RAMANA-ARUNACHALA SHIVA

Please listen to the divine Stuti by Ilayaraja on Bhagawan

 

 

 

RAMANA MAHARISHI JAYANTHI CELEBRATIONS

The 2013 Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi Jayanthi Celebrations were broadcasted live on the Ashram website.I took coupple of snapshots while streaming.These are snapshots after the Abhishekam was performed by the Veda Pandits from Ramanashramam.

Paul Brunton First Visit to Sri Ramanashramam-A Must Read

 

During his first visit, among many saints and yogis, Brunton also met Sri Ramana. He stayed for a few weeks in an improvised shelter very close to Sri Ramana’s Ashram.The number of full-time devotees being limited at that time, Brunton had ample opportunity of observing the Maharshi at close quarters and interacting with him. He provides a dispassionate, illuminatingand intimate account of the Maharshi’s divinity and itsimpact in his A Search in Secret India published from London in 1934. In his inimitable way he says:

 

There is something in this man which holds my attention as steel filings are held by a magnet. I cannot turn my gaze away from him. I become aware of a silent, resistless change, which is taking place within my mind. One by one, the questions which I prepared with such meticulous accuracy drop away. I know only that a steady river of quietness seems to be flowing near me; that a great peace is penetrating the inner reaches of my being, and that my thought-tortured brain is beginning to arrive at some rest. I perceive with sudden clarity that intellect creates its own problems and then makes itself miserable trying to solve them. This is indeed a novel concept to enter the mind of one who has hitherto placed such high value upon intellect.

 

 I surrender myself to the steadily deepening sense of restfulness. The passage of time now provokes no irritation, because the chains of mind-made problems are being broken and thrown away. And then, little by little, a question takes the field of consciousness. Does this man, the Maharshi, emanate the perfume of spiritual peace as the flower emanates fragrance from its petals? I begin to wonder whether by some radioactivity of the soul, some unknown telepathic process, the stillness which invades the troubled water of my soul really comes from him.The peace overwhelms me. The Maharshi turns and looks down into my face; I, in turn, gaze expectantly up at him. I become aware of a mysterious change taking place with great rapidity in my heart and mind. The old motives which have lured me on begin to desert me. The urgent desires which have sent  my feet hither and thither vanish with incredible swiftness. The dislikes, misunderstandings, coldness and selfishness which have marked my dealings with many of my fellows collapse into the abyss of nothingness. An untellable peace falls upon me and I know that there is nothing further that I shall ask from life.

 

The Sage seems to carry something of great moment to me, yet I cannot easily determine its precise nature. It is intangible, imponderable, perhaps spiritual. Each time I think of him a peculiar sensation pierces me and causes my heart to throb with vague but lofty expectations.

 

I look at the Sage. He sits there on Olympian heights and watches the panorama of life as one apart. There is a mysterious property in this man which differentiates him from all others I have met. He remains mysteriously aloof even when surrounded by his own devotees, men who have loved him and lived near him for years. Sometimes I catch myself wishing that he would be a little more human, a little more susceptible to what seems so normal to us.

Why is it that under his strange glance I invariably experience a peculiar expectancy, as though some stupendous revelation will soon be made to me? This man has freed himself from all problems, and nowoe can touch him.

 
 

The Sage seems to speak not as a philosopher, not as a pandit trying to explain his own doctrine, but rather out of the depth of his own heart. I am not religious but I can no more resist the feeling of increasing awe which begins to grip my mind than a bee can resist a flower in all its luscious bloom. The [Maharshi’s] hall is becoming pervaded with a subtle,intangible and indefinable power which affects me deeply. I feel, without doubt and without hesitation, that the centre of this mysterious power is no other than the Maharshi himself.

