaim instant enlightenment is possible if only you understand the Jnani-words. They may say look inside and you will immediately see that the I-thought has no basis and this is all you have to do. If only it were that easy.
2. Truly though, recognizing that the I-thought noun does not point to anything in existence is the beginning of right understanding. This right understanding can be taught. This is Advaita philosophy. It is also many forms of Buddhist philosophy. Just this “correct†teaching can go a long way towards realizing the I is only a concept, and when the concept is destroyed, so it the world and all burdens of the world, including the need to plan and work towards goals, as they do not exist.
3. However, true self-realization is not just seeing the I does not exist, and therefore the body and world do not exist. This only allows at some point an identification with awareness itself.
4. The Turiya stateless state, pure, silent awareness, is always there, both containing and being embedded in the waking, dream and deep sleep states.
5. How to ‘find’ Turiya amongst all the other states and objects that comprise the body/mind/feelings/thoughts that are the ordinary human condition is the problem of practice. How to find the self, that which exists always and knows its own existence; that is the single main point, the main question. It is always there, it is your fundamental state, but ‘you’ do not know this because of mind which takes only itself and the world as existent.
6. The “true†ways of practice are also a fundamental problem. You will hear many different methods discussed, even by Ramana, Robert, Nisargadatta and many others. It is easy to get confused because until Turiya is uncovered in your waking consciousness, you do not know how or where to go. All methods are based on trust. Some say go East, some West. Others say Northwest or South. Which way to go? Some say go nowhere. What to do; what to do?
7. It is my finding that correct practicing is the most difficult thing of all. In fact, a misunderstanding or incorrect practice of hunting for Turiya can lead to a lifetime of frustrated seeking leading to abandonment of seeking, leaving an aftertaste of bitterness. Very few people I have know who had started out with very sincere intent and practice maintain it more than five years. Even listening to a close personal teacher who really has realized can lead to frustration for many reasons. One is that you cannot understand his directions because you do not have his discrimination. Another is you become a friend and do not see his direction as coming from the ultimate silent awareness. You regard him or her as human.
8. For me, correct practice was not willful; it happened by itself. After Robert left, I could not help myself and just sank into myself. I lay around my house, unable or willing to work, listening to sacred music and gradually sinking into ever increasing happiness. There I stayed but not willfully. The “practice†of self-abiding just happened by itself. Therefore practice was without effort. Yet, had I not practiced variously for many years, the effortless practice would not have occurred.
9. If you assume you need a teacher—which you should have if he is right for you—how do you find him? One can write a mountain of books about finding a teacher or hunt him through space and time, none of which will help you.
10. Even worse than that is practicing without the guidance of a teacher. Truly you are blind and attempting to find the “light switch†in a house with no light. In fact, you cannot even be sure a light switch exists let alone know how to look around the house to find a light-switch. It is because of this situation most Jnanis search for 30 years and still do not find. They give up at some point. Some even give up when they have a good teacher.
11. Therefore no advice about teachers can be given. Sometimes for someone, a teacher is necessary. For even that same person, at other times all teachers are to be avoided, either because they are wrong, or because it is not yet time, or is past time.
12.It is easy enough to blame that failure of self-realization on not having the right teacher, the right understanding or the right practice. All these could be true. However, you can have the right teacher, the right understanding and the right practice and still not find Turiya. Sometimes that is how things are. But having all three correctly; the three pillars of the correct teacher, correct understanding and correct practice, is better than half the game. The rest is a mystery. Some use the term ‘grace’, but grace is only another name given to that same mystery.
13. The right practice is to find that common note contained within every moment of any consciousness. This requires an abiding in the consciousness of self. Constant self-abidance gradually reveals everything. Constant self-abidance requires constant vigilance, a dwelling in the “feeling†of I at the core of perception of being an ordinary person. Turiya is “behind†and beyond the sense of being a person in the world. It is found in ordinary consciousness. It is not found by constantly looking into and trying to penetrate the void. It is found by attending to the self that perceives the world this minute. Turiya is not hidden. It is the fundamental awareness that is with you every day and night, and is found when looking into your ordinariness. Everything flows from Turiya.
14. Sometimes that background awareness is experienced as the witness of all. That is, it is perceived as the subject. But this is not the true subject.
15. Getting lost in the Void is a big problem. It is easy to find the void or emptiness of consciousness during self-observation. But then the person may explore the void and the self-luminous light of the void forever and not get anywhere by looking “inside†the void. Remember, the void itself is object in meditation, it is not the source of all. (See "Self-Realization, paragraph 9 above.)
