SRI BHAGAWAN AND CHITOOR NAGAIAH

Nagaiah V. Chittoor was a legendary Telugu cine artiste, Known for his films Bhaktha Pothana and Bhaktha Thaygaraja , visited Sri Ramana in 1930s.

"When wife died, the whole world looked bleak to me. Everything seemed like an arid desert with no oasis in sight. I would be reading Gita again and over again. The slightest thought of my wife would sink me into deep sorrow. To overcome it I would let my friends force me into giving music concerts.

One day I left my house, wandering here and there, reached Sri Ramanashramam. To me it was like entering the heaven on earth. The atmosphere of profound peace which surrounded the Maharishi and which enveloped the place sank into me. At long last, my mind knew some rest. The majestic silence of Bhagawan ended my suffering and my self concern about the bereavement.

Paul Brunton and I became friends, and time passed happily. One day a friend from Chittoor spotted me and cajoled me into accepting a recording programme for his film. I told him that unless the Maharishi gave his consent, I would not budge. I had not spoken a single word to Bhagawan all this while nor had he to me. But there was some imperceptible yet strong bond of love between us. To leave the majestic master who filled my heart with peace was unthinkable. Still the seeds of desire had been sown. I was looking for an opportunity to get the Maharishi's permission. When the permission was sought he said " Yes, you can go. There is still a lot of work for you to do". I could not comprehend the implications of the statement at that time. The recording assignment took me to the film world where name and fame came to me in a big way.

I would have withered away unhonoured and unsung but for the grace of Bhagawan Ramana. He poured new life into me. The Maharishi had an uncanny perception of each person's need and would lead one along the path best suited to that person.

SRI RAMANA

TALKS WITH BHAGAWAN SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI

Everyone knows "I am" .There is the confusion that "I" is the body. Because the "I" arises from the Absolute and gives rise to buddhi (intellect).In buddhi "I" looks the size and shape of the body, na medhaya means that Brahman cannot be apprehended by buddhi. Brahman >aham >buddhi. How can such buddhi crossing over aham discover Brahman? It is impossible. Just get over the false conception of the "I" being the body. Discover to whom the thought arise. If the present "I" ness vanishes the discovery is complete. What remains over is the pure Self.

A sannyasi asked: It is said that Self is beyond the mind and yet the realisation is with the mind Manono Manute, Manasa na matam, and Manasaivedamaptavyam ( " The mind cannot think it.It cannotbethought of by the mind and the mind alone can realise it"). How are these contradictions to be reconciled?

 

Bhagawan Said: " Atam is realised with mruta manas (Dead mind) i.e. , mind devoid of thoughts and turned inwards. Then the mind sees its own source and becomes THAT. It is not as the subject perceiving the object. When the room is dark a lamp is necessary to illumine and eyes to cognise objects. But when the sun is risen there is no need of a lamp, and the objects are seen; and to see the sun no lamp is necessary, it is enough that you turn your eyes towards the self-luminous sun. Similarly with the mind. To see the objects the reflected light of the mind is necessary. To see the Heart, it is enough that the mind is turned towards it. The mind loses itself and Heart shines forth.

 

 

 

D: What is mouna?

Bhagawan: That state which transcends speech and thought is mouna.

D: How t achieve it?

Bhagawan: Hold some concept firmly and trace it back. By such concentration silence results. When practice becomes natural it will end in silence. Meditation without mental activity is silence. Subjugation of the mind is meditation. Deep meditation is eternal speech.

D: How will worldly transaction go on if one observes silence?

Bhagawan: When women walk with water pots on their heads and chat with their companions they remain careful, their thoughts concentrated on the loads on their heads. Similarly when a sage engages in activities these do not disturb him because his ming abides in Brahman

 

 



 

 



 

 

Bhagawan is BHAGAWAN

One was often impressed by the tolerance and kindliness of Sri Bhagawan. It was not merely that he recognised the truth of all religions, for that nay man of spiritual understanding would do, but if any school or group or ashram was striving to spread spirituality he would show appreciation of the good it was doing, how ever far its methods might be from his own or its teachings from strict orthodoxy.

Raghavachariar, a government official at Tiruvannamali, used to visit Sri Bhagawan occasionally. He wanted to ask his opinion of the Theosophical society but whenever he went he found a crowd of devotees there and he shrank from speaking before them.One day he went and determined to submit three questions.This is how he tells of it:

The Questions were.
1. Can you grant me a few minutes of private personal talk, free from all others?

2. I should like to have your opinion of the theosophical society of which I am a member.

3. Will you please enable me to see you real form? if I am eligible to see it?

When I went and prostrated and sat in his presence there was crowd of no less than thirty persons,but one and all they soon dispersed. So I was alone with him and my first query was thus answered without my stating it. That struck me as noteworthy.

Then he asked me of his accord if the book in my hand was the Gita, and if I was a member of the Theosophical society and remarked even before I answered his questions "It is doing good work" I answered his questions in affirmative.

My second question also being thus anticipated I waited with eager mind for the third. After half an hour I opened my mouth and said, "Just as Arjuna wished to see the form of Sri Krishna and asked for darshan , I wish to have a darshan of your real form, if I am eligible.

