Blog
Spiritual Teachings
from the Heart of Satsang
Browse by Topic through the Archive
Or use the Search Function
Latest Blog
Danger of Emptiness [shunyastithi]
Aham Sphurana
A Glimpse of Self Realisation
New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi
Available Worldwide
On www.openskypress.com and Amazon:
“In my opinion, Aham Sphurana, a Glimpse of Self Realisation, will become a Treasure Trove of Wisdom to the Seekers of Truth in general, and particularly to the devotees of Bhagavan.”
Swami Hamsananda – Athithi Ashram, Tiruvannamalai
Danger of Emptiness [shunyastithi]
Bhagavan: ( )…Otherwise, the aspirant will in all likelihood unknowingly mistake the shunyastithi [state of emptiness] to be Jnana and rest in it, eventually becoming hopelessly lost.
It is an unfortunate fact that many teachers of meditation tutor shunyastithi and purposely delude their pupils into believing that it is Jnana.
Shunyastithi [state of emptiness] is a deadly spiritual poison.
It drives one away from the Heart, thereafter the lost ground has to be recovered all the way by means of doubling-back if Jnana is to be reached. That is why meditation is not encouraged here, but only Vichara.
Edited by John David Nov 2024
BE As You Are
Aham Sphurana
A Glimpse of Self Realisation
New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi
Available Worldwide
On www.openskypress.com and Amazon:
“In my opinion, Aham Sphurana, a Glimpse of Self Realisation, will become a Treasure Trove of Wisdom to the Seekers of Truth in general, and particularly to the devotees of Bhagavan.”
Swami Hamsananda – Athithi Ashram, Tiruvannamalai
BE As You Are
Q: How shall I Realise the Self?
B: Why should you realise anything? Why not BE or remain as you are?
Q: I am very eager to Realise the Self – as quickly as possible. Please encourage my ambition. Please tell me how I shall Realise the Self.
B: Only by BEing as you ARE.
Q: I don’t understand.
B: Remain without thinking and without being overcome by drowsiness or torpor.
Q: Impossible.
B: Practise vichara.
Q: It seems difficult.
B: Remove the idea of difficulty and it becomes easy.
Q: Then is God’s Grace also not needed?
B: Sincere and pertinacious effort to introvert the mind will win Grace automatically. The deeper the introversion of mind accomplished, the more is the Grace won. There will arrive a point wherein Grace alone remains i.e., the one who had been seeking it has vanished: this is referred to as SELF REALISATION.
Edited by John David Nov 2024
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Mixed Blogs
Realisation and Doubts
A person like Ramana Maharshi or a person like Eckhart Tolle, who I know quite well, who realised, and that’s it, end of doubts, end of everything, end of the vasanas, the tendencies, is very, very rare. It’s a very, very rare occurrence.
Ripe Souls Attain Jnana
The Jnani’s silent presence works like a magnetic force, effortlessly turning ripe minds inward, leading to natural, thought-free peace.
Am I doing Vichara Correctly?
Correct vichara is confirmed when Aham Sphurana shines forth spontaneously, unmistakably felt as direct experience of the Self.
Who is the Spiritual Teacher?
In ancient times and still in modern India, a particular spiritual tradition is passed down from a teacher to a student and in turn to his student. So there is a sense of lineage and nobody takes any personal claim on that lineage. The truth is important, not the teacher.
What is Spiritual Awakening?
The only sure way to step out of all the stories and all the nonsense is to really see with great clarity that this ‘me’ that we are so fond of referring everything to, simply doesn’t exist. Once you see it doesn’t exist then the whole thing falls away. Everything just falls away and you’re left with your essence.
Illusion and the Body
Ramana Maharshi explains that you are pure awareness, not the body. The world is a mental projection of the Self.
An Individual Connection to the Master
“Wow, this silence and bliss is so beautiful.” He gets up and says, “I’m going downstairs to make some yoghurt.” So, I follow Him down, and I said, “Why did you do that?” He said, “Where’s your silence now?” I said, “Well, it’s still here.” He said, “This is why I did it.”
Mrs Piggot’s Diary
Mrs. Piggot recounts her farewell to Bhagavan, highlighting his quiet knowing, grace, and teaching to live as the Self.
Reference Books and Translation
Bhagavan spoke many languages, quoted texts with precision, and used interpreters as needed, making profound teaching universally accessible.
Ramana Maharshi on Jesus Teachings
Bhagavan explains Jesus’ words as Advaitic teaching, guiding the seeker towards Self-Realization, surrender, and a still, inward-turned mind.
Jaws of the Tiger
The ego is like a goat caught in the tiger’s jaws of Grace, and no matter how long it struggles, its end — total annihilation — is certain.
The Conditioning of our Mind
Our minds are deeply conditioned by culture, family, and fear. Drawing on J. Krishnamurti’s insights, this article explores how awareness and self-inquiry can dissolve these ingrained patterns, freeing us from the false sense of ‘I’ and allowing conditioning to collapse naturally.
War and Peace
There will be War until you find Inner Peace which is your Essential Nature.
Peace is your essential nature. Therefore there is nothing to do to be at Peace. We arrive on this planet in tremendous Peace with an invitation to enjoy, play and have fun! Then our parents raise us to be adults and without knowing better, they condition us to be nearly constantly at war.
Be As You Are
I have observed that amongst spiritual seekers there is some confusion about the topic of change. Often people have glimpses, moments or times when the identification with the thoughts, emotions and all the things that normally tie people down, breaks down.
Schopenhauer and Renunciation
Schopenhauer exposes life’s futility, but true renunciation and surrender arise from Grace, dissolving ego and revealing the Self.