16. Correct practice depends a lot on where you are. For most it is looking into the feeling of beingness or I, the core feeling in the area of the heart. This is where you learn to separate consciousness of the body as an object, from the subjective sense of self, I.
For others the correct practice is doing nothing and just being aware of consciousness as a whole.
17. Correct practice is a point of great confusion. Finding and maintaining the correct practice—FOR YOU—is a great mystery. There are so many methods, so many teachers, and so many interpretations of even what one teacher offers as the best method.
18. Always though, the method is to understand the self-the fundamental state, the ultimate Witness of all things, including the Void and its self-luminous nature. This Void is not the self, not the fundamental samadhi or awareness; it is a property of awareness.
19. For this reason I will recommend several resources in terms of books and teachings. Correct teachings and correct understanding work hand in hand. Therefore, you need both teaching about the truth of the real self and also pointers about how to abide in the self. Correct understanding that I does not exist, there is nothing associated with the I-thought, can destroy the reality of your humanness and human world, revealing the undifferentiated oneness of the waking state. But long self-abidance reveals a deeper truth, namely that the correct understanding of No-I and the oneness of existence, only happens to the waking state, and the waking state itself is only a concept, a derivative state of the eternal self.
20. Even this is a poor misstatement that will confuse more than it helps. Therefore, we must remain silent and only seek to know how to abide in the self through correct practice.
21. Self-inquiry and self abidance are the same; they only appear to be different at the beginning. Self-inquiry of various sorts is/was common in Rinzai Zen, where the ultimate question always was “Who Am I?†For years one practiced Who Am I inquiry. The biography of those who thus practiced and succeeded are rare, but revealing. The biography of Zen Master Bassui cames immediately to mind.
22. Abiding in the self through undifferentiated self-awareness, awareness alone, abiding in the ultimate silence prior to human existence is the practice called Shikantaza in the Soto school of Zen. These techniques are true, tested and universal. Unfortunately, it usually takes a long, long time to find the true emptiness and true void without elements of the imaginal space. However, when it is first encountered, when it first happens to you, you will know without ANY doubt that you have gone beyond mind and the imaginal world. If one goes to a Zen monastery and practices hard, this can happen in a relatively short time, albeit not permanently. It is a matter of intensity at first.
VI. Admonition
1. All of the above is mindstuff. You will translate it into your mindstuff. As such it is entertainment. The hope is that it will lead you to self-investigation—practice—rather than just going to teachers or reading books.
2. Everything above is true at one level and total bull on another. To try to express different levels of concept simultaneously is the utmost disservice.
3. There is enough “meat†in the above to generate a lot of confusing “sticking†points that make you feel impelled to discover answers for yourself. It really helps to have your own kernel question that impels you to investigate yourself with intensity and a desire to know. When you have your kernel question, you will listen to many teachers and question them and read many books to find an answer. You will likely not find a given answer that satisfies you. Then you will hopefully see this problem as a gift rather than a terrible impediment. That deep questioning lead to intensity or investigation.
4. Of course this problem is only one of words, concepts. It is not a real problem. The real problem is how to abide in the self, how to love the self.
Be Impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity.
Say only what you mean.
Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.
Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Dont take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you.
What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.
When you are immune to the opinion of others, you wont be the victim of needless suffering.
Dont make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.
Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.
With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment,
it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.
Under any circumstances, simply do your best,
and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.
Speak with integrity.
Say only what you mean.
Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.
Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Dont take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you.
What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.
When you are immune to the opinion of others, you wont be the victim of needless suffering.
Dont make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.
Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.
With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment,
it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.
Under any circumstances, simply do your best,
and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.
THE WISE MAN’S TEN RULES OF LIFE
Do not hope that your body will be free from illness. If you do not experience illness, you will be fallen to temptation in arrogance and thus act immorally.
Therefore, the wise man says that you should think of your illnesses as good medicine to learn from.
Do not expect a life free from hardships. Without the experience of hardships, you will become arrogant and boastful.
Therefore, the wise man says to gain wisdom from the obstacles of life.
Do not expect to learn self-discipline without any hardships. Without hardships. your learning will always be incomplete.
Therefore, the wise man says to think of the obstacles as everyday occurrences.
There will always be people who will not cooperate with your plans. If there were not, you would not be able to learn.
Therefore, the wise man says to befriend those who will be against you so that they may help you to learn.
Do not expect your plans to be fulfilled easily. if they are easily fulfilled, you will be prone to arrogance.
Therefore, the wise man says to enjoy the overcoming of obstacles as learning experiences.
