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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
Ripe Souls Attain Jnana
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
Ripe Souls Attain Jnana
Q: It is said that the Jnani breathes Jnana into others through the power of his silence, that words are not necessary for him. How does the Jnani enlighten his disciples?
B: His bodily presence creates a natural ‘force field’ of mental quietness in the vicinity. Science has made the observation that if an adequate length of insulated copper wire is repeatedly wound around an iron truncheon and then electricity is passed through the wire, iron filings placed near the truncheon are attracted to it.
There is no modus operandi visible to the naked eye by means of which the magnetised iron is able to influence the iron filings, yet in fact it happens. Likewise, the invisible waves of Jnana radiating off the mindless one, spontaneously effect those around him, whether they are aware of it or not. Sensitive minds become aware of it.
Just like iron filings are quietly sucked towards the magnetised iron bar, the Jnani’s silent influence introverts the mind and facilitates its submergence or absorption in the Beingness of the Self. Once the initial right experience has been gained in vicinity of the Jnani’s presence, thereafter as a result of incessant practice, the sadhaka understands that the state of extroversion is a departure from the natural state and that effortlessly and volitionlessly maintained thought free and languor free Subjective Consciousness is the natural state.
It is only then that he reaches the formless realm of Indestructible Peace. Note that all this is from the sadhaka’s point of view only. The Jnani cannot be aware of any ‘others’ to help, nor is he necessarily even aware that he is bringing about all this; it all merely happens by the Power of the Presence.
Q: I feel no such magnetic effect in Bhagavan’ s presence. What fault have I committed?
B: I have already said that it requires sensitivity of mind. Nevertheless, your inability to feel it does diminish its effectiveness. You may not feel the potency of the Jnani’s silent influence. Yet, it is there and it is helping you, regardless of your opinions.
Edited by John David Nov 2024
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Mixed Blogs
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.”
How shall we kill the mind?
B.: Is it the mind that wants to kill the mind? The mind cannot kill the mind. Anything that you endeavour to ‘do’ with the mind will only reinforce and perpetuate the notion of mind. Rather than pointlessly wondering, ‘How shall I eradicate the mind?’, go on seeking the mind. Incessant search for what mind is results in its disappearance.
The thing to do is to completely ignore the objects that appear by the reflected light of the mind, and instead seek the source of the mind’s illumination. If the source of the mind is continuously sought for, it begins to subside.
The Juggler
A certain man who, I learn, puts on juggling performances every year during the Karthigai Deepam festival, has come to the Hall; he has questions to ask of the master—
Q.: Does Sri Maharshi possess the power to turn his body invisible at will? Does Sri Maharshi possess the power to materialise objects out of nothing or thin-air?
B.: Sri Maharshi does not even possess a will.
Our True Nature
Hans was one of Papaji’s earliest western students. When they first met he lived in Germany and he would go to India, to Haridwar, for about three months at a time, often staying in a guesthouse with Papaji. They would share a room and go on long walks along the river, mostly in silence, which is where he asked Papaji this question….
A Poem From Nataraj
I am nothing
I am everything
Everything I thought I was is just a thought
Nothing real, or grabbable.
I feel like I don’t exist
Im in oneness with everything I see
I walk and I am empty
I write but I don’t write
It’s a happening
No ones there doing anything
Free from my illusion
I feel safe
Jaws of the Tiger
Q.: Has anyone succeeded in winning the admiration of Maharshi himself?
B.: Oh! yes.
Q.: Who?
B.: You.
Q.: [face superciliously lights up with pompous joy, but manages to modestly utter] How can that be? I am a spectacularly worthless creature. Even after years of repeatedly visiting the sacred soil of Tiruvannamalai, I remain an unenlightened person.
B.: That is it.
Sex, Love and the Illusion
Authentic Love is very different from falling in love. Falling in love is the ultimate illusion. Because to fall in love there must be a somebody. A somebody who falls in love with somebody else. So there is me and you. And as we know, when there is me and you, then I am identified with my life.
Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.
And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be,because death is very likely the single best invention of life.
Planet Crisis and Self Awareness
I’m constantly talking about self awareness, self awareness, self awareness. The reality of climate change is that unless we do really drastic things, it actually may be too late. Too late for what? We may have already destroyed our planet. Can you imagine that? We clever human beings may actually without realising it, step by step by step, may have pushed the effect of global warming, which is all human made, we may have pushed it to a point where it can’t be stopped, it can’t be re-stabilised. That’s what they’re discussing…
The Answer is to Enquire,”Who Am I”
A curious, altogether ridiculous personality has arrived at the ashram gaudily dressed in a three-piece suit, a beaver hat, and an ascot cravat. In this weather, his skin ought to catch fire; I wonder how it still seems to be intact. He carries an ebony cane mounted with a miniature bronze, roaring lion’s head.
Zen Verses on Faith
Sōsan’s Master for six years was Huike whose Master was Bodhidharma who Buddha sent to China.
Sōsan: I am riddled with sickness. Please absolve me of my sin.
Huike: Bring your sin here and I will absolve you.
Sōsan: (after a long pause): When I look for my sin, I cannot
find it.
Huike: I have absolved you. You should live by the Buddha, the
Dharma, and the Sangha.
The Teachings of Vedanta
Some argue that because the Self is already realized, only the unenlightened mind-ego entity can get enlightened. Others say that since only the Self exists, there is no ego to get enlightened. These apparently opposing views suggest that ignorance both exists and does not exist.
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.
Samadhi
Chad.: I asked my master if He would mind giving me a detailed explanation concerning the term Samadhi, and its various kinds. The Lord Ramana graciously assented and sweetly spoke the following words:—
B.: The meaning of the word Samadhi is generally given as Union with Reality, but it is not so. Samadhi means the State of non-differentiation from Reality or THAT-WHICH-IS. The following are its kinds:
An Open Heart Is Beautiful – be a Knower,a Jnani
We all know it’s beautiful when the heart opens and the tears flow, and the love is gushing out. What more could we want at that time? Because when we are in that type of love – which is devotion itself – there’s almost no mind. The mind just disappears in that love and in that devotion, but as one teacher said to me, “And in that place no one wants to enquire.”