He was seated on the pial with a picture of Dakshinamurthy painted on the wall next to him. He silently aged on as usual, and I gazed in to his eyes. Then his body and also the picture of Dakshinamurthy disappeared from my view. There was only empty space, without even a wall, before my eyes. Then a whitish cloud in the outline of the Maharishi and of Dakshniamurthy formed before my eyes.Gradually the outline with silvery lines of these figures appeared. Then eyes, nose etc other details were outlined in lightning like lines. These gradually broadened till the whole figure of the Sage and Dakshinamurthy became ablaze with very strong and unendurable light. I closed my eyes in consequence. I waited for few minutes and then saw Him and Dakshnimurthi in the usual form.. I prostrated and came away.For a month thereafter I did not dare to go near him , so great was the impression that above experience made on me. After a month I went up and saw him standing in front of the Skandashramam , I told him  ' I put a question to you and had this experience' narrating the above experience. I requested him to explain. Then after a pause, he said " You wanted to see my form you saw my disappearance, I am formless So that experience might be real truth. The furthur visions may be according to your own conceptions derived from the study of Bhagawath Gita.But Ganapati Sastri had similar experience you may consult him ' I did not in fact consult Sastri,After this Maharishi said "Find out who the I is the seer or thinker and his abode.

Sri Ramanaya Namaha

Giri Pradakshina Map and Arunachala Temple Guide

Please find below both Maps.

Guru and Disciple

Let us examine Sri Bhagawan's statements carefully.He sometimes said he had no disciples and never stated explicitly that he was the Guru, however, he used the expression " the Guru" as equivalent to "the Gnani " and is such a way as to leave no doubt that he is the Guru and he more than once joined in singing the song Ramana Sat-Guru.

Moreover, when devotee was genuinely distressed and seeking a solution he would sometimes reassure him in a way that left no room for doubt. An English disciple, Major Chadwick kept a record of such an assurance given to him in the year 1940 :


Ch: Bhagawan says he has no disciples?

Bh :Yes

Ch: He also says that Guru is necessary if one wishes to attain Liberation.

Bh:Yes

Ch: What then must I do? Has my sitting here all these years been just waste of time? Must I go and look for some Guru in order to receive initiation seeing that Bhagawan says he is not a Guru?

Bh: What do you mean think brought you here such a long distance and made you remain so long? Why do you doubt? IF there had been any need to seek a Guru elsewhere you would have gone away long ago.

The Guru or Gnani sees no difference between himself and others.For him all are Gnanis, all are one with himself, so how can Gnani say that such and such is his disciple? But the unliberated one sees all as multiple, he sees all as different from himself, so to him the Guru-disciple relationship is a reality and he needs that Grace of the Guru  to waken him to reality. For him there are three ways of initiation, by touch look and silence.
Ch: Then Bhagawan does have disciples!

Bh: As I said from Bhagawan's point of view there are no disciples, but from that of the disciples the Grace of the Guru is like an ocean.If he comes with a cup he will only get a cupful.It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean , the bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him.

Ch: Then to know whether Bhagawn is my Guru or not is just a matter of faith, if Bhagawan will no admit it.

Bh: ~(Sitting straight up and turning to the interpreter and speaking with great emphasis) Ask him ,does he want me to give him in written document?

Sri Ramanaya Namaha

In conversation with Bhagawan

Mr.P.C Desai introduced Mr.P.C Deanji (Rtd Sub-Judge) who was returning from Trivandrum where he had presided over a section of the Philosophical conference.Mr.Dewanji asked Bhagawan, "What is the easiest way to attain one-pointedness of mind"?

Bhagawan said " The best way is to see the source of the mind. See if there is such a thing as mind. It is only if there is a mind that the question of making one-pointed will arise. when you investigate by turning inwards, you find there is no such thing as the mind".

Then Mr. P.C Desai quoted Bhagawan's Upadesa Sara in Sanskrit to the effect "When you investigate the nature of mind continuously or without break, you find there is no such thing as the mind. This is the straight path for all".

The visitor asked again " It is said in our scriptures that God it is that creates, sustains and destroys all and that He is immanent in all. If so and if God does everything and is all what we do is according to God's niyati( Law) and has already planned in the Cosmic Consciousness, is there individual personality and any responsibility for it.

Bahagawan: " Of course, there is. The same scriptures have laid down rules as to what men should or should not do. If man is not responsible , then why should those rules have been laid down? You talk of Gods niyati and things happening according to it. If you ask God why this creation and all, He would tell it is according to karma again. If you believe in God and His niyati working out everything completely surrender yourself to Him and there will be no responsibility for you. Otherwise find out your real nature and thus attain freedom".

EXPERIENCE AND VISIONS

Rudra Raj Pande, Principal of the Tri-chandra College at Kathmandu, Nepal, went with a friend to worship at the great temple in town before leaving Tiruvannamalai.

" The inner temple gates were thrown open and my guide took us into the interior, which was rather dark. A small oiled wick-flame was flickering a few yards in front of us. the young voice of my companion shouted " Arunachala". all my intention was directed to the one purpose of seeing the Image or the Lingam in the Sanctum Santorum. But strange to say, instead of the Lingum I see the image of Maharishi Bhagawan Sri Ramana, his smiling countenance, his brilliant eyes looking at me. and what is more strange, it is not one Maharishi that I see, nor two- in hundreds I see the same smiling countenance, those lustrous eyes, I see them wherever I may look, in the Sanctum Santorum.My eyes cannot  the full figure of the Maharishi but only the smiling face, from the chin above. I am in raptures and beside myself with inexpressible joy- that bliss and calmness of mind I then felt how can words describe? Tears of joys flowed down my cheeks I went to the temple to see Lord Arunachala and I found the living Lord as he graciously revealed himself. I can never forget the deep intimate experience I had in the ancient temple".


Neverthless, Sri Bhagawan never encouraged interest in visions or desire for them, nor did they occur to all devotees or desciples.

But my personal experience is that, although these visions are not desired by Gnanis like Bhagawan, these will be a good encouragement for the Sadhakas.