Do not befriend someone for your own interest only. If you do, you will only hurt yourself.
Therefore, the wise man says to seek friends who may not always agree with you so that you may learn from them.
Do not expect others to always agree with you. If they do, you will always think that you are always right.
Therefore, the wise man says to look to those who disagree with you so that you may learn from them and become wise.
Do not expect something in return for helping someone. If you expect something, then you will become prone to arrogance.
Therefore, the wise man says to forget and to be satisfied only with the help that you have given.
Do not expect to gain more than you have contributed. If you gain more than you have put in, then you will have evil thoughts which will prevent your progress.
Therefore, the wise man says to be satisfied with humble profits.
Do not always try to vindicate your feelings of victimization. If you try to vindicate yourself. you will have to put the blame on someone or something else.
Therefore, the wise man says that through this experience, you can open the door of self-discipline.
www.kimsookarate.com/contributions/ten-rules.html
Do not hope that your body will be free from illness. If you do not experience illness, you will be fallen to temptation in arrogance and thus act immorally.
Therefore, the wise man says that you should think of your illnesses as good medicine to learn from.
Do not expect a life free from hardships. Without the experience of hardships, you will become arrogant and boastful.
Therefore, the wise man says to gain wisdom from the obstacles of life.
Do not expect to learn self-discipline without any hardships. Without hardships. your learning will always be incomplete.
Therefore, the wise man says to think of the obstacles as everyday occurrences.
There will always be people who will not cooperate with your plans. If there were not, you would not be able to learn.
Therefore, the wise man says to befriend those who will be against you so that they may help you to learn.
Do not expect your plans to be fulfilled easily. if they are easily fulfilled, you will be prone to arrogance.
Therefore, the wise man says to enjoy the overcoming of obstacles as learning experiences.
Do not befriend someone for your own interest only. If you do, you will only hurt yourself.
Therefore, the wise man says to seek friends who may not always agree with you so that you may learn from them.
Do not expect others to always agree with you. If they do, you will always think that you are always right.
Therefore, the wise man says to look to those who disagree with you so that you may learn from them and become wise.
Do not expect something in return for helping someone. If you expect something, then you will become prone to arrogance.
Therefore, the wise man says to forget and to be satisfied only with the help that you have given.
Do not expect to gain more than you have contributed. If you gain more than you have put in, then you will have evil thoughts which will prevent your progress.
Therefore, the wise man says to be satisfied with humble profits.
Do not always try to vindicate your feelings of victimization. If you try to vindicate yourself. you will have to put the blame on someone or something else.
Therefore, the wise man says that through this experience, you can open the door of self-discipline.
www.kimsookarate.com/contributions/ten-rules.html
О, человек! ОÑтавь планы приобреÑти что-то в Ñтом мире. Ð’Ñе, что Ñуждено, Ñ‚Ñ‹ и так получишь, проÑто выполнÑÑ Ñвои обÑзанноÑти. Будь удовлетворен тем, что приходит Ñамо Ñобой, а Ð¶ÐµÐ»Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ Ð½Ð°Ð¿Ñ€Ð°Ð²ÑŒ на очищение разума. Сделай его духовным!
Ðаша жи...знь так же уÑтойчива, как ÐºÐ°Ð¿Ð»Ñ Ñ€Ð¾ÑÑ‹, ÐºÐ¾Ñ‚Ð¾Ñ€Ð°Ñ Ð´Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð¸Ñ‚ на лепеÑтке лотоÑа. Знай же, что Ñтот мир вÑегда оÑтанетÑÑ Ð² плену болезни, гордоÑти и Ñкорби!
Пока Ñ‚Ñ‹ богат и можешь заработать деньги, Ñ‚ÐµÐ±Ñ Ð¾ÐºÑ€ÑƒÐ¶Ð°ÐµÑ‚ ÑÐµÐ¼ÑŒÑ Ð¸ друзьÑ, воÑхищенно поющие твою Ñлаву, но придет ÑтароÑÑ‚ÑŒ, и никто не захочет Ñ Ñ‚Ð¾Ð±Ð¾Ð¹ даже проÑто поговорить!
Пока в нашем теле движетÑÑ Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð´ÑƒÑ…, вÑе в доме интереÑуютÑÑ: "Как твои дела? Как здоровье?" Ðо Ñтоит дыханию жизни покинуть твое тело, даже жена в Ñтрахе уÑтремитÑÑ Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ‡ÑŒ от него!