 

His eyes shine with astonishing brilliance. Strange sensation begins to arise in me. Those lustrous orbs seem to be peering into the inmost recesses of my soul. In a peculiar way, I feel aware of everything he can see in my heart. His mysterious glance penetrates my thoughts, my emotions and my desires; I am helpless before it. At first, his disconcerting gaze troubles me; I become vaguely uneasy. I feel he has perceived pages that belong to a past, which I have forgotten. He knows it all, I am certain. I am powerless to escape; somehow,I do not want to, either. I become aware that he is definitely linking my own mind with  his, that he is provoking my heart into that state of starry calm, which he seems perpetually to enjoy. In this extraordinary peace, I find a sense of exaltation and lightness. Time seems to stand still. My heart is released from its burden of care. Never again, I feel, shall the bitterness of anger and the melancholy of unsatisfied desire afflict me. My mind is submerged in that of the Maharshi and wisdom is now at its perihelion. What is this man’s gaze but a thaumaturgic wand, which evokes a hidden world of unexpected splendour before my profane eyes? I have sometimes asked myself why these disciples have been staying around the Sage for years with few conversations, fewer comforts and no external activities to attract them. Now I begin to understand – not by thought but by lightning like illuminations – that through all those years they have been receiving a deep and silent reward.

 

Hitherto, everyone in the hall has been hushed to a death-like stillness. At length, someone quietly rises and passes out. He is followed by another, and then another, until all have gone. I am alone with the Maharshi! Never before has this happened. His eyes begin to change; they narrow down to pinpoints. The effect is curiously like the ‘stopping down’ in the focus of a camera lens. There comes a tremendous increase in the intense gleam which shines between the lids, now almost closed. Suddenly, my body seems to disappear, and we are both out in space! It is a crucial moment. I hesitate – and decide to break the enchanter’s spell. Decision brings power and once again I am back in the flesh, back in the hall. No word passes from him to me. I collect my faculties, look at the clock, and rise quietly. The hour of departure has arrived. I bow my head in farewell and depart.

 

  

 

                       May we recieve  HIS Grace which is constantly flowing.

 

                                 SRI RAMANAYA NAMAHA

DEATH AND REBIRTH

Devotee: How long is the interval between death and rebirth?

 

Bhagawan: It may be long or short ,but a realized person undergoes no such change; he merges into the Infinite Being ,as is said in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.some say that those who ,after death,take the path of light arenot reborn ,whereas those hwo take the path of darkness are reborn after they have reaped their karma in their subtle bodies.

 

If a man's merits and demerits are equal he is reborn immediately on earth ; if the merits outweigh the demerits his subtle body goes first to heaven ,while if the demerits outweigh the merits he goes first to hell..But in either case he is later reborn on earth.All this is described in scriptures ,but in fact there is neither birth nor death ;one simply remains what one really is. That is the only truth. 

 

Devotee: Is this consistent with the Hindu doctrine of reincarnating ego? Is the soul a continuous entity which reincarnates again and again according to Hindu doctrine or a mere conglomeration of mental tendencies according to the Buddhists?

 

Bhagawan: The real Self is continuous and unaffected. The reincarnating ego belongs to a lower plane ,that of thought.It is transcended by Self Realization.Reincarnations are due to a spurious offshoot of Being and are therefore denied by Buddhists. The human state is due to the mingling of sentient with insentient.

 

The birth of I-thought is a person's birth and its death is his death. After the I-thought has arisen the false identification with the body arises.but if you cease to identify yourself with the body and realize the true Self this confusion will vanish.

 

 

 

Guru Vaada

A devotee once asked Bhagawan if he is against guruvaada( Guru Shishya Parampara)?

 

Bhagawan: "Why should I be against guruvaada?"He smiled."Some people evidently need a guru; let them follow him.I am against nothing except ego ,the I-ness which is the root of all the evil"

 

Devotee: "But why then don't you come out to preach this great message?" 

 

Bhagawan :" Have you heard of the saying of Vivekananda that if one but thinks a noble ,selfless thougth.even in a cave, it sets up vibrations throughtout the world and does what has to be done ,can be done?"

 

 

BHAGAWAN REPLIES

OM NAMOH BHAGAVATHE SRI RAMANAYA

THESE ARE THE REPLIES GIVEN BY BHAGAWAN ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS TO THE MOST FREQUENT QUESTIONS BY DEVOTEES.THESE ANSWERS ,15 IN NUMBERS,SUMS UP BHAGAWAN'S TEACHINGS.

1. Japa of Koham or Soham is not correct.Put the question once and then concentrate on finding the source of ego and preventing occurrence of thoughts.

2. You should not attend to the breathing if you are capable of concentrating on the enquiry without it.Some may have to attend to breathing if unable to concentrate on the enquiry alone .So may practise keval Kumbhaka during enquiry.Pranayama should be practised with usual caution. Pranayama is like reins to control the mind-horse.

