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Latest Blog

How we Sabotage Vichara

Ramana Group Picture

Aham Sphurana

A Glimpse of Self Realisation

New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi

Available Worldwide

On  www.openskypress.com  and Amazon:

A Glimpse of Self Realisation

New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi

“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

Available Worldwide

on  www.openskypress.com  and Amazon:

How we Sabotage Vichara

Chadwick: [unhappily] I have been staying here for months. I see no improvement in me. If anything, my condition seems to be taking a turn for the worse. I am desperate to Realise in this lifetime
B: Give up the idea that you are striving for Realisation. 
 
C: [Aghast] What?! Bhagavan would have me abandon the quest? Has he decided I am unworthy to Realise? 
B: Did you pay attention to what was said to you? You were not asked to abandon the quest. You were asked to abandon the spurious idea that there is a ‘you’ which is trying to merge with a ‘super-you’.
 
C: [gloomily] I understand nothing. 
B: Throw away the belief in the existence of the personal self. It is only on that erroneous basis that you are now asking questions.
 
C: But I must remain to perform sadhana! 
B: What is the objective of sadhana? 
 
C: Destruction of the ego. 
B: No, transcendence of the idea of its existence. 
 
C: So, if I just free myself from the idea that I exist as an individual person, the Who am I? method is not needed? 
B: First discard that erroneous idea. In having discarded that idea, do not bring in any other idea in its place, such as Aham Brahmasmi [I am Brahman], I am being consciousness, etc. Remain free from all ideas, that is from all mental identification. Let the mind remain in the state of pure Subjective Consciousness free from all objectification or identification. 
      Then, as and when thoughts arise, tackle them with the counter-thought, ‘To whom has this thought arisen?’. This arrests the further development of the thought. Then return the mind to its native state of pure Subjective Consciousness. This is the way. 

Edited by John David Nov 2024

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Am I doing Vichara Correctly?

Ramana 3

Aham Sphurana

A Glimpse of Self Realisation

New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi

Available Worldwide

On  www.openskypress.com  and Amazon:

A Glimpse of Self Realisation

New Book about Sri Ramana Maharshi

“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

Available Worldwide

on  www.openskypress.com  and Amazon:

Am I doing Vichara Correctly?

Yes when Aham Sphurana flashes forth

Q: What are the indicators based on which I shall be enabled to find out for myself whether I am doing vichara correctly or not? 
B: If vichara has resulted in a state of mind wherein it abides as identical with pure Subjective Consciousness, then you have done it correctly. However, it is not easy for the neophyte to tell whether his mind is presently abiding as identical with pure Subjective Consciousness, because the torpid mental state of manolayam [state where mind structures are hazily projected] is often mistakenly regarded as being the tabula-rasa mental state of pure Subjective Consciousness. 
      When mind abides as identical with pure Subjective Consciousness, it unmistakeably scintillates ‘I’-’I’. Thus, the definitive answer to your question is that vichara has been done correctly when doing it has resulted in the Aham Sphurana flashing forth.
 

Q: And how to recognise the Aham Sphurana when it ‘flashes forth’? 
B: There is no possibility of mistaking it when the experience actually occurs. Whatever description is given, is not only useless but also counter-productive, because if a description of the experience of Aham Sphurana is given, the mind twists and contorts the present banal experience of outward protruding, satiation craving mental impulses into one that seems to perfectly match with the description given; because it wants to avoid getting destroyed.
       So, even if you have heard a description of the experience of the Aham Sphurana being furnished in this Hall, please make no effort to recollect it. When the Aham Sphurana actually flashes forth, you will know it alright. Cognition of the Aham Sphurana is not based on intellectual corroboration it is a direct experience of the Self, inferior only to the Sahajastithi of the Jnani.

Edited by John David Nov 2024

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Mixed Blogs

Blog Posts

Steve Jobs: The Crazy Ones

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. …

Blog Posts

Poem of J. Krishnamurti

I am neither low nor high;
I am the worshipper and the worshipped.
I am free.

My song is the song of the river calling for the open seas;
Wandering, wandering;

I am Life.

Blog Posts

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.

Blog Posts

Awakening to your Essence

The only true 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 what is.
Often there is a tremendous release of energy.

Aham Sphurana

Unrealise the not-Self

Q.: If the theological pronouncements of the Christians are to be believed, we are all born mired in sin. Is the doctrine of original sin correct?
B.: What is born is born only in sin. The Unborn is sinless; therefore He is never born. Birth into samsara is the harbringer of agony. In fact you are the one original Absolute.

Blog Posts

Awareness

Awareness is not a commitment to something. Awareness is an observation, both outer and inner, in which direction has stopped.
You are aware, but the thing of which you are aware is not encouraged or nourished. Awareness is not concentration on something.

Aham Sphurana

Mrs Piggot’s Diary

I was told that the Maharshi had his finger on the pulse of the whole ashram, although he appeared prima facie totally unconcerned with all mundane affairs. For instance, when in the Hall, he was supposed to know what was going on even in the kitchen — and incidentally I was surprised to find that he himself assisted in the cutting up of vegetables for the daily meal.
I was also told that he knows what is passing in the minds of people. Of this latter ability, I had a small personal experience.

Blog Posts

Wisdom from Steve Jobs

′′ I have reached the epitome of success in the business world. In other people’s eyes, my life is a success.
However, aside from work, I had little joy. Ultimately wealth is just one fact I’ve gotten used to…

Aham Sphurana

Consciousness

Q.: After investigating ‘Who am I?’ I find that blankness prevails. What do I
do?
B.: Did you exist or not whilst the blankness mentioned by you prevailed?
It is only because you existed then that you now are able to recollect having experienced something at that time. Is that correct?

Q.: Yes.
B.: So, blanknesses come and go, but YOU always ARE. For YOU there is
neither coming nor going. YOU ARE now as YOU always WERE and YOU
will BE always as YOU ARE now.

Blog Posts

Summa Iru

There are two things an individual is normally engaged in; either his body is busy doing something or his mind is engaged in thinking something. Seldom does he remain as ‘himself’, free from all influences. Seldom does he remain in his natural state of peace and happiness. When he remains thoughtless and speechless, he attains his natural state of serenity and peace.

Blog Posts

Love as in Relationship Love

Love is an energy. It has nothing to do with boys and girls and falling in love and candlelight dinners. That’s not what I would call love. I would call that a disease.

Aham Sphurana

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.

Aham Sphurana

I have a body

Q.: So, it is the thought ‘I have a body.’ that is responsible for creating the false impression that I have a body, whereas in truth I have none. Am I correct? _
B.: Yes. _
Q.: In that case, if I think, ‘I have no body.’, the body should disappear, but it does not disappear. Why is this so?
B.: Intensely thinking about the disappearance of the body does make it disappear; but accquisition of such worthless siddhis [Psychic Powers] is not our objective.

Blog Posts

Celibacy and Relationship

It’s quite clear that for almost everybody this issue of intimacy with another human being is a strong structure, a strong issue. In the eastern traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism there is a deep understanding that if you seriously want to become a spiritual seeker you become celibate and stay alone.