Ребенок привÑзан к детÑким играм, а юноша вÑе Ñвое Ð²Ñ€ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ñ‚Ñ€Ð°Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ‚ на молодых девушек; и в ÑтароÑти беÑпокойные мыÑли о том и о Ñем не дают покоÑ… Когда же Ñ‚Ñ‹ найдешь времÑ, чтобы задуматьÑÑ Ð¾ Сущем?!
Кто Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾Ñ Ð¶ÐµÐ½Ð°? Кто твой Ñын? Кому принадлежит Ñтот Ñтоль пеÑтрый мир? Кто Ñ‚Ñ‹? И откуда? Брат! ЗадумайÑÑ Ð¾Ð± Ñтом ÑейчаÑ!
Ð’ общении Ñо ÑвÑтыми развиваетÑÑ Ð½ÐµÐ¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзанноÑÑ‚ÑŒ; непривÑзанноÑÑ‚ÑŒ уÑтранÑет иллюзию, а разрушение иллюзии позволÑет обреÑти духовную ÑтойкоÑÑ‚ÑŒ. СоÑредоточенный на ÐбÑолютной ИÑтине человек уже в Ñтой жизни получает оÑвобождение.
Откуда краÑота в дрÑхлом теле? И откуда вода в переÑохшем пруду? ЕÑли Ñ‚Ñ‹ потерÑл богатÑтво, то откуда взÑÑ‚ÑŒÑÑ Ð¼Ð½Ð¾Ð³Ð¾Ñ‡Ð¸Ñленным родÑтвенникам? И еÑли Ñ‚Ñ‹ оÑознал ИÑтину, откуда возьмутÑÑ Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ и Ñмерть?!
Ðе гордиÑÑŒ богатÑтвом, хорошими друзьÑми и молодоÑтью. Ð’Ñе Ñто может иÑчезнуть в одно мгновение. ОÑтавь мир иллюзии, предайÑÑ Ð“Ð¾Ñподу и вÑтупи в Его вечную обитель!
День и ночь, Ñумерки и раÑÑвет, зима и веÑна… Вновь и вновь приходÑÑ‚ и уходÑÑ‚. Ð’Ñ€ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ð¸Ð³Ñ€Ð°ÐµÑ‚ Ñ Ð½Ð°Ð¼Ð¸, и жизнь вот-вот пройдет… Ðо ураган желаний никогда не утихает в нашем уме!
Ты поÑтоÑнно думаешь о Ñвоей жене, о богатÑтве… Безумец! Зачем? Что мешает тебе вмеÑто Ñтого продвигатьÑÑ Ð´ÑƒÑ…Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ð¾? Прими добрый Ñовет: во вÑех трех мирах нет лучшего ÑредÑтва преодолеть океан Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð¸ Ñмерти, чем общение Ñо Ñвоим Сердцем.
Можно иметь Ñпутанные волоÑÑ‹, а можно начиÑто обрить голову. Можно даже выщипать Ñебе волоÑÑ‹ тут и там! Можно одетьÑÑ Ð² шафрановые одежды или вырÑдитьÑÑ Ñотней других ÑпоÑобов… Ðо еÑли при Ñтом жизнью человека будет руководить не подконтрольный ум, вÑе Ñто беÑполезно. Такой глупец, даже вÑтретив иÑтину лицом к лицу, не увидит ее!
Даже когда тело оÑлабнет, а волоÑÑ‹ на голове поÑедеют и выпадут, рот лишитÑÑ Ð·ÑƒÐ±Ð¾Ð², и Ñ‚Ñ‹ даже по дому не Ñможешь ходить без палки, даже тогда запутанный комок желаний не отпуÑтит тебÑ!
Даже еÑли человек днем Ñидит на Ñолнце, окружив ÑÐµÐ±Ñ Ð¾Ð³Ð½ÐµÐ¼, а ночь переживает, лишь уткнув подбородок в колени, и питаетÑÑ Ñ‚Ð¾Ð»ÑŒÐºÐ¾ милоÑтыней, и живет под деревом… Даже тогда Ð¿ÐµÑ‚Ð»Ñ Ð¶ÐµÐ»Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ð¹ не оÑлабевает!
Можно Ñовершать Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ð²ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð² Ганге или неукоÑнительно Ñоблюдать Ñуровые обеты, или заниматьÑÑ Ð±Ð»Ð°Ð³Ð¾Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸Ñ‚ÐµÐ»ÑŒÐ½Ð¾Ñтью. Ðо вÑе мудрецы Ñкажут тебе: без Ð·Ð½Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ Ð½Ðµ доÑтичь оÑÐ²Ð¾Ð±Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð¸ через Ñотню рождений.