3.Suggestive replies such as Sivoham etc., to the enquiry are not be given to the mind during the meditation.The true answer will come by itself.Any answer the ego may give cannot be correct.The method of enquiry is dhyana and the effortless state is Jnana.

4. I is alos a Guru Mantra.The first name of GOD is I.Even OM comes later.Atma of the self is always saying I-I. There is no mantra without the peson who does the japa ie AHAM.the Japa of Aham is always going on within .Japa leads to Dhyana and Dhyana leads to Jnana.You may practise saguna meditation.Only that method which is most suitable for a person will appeal to him.

5. Without losing hold of the knowledge of "who you are "you may continue all activities as prompted to perform by the inner controller.They will go on even without your efforts. What you are destined to do you cannot avoid.They will come your way of their own accord.You should also understand what japa ,kirtans etc are meant for. The real japa is always going on.Japa and God are one and the same.

6.Dont entertain such thoughts of imperfection ,lack of qualities etc.You are already perfect.Get rid of the ideas of imperfection and need for development.There is nothing to realize or annihilate.You are the SELF the ego does not exits.

Pursue the enquiry and see if there is anything to be realised or annihilated.See if there is any mind to be controlled.Even the effort is being made by the mind which does not exist.

7. Real asana is "being established" in the Self-Reality. Sit in your Self. Where can the Self go and sit .Everything sits in the Self.Find out the source of the I and sit there. Dont have the idea that the Self cannot be realized without the help of asanas etc.

8.You can read whichever book you like.Self is the real book. You can look in to it whenever you like. Nobody can take it away.Hold on to your self in your spare time also and then you can read any book.

9. In the enquiry ,I refers to the ego.

10.Ask yourself "To whom do these doubts ,fears and worries occur?" and they will vanish.Cease to pay attention to them.Pay attention to the ~Self within.Fears etc can only arise when there are two ,or when anybody else exists apart from and separate to you the Self.If you turn the mind inward towards the Self fears etc will disappear.If you try to remove a doubt or fear another will sprout.There is no end of it.The best method to annihilate them is to ask "To whom do they occur"?and they will disappear.Destroying a tree by plucking its leaves one by one is impossible -other leaves will grow by the time you pluck a few.Remove the root of the tree-the ego-and the whole tree with its leaves and branches will be destroyed.Prevention is better than cure.

11.Should I look for the source within the body?

The ego arises within the body.Hence in the first instance you may look within the body for its source.When you reach the source there will be no inside or outside,because the source of the Self is all-pervading.After realizaiton everything will be inside the Self.

12. Is the source on the right side of the mid line of the chest?
The Heart is defined as the place from which the "I thought" arises.Hear means the Centre ,of Consciousness).It cannot be identified with any part of body.

13 Keep the mind quite.That is enough.Sitting in the hall (In Bhagawan's Presence ) will help you. The purpose of effort is to get rid of all efforts. The force will be clearly felt when the still ness is achieved.

Spiritual vibrations exist everywhere and they will manifest when the mind is stilled.

14.Look at your Self or Atman ,rather than anywhere else.
The eyes may be kept open or closed-it is immaterial.There is only one I -EYE .There is no point in opening or closing the eyes.Attention must be focused on inner I. You cease to think of the world when you think of the Self. If you are in a room and close your eyes and do no look out, it is immaterial whether you close the windows or not.

Looking at ajna-chakra etc is not necessary in this method.Concentrate on the Self without which there are  no chakras.The do not exist without you.You are all of them.

15. First find out whether the ego ,which is depressed by thoughts ,exists.Find out how you go the idea of the body .Solve this problem of your ego ,then see if anything remains to be solved.

OM NAMOH BHAGAVATHE SRI RAMANAYA
 

SENSES UNDER CHECK

In 1937 ,and ealderly American came alon giwth a group to visit Sri Bhagavan.The trend of the discussion was that the five senses were to put under check.Since the old American was deaf he couldnot follow the discussions. Sri Bhagavan remarked that the American needed to control only four senses as the fifth(hearing) was already under check.Someone in the hall explainedthis tot he American and he beamed with joy.