Живешь Ñ‚Ñ‹ во дворце или под деревом, Ñпишь на роÑкошной кровати или на голой земле. Окружен Ñ‚Ñ‹ вÑеми возможными удовольÑтвиÑми или отказываешьÑÑ Ð¾Ñ‚ них. Ð’Ñе Ñто не имеет значениÑ, еÑли не делает Ñ‚ÐµÐ±Ñ ÑчаÑтливым!
Кто-то ищет удовлетворение в йоге, а кто-то - в наÑлаждении чувÑтв; кто-то в общении, а кто-то - в отказе от общениÑ… Ðо лишь тот, чье Ñознание погружено в бытие ГоÑпода, может по-наÑтоÑщему ощутить ÑчаÑтье. Лишь он по-наÑтоÑщему наÑлаждаетÑÑ! Только он наÑлаждаетÑÑ!
Сложно неуклонно Ñледовать пути духовного развитиÑ. Ибо Ñта дорога выше материального добра и зла. Ðо йог, подчинивший Ñ Ð¿Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ñ‰ÑŒÑŽ твердой духовной практики Ñвой ум и разум, может наÑлаждатьÑÑ Ð½ÐµÐ¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзанноÑтью к Ñтому миру, подобно ребенку или ÑумаÑшедшему.
И в тебе, и во мне, и во вÑех находитÑÑ Ð²ÐµÑ‡Ð½Ñ‹Ð¹ Брахман. Он во вÑех один. Зачем же гневатьÑÑ Ð½Ð° кого-либо или нетерпимо отноÑитьÑÑ ÐºÐ¾ мне или кому-нибудь еще? Ты должен равно отноÑитьÑÑ ÐºÐ¾ вÑем, еÑли хочешь войти в царÑтво ГоÑпода.
Ðе ÑтарайÑÑ Ð¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзатьÑÑ Ð¸Ð»Ð¸ отвергнуть врагов и друзей, детей и родÑтвенников. ОтноÑиÑÑŒ к ним, как к Ñебе, понимаÑ, что вÑепроникающий ГоÑподь находитÑÑ Ð²Ð¾ вÑех живых ÑущеÑтвах.
Вожделение, гнев, жадноÑÑ‚ÑŒ, иллюзиÑ… ОтброÑÑŒ вÑе Ñто! Пойми природу души, ÑобÑтвенную природу, Ñвое меÑто в мире. Тот, кого не интереÑует знание о Духе, - глупец! Его будущее - кромешный ад!
Ðаша жи...знь так же уÑтойчива, как ÐºÐ°Ð¿Ð»Ñ Ñ€Ð¾ÑÑ‹, ÐºÐ¾Ñ‚Ð¾Ñ€Ð°Ñ Ð´Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð¸Ñ‚ на лепеÑтке лотоÑа. Знай же, что Ñтот мир вÑегда оÑтанетÑÑ Ð² плену болезни, гордоÑти и Ñкорби!
Пока Ñ‚Ñ‹ богат и можешь заработать деньги, Ñ‚ÐµÐ±Ñ Ð¾ÐºÑ€ÑƒÐ¶Ð°ÐµÑ‚ ÑÐµÐ¼ÑŒÑ Ð¸ друзьÑ, воÑхищенно поющие твою Ñлаву, но придет ÑтароÑÑ‚ÑŒ, и никто не захочет Ñ Ñ‚Ð¾Ð±Ð¾Ð¹ даже проÑто поговорить!
Пока в нашем теле движетÑÑ Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð´ÑƒÑ…, вÑе в доме интереÑуютÑÑ: "Как твои дела? Как здоровье?" Ðо Ñтоит дыханию жизни покинуть твое тело, даже жена в Ñтрахе уÑтремитÑÑ Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ‡ÑŒ от него!
Ребенок привÑзан к детÑким играм, а юноша вÑе Ñвое Ð²Ñ€ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ñ‚Ñ€Ð°Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ‚ на молодых девушек; и в ÑтароÑти беÑпокойные мыÑли о том и о Ñем не дают покоÑ… Когда же Ñ‚Ñ‹ найдешь времÑ, чтобы задуматьÑÑ Ð¾ Сущем?!
Кто Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾Ñ Ð¶ÐµÐ½Ð°? Кто твой Ñын? Кому принадлежит Ñтот Ñтоль пеÑтрый мир? Кто Ñ‚Ñ‹? И откуда? Брат! ЗадумайÑÑ Ð¾Ð± Ñтом ÑейчаÑ!
Ð’ общении Ñо ÑвÑтыми развиваетÑÑ Ð½ÐµÐ¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзанноÑÑ‚ÑŒ; непривÑзанноÑÑ‚ÑŒ уÑтранÑет иллюзию, а разрушение иллюзии позволÑет обреÑти духовную ÑтойкоÑÑ‚ÑŒ. СоÑредоточенный на ÐбÑолютной ИÑтине человек уже в Ñтой жизни получает оÑвобождение.
Откуда краÑота в дрÑхлом теле? И откуда вода в переÑохшем пруду? ЕÑли Ñ‚Ñ‹ потерÑл богатÑтво, то откуда взÑÑ‚ÑŒÑÑ Ð¼Ð½Ð¾Ð³Ð¾Ñ‡Ð¸Ñленным родÑтвенникам? И еÑли Ñ‚Ñ‹ оÑознал ИÑтину, откуда возьмутÑÑ Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ и Ñмерть?!
Ðе гордиÑÑŒ богатÑтвом, хорошими друзьÑми и молодоÑтью. Ð’Ñе Ñто может иÑчезнуть в одно мгновение. ОÑтавь мир иллюзии, предайÑÑ Ð“Ð¾Ñподу и вÑтупи в Его вечную обитель!
День и ночь, Ñумерки и раÑÑвет, зима и веÑна… Вновь и вновь приходÑÑ‚ и уходÑÑ‚. Ð’Ñ€ÐµÐ¼Ñ Ð¸Ð³Ñ€Ð°ÐµÑ‚ Ñ Ð½Ð°Ð¼Ð¸, и жизнь вот-вот пройдет… Ðо ураган желаний никогда не утихает в нашем уме!
Ты поÑтоÑнно думаешь о Ñвоей жене, о богатÑтве… Безумец! Зачем? Что мешает тебе вмеÑто Ñтого продвигатьÑÑ Ð´ÑƒÑ…Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ð¾? Прими добрый Ñовет: во вÑех трех мирах нет лучшего ÑредÑтва преодолеть океан Ñ€Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð¸ Ñмерти, чем общение Ñо Ñвоим Сердцем.
Можно иметь Ñпутанные волоÑÑ‹, а можно начиÑто обрить голову. Можно даже выщипать Ñебе волоÑÑ‹ тут и там! Можно одетьÑÑ Ð² шафрановые одежды или вырÑдитьÑÑ Ñотней других ÑпоÑобов… Ðо еÑли при Ñтом жизнью человека будет руководить не подконтрольный ум, вÑе Ñто беÑполезно. Такой глупец, даже вÑтретив иÑтину лицом к лицу, не увидит ее!
Даже когда тело оÑлабнет, а волоÑÑ‹ на голове поÑедеют и выпадут, рот лишитÑÑ Ð·ÑƒÐ±Ð¾Ð², и Ñ‚Ñ‹ даже по дому не Ñможешь ходить без палки, даже тогда запутанный комок желаний не отпуÑтит тебÑ!
Даже еÑли человек днем Ñидит на Ñолнце, окружив ÑÐµÐ±Ñ Ð¾Ð³Ð½ÐµÐ¼, а ночь переживает, лишь уткнув подбородок в колени, и питаетÑÑ Ñ‚Ð¾Ð»ÑŒÐºÐ¾ милоÑтыней, и живет под деревом… Даже тогда Ð¿ÐµÑ‚Ð»Ñ Ð¶ÐµÐ»Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ð¹ не оÑлабевает!
Можно Ñовершать Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ð²ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð² Ганге или неукоÑнительно Ñоблюдать Ñуровые обеты, или заниматьÑÑ Ð±Ð»Ð°Ð³Ð¾Ñ‚Ð²Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸Ñ‚ÐµÐ»ÑŒÐ½Ð¾Ñтью. Ðо вÑе мудрецы Ñкажут тебе: без Ð·Ð½Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ñ Ð½Ðµ доÑтичь оÑÐ²Ð¾Ð±Ð¾Ð¶Ð´ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ Ð¸ через Ñотню рождений.
Живешь Ñ‚Ñ‹ во дворце или под деревом, Ñпишь на роÑкошной кровати или на голой земле. Окружен Ñ‚Ñ‹ вÑеми возможными удовольÑтвиÑми или отказываешьÑÑ Ð¾Ñ‚ них. Ð’Ñе Ñто не имеет значениÑ, еÑли не делает Ñ‚ÐµÐ±Ñ ÑчаÑтливым!
Кто-то ищет удовлетворение в йоге, а кто-то - в наÑлаждении чувÑтв; кто-то в общении, а кто-то - в отказе от общениÑ… Ðо лишь тот, чье Ñознание погружено в бытие ГоÑпода, может по-наÑтоÑщему ощутить ÑчаÑтье. Лишь он по-наÑтоÑщему наÑлаждаетÑÑ! Только он наÑлаждаетÑÑ!
Сложно неуклонно Ñледовать пути духовного развитиÑ. Ибо Ñта дорога выше материального добра и зла. Ðо йог, подчинивший Ñ Ð¿Ð¾Ð¼Ð¾Ñ‰ÑŒÑŽ твердой духовной практики Ñвой ум и разум, может наÑлаждатьÑÑ Ð½ÐµÐ¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзанноÑтью к Ñтому миру, подобно ребенку или ÑумаÑшедшему.
И в тебе, и во мне, и во вÑех находитÑÑ Ð²ÐµÑ‡Ð½Ñ‹Ð¹ Брахман. Он во вÑех один. Зачем же гневатьÑÑ Ð½Ð° кого-либо или нетерпимо отноÑитьÑÑ ÐºÐ¾ мне или кому-нибудь еще? Ты должен равно отноÑитьÑÑ ÐºÐ¾ вÑем, еÑли хочешь войти в царÑтво ГоÑпода.
Ðе ÑтарайÑÑ Ð¿Ñ€Ð¸Ð²ÑзатьÑÑ Ð¸Ð»Ð¸ отвергнуть врагов и друзей, детей и родÑтвенников. ОтноÑиÑÑŒ к ним, как к Ñебе, понимаÑ, что вÑепроникающий ГоÑподь находитÑÑ Ð²Ð¾ вÑех живых ÑущеÑтвах.
Вожделение, гнев, жадноÑÑ‚ÑŒ, иллюзиÑ… ОтброÑÑŒ вÑе Ñто! Пойми природу души, ÑобÑтвенную природу, Ñвое меÑто в мире. Тот, кого не интереÑует знание о Духе, - глупец! Его будущее - кромешный ад!
Lakshmi
The most favored of all the animal devotees was a cow named Lakshmi. She was brought along with her mother as a gift to Bhagavan. He felt he could not properly care for the cows and so they were taken to farm in a neighboring village. After Lakshmi had been with the farmer for a year or more he went one evening to Ramanas ashram for prayers bringing Lakshmi and her mother with him for a visit. Lakshmi was irresistibly attracted to Ramana and must have noted carefully the way to the ashram. The next day she appeared on her own and from then on came every day returning, by herself the farm in the evening. At some point along the way she became a permanent member of the ashram. During her life at the ashram, Lakshme bore several calves at least three of them on Bhagavan’s birthday.. She was extremely devoted to Bhagavan and he showed her the utmost Grace and kindness.
On June 17, 1948 Lakshmi became very ill and it was clear that her time had come to an end. Bhagavan went to her and said: “Amma (Mother), do you want me near you?†He sat down beside her and cradled her head in his lap putting one hand on her head and one over her heart just as he had done when his own human mother lay dying. He gazed into her eyes for a long time and lay his cheek against hers stroking her gently. She focused all of her attention on Bhagavan and was conscious up to the end, her eyes bright and clear. On June 18th at 11:30 am she left her body peacefully. She was buried in the Ashram compound and given full funeral rights. Her grave was beside that of a deer, crow and dog which Bhagavan had also buried there. A stone was placed over her grave with her likeness carved into it. On the stone was also engraved the epitaph he had written for her stating that she had attained (Mukti) final liberation. The word mukti is used in two different ways. Generally when it is said that someone has attained mukti it means that they have died. The more spiritual term Mukti means that the soul (usually a very advanced soul) has attained final liberation from this realm of existence. When Bhagavan was questioned as to which definition he was referring to when speaking of Lakshmi, did he mean that she had died or that she had attained liberation, he said Mukti - final liberation!
The most favored of all the animal devotees was a cow named Lakshmi. She was brought along with her mother as a gift to Bhagavan. He felt he could not properly care for the cows and so they were taken to farm in a neighboring village. After Lakshmi had been with the farmer for a year or more he went one evening to Ramanas ashram for prayers bringing Lakshmi and her mother with him for a visit. Lakshmi was irresistibly attracted to Ramana and must have noted carefully the way to the ashram. The next day she appeared on her own and from then on came every day returning, by herself the farm in the evening. At some point along the way she became a permanent member of the ashram. During her life at the ashram, Lakshme bore several calves at least three of them on Bhagavan’s birthday.. She was extremely devoted to Bhagavan and he showed her the utmost Grace and kindness.
On June 17, 1948 Lakshmi became very ill and it was clear that her time had come to an end. Bhagavan went to her and said: “Amma (Mother), do you want me near you?†He sat down beside her and cradled her head in his lap putting one hand on her head and one over her heart just as he had done when his own human mother lay dying. He gazed into her eyes for a long time and lay his cheek against hers stroking her gently. She focused all of her attention on Bhagavan and was conscious up to the end, her eyes bright and clear. On June 18th at 11:30 am she left her body peacefully. She was buried in the Ashram compound and given full funeral rights. Her grave was beside that of a deer, crow and dog which Bhagavan had also buried there. A stone was placed over her grave with her likeness carved into it. On the stone was also engraved the epitaph he had written for her stating that she had attained (Mukti) final liberation. The word mukti is used in two different ways. Generally when it is said that someone has attained mukti it means that they have died. The more spiritual term Mukti means that the soul (usually a very advanced soul) has attained final liberation from this realm of existence. When Bhagavan was questioned as to which definition he was referring to when speaking of Lakshmi, did he mean that she had died or that she had attained liberation, he said Mukti - final liberation!
Sri Ramana Maharshi and the Ashram Animals.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi the Indian Saint showed the same consideration to the animals whom destiny had brought into contact with him as to the people. And animals were drawn to him just as people were. Birds and squirrels would build their nests close to him and mother monkeys were often seen to bring their babies to him for blessings in the same way human mothers would bring their children for blessings. He never referred to animals in the usual Indian style as ‘it’ but always as ‘he’ or ‘she.’ At meal time at the ashram the animals were always fed first, then any beggers who might have chanced by, and then the devotes. He referred to the ashram dogs as “the Lads.â€
Many animals found their way to the ashram including dogs, cats, cows, peacocks, squirrels, birds and monkeys. Squirrels would hop through the window of Ramana’s room. He always kept treats for them by his side. The animals felt his Grace and he loved them in return.
Despite protests from his followers, Ramana would not have the snakes who inhabited the ashram grounds killed. He felt that the human beings had invaded their home and that they should be respected. He treated the snakes with the greatest reverence and respect and no one was ever harmed by one. Many animals would gather in the evenings when Bhagavan sat in the hall to talk and pray with his devotees. On occasions when Bhagavan would be delayed, the animals would come to the hall and peer anxiously in the direction of his empty couch. Bhagavan was very intimate with the animals especially the local monkeys who considered him one of their own. Once Bhagavan had been walking with a group of people. They had gone much farther than they expected that day and had become very hungry. Out of nowhere appeared a band of monkeys who swarmed to the top of a high fig tree shaking its branches so that all of the fruit dropped to the ground for Bhagavan and his followers. The monkey left as quickly as they had appeared taking no fruit for themselves.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi the Indian Saint showed the same consideration to the animals whom destiny had brought into contact with him as to the people. And animals were drawn to him just as people were. Birds and squirrels would build their nests close to him and mother monkeys were often seen to bring their babies to him for blessings in the same way human mothers would bring their children for blessings. He never referred to animals in the usual Indian style as ‘it’ but always as ‘he’ or ‘she.’ At meal time at the ashram the animals were always fed first, then any beggers who might have chanced by, and then the devotes. He referred to the ashram dogs as “the Lads.â€
Many animals found their way to the ashram including dogs, cats, cows, peacocks, squirrels, birds and monkeys. Squirrels would hop through the window of Ramana’s room. He always kept treats for them by his side. The animals felt his Grace and he loved them in return.
Despite protests from his followers, Ramana would not have the snakes who inhabited the ashram grounds killed. He felt that the human beings had invaded their home and that they should be respected. He treated the snakes with the greatest reverence and respect and no one was ever harmed by one. Many animals would gather in the evenings when Bhagavan sat in the hall to talk and pray with his devotees. On occasions when Bhagavan would be delayed, the animals would come to the hall and peer anxiously in the direction of his empty couch. Bhagavan was very intimate with the animals especially the local monkeys who considered him one of their own. Once Bhagavan had been walking with a group of people. They had gone much farther than they expected that day and had become very hungry. Out of nowhere appeared a band of monkeys who swarmed to the top of a high fig tree shaking its branches so that all of the fruit dropped to the ground for Bhagavan and his followers. The monkey left as quickly as they had appeared taking no fruit for themselves.
Beings
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