The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Edited by David Godman; Arthur Osborne, Kavyakantha, G.Muni, Kurt Friedrichs, Mouni Sadhu
Sri Ramana Maharshi's insistence that awareness of the "I" thought was a pre-requisite for Self-realisation led him to the conclusion that all spiritual practices which did not incorporate this feature were indirect and inefficient:
Meditation can be properly performed only when the mind is cleansed of all thoughts. Almost every student knows of this condition, but few can really achieve it.
Those who belong to different mystical societies often believe that meditation consists in the effort of directing the mind into certain channels according to pre-conceived ideas. The results of such exercises - they cannot be called meditation - are generally poor, even though they may be practised over a period of years, and they do not lead to the effective purification of the mind from thought.
Usually, advanced members of such organisations are given methods and rules, which are often insufficient. There are two kinds which we can call artificial and natural means.
The first group is based on imagination or mental conceptions. Endless exercises are given, a few of the most important being:
- The imagining of the possession of a virtue lacking in the student. If he is of a sensual type, he must think of himself as chaste during the time appointed for the meditation.
- He can protect himself from invasion of thoughts from outside by the mental creation of an astral shell according to instruction.
- By the use of incantations or mantras he can reach the necessary concentration or acquiescence of mind, thus keeping to one idea for some considerable period of time.
In the second group (natural means) I would first mention prayer directed to what one believes to be the Supreme Being. If such prayer is utterly sincere, and if one is prepared to give enough time to regular practice, the result can be satisfactory and the mind cleared of everything but the object of meditation.
Then comes the 'vacuum' in the thinking process which is then filled with true light from its true source - the Self-God.
If one is blessed on his way through life by meeting a spiritual Master, then everything becomes simple and effective. Many disciples in those precious times of spiritual contact visualise him (spiritual Master) as seen, in the physical body. Such an image, living and powerful, is a deadly weapon against the strategy of the restless mind. Nothing is more effective than this when combined with the Vichara (the "I" thought ); but in order to use Self-inquiry properly, some steadiness of mind must first be attained.
Man's emotions must also be cleansed; for this purpose the vision of a living Master has no substitute. In a mysterious way the power of such a vision is also inherent in his (the Master's) pictures. Perhaps this is for the aid of those who were not able to see him in the physical body. Experience and practice show that almost as beneficial results can be brought about from the contemplation of such a picture.
When at last the vacuum or void in consciousness is reached and firmly established, true meditation can be approached, but not earlier. Then the consciousness of the true Self will itself fill the vacuum. No more instruction is needed, for the true Self takes over the guidance and the goal is reached. In such meditation there are no visions or feelings. Maharshi often warned against ecstatic visions, pointing out that our goal is pure awareness and nothing else.
If this awareness is attained it inevitably leads us to samadhi, and this is the true aim of meditation (the awakening from the dream-state called normal physical consciousness).
There are signs which indicate that our meditation is really leading us to samadhi, when we are free from all thought of the body and of the 'ego', and when thoughts and feelings are stilled. 'Good and evil" cease to exist- we see nothing, for there is nothing to see.Yet we are not in darkness, but merged in light being ourselves this light. We cannot see It, for in this state there is no subject and no object. This can give but a veiled hint of the true state to one who has not experienced such meditation for himself, for this is the discovery of the true Self in man.
All that we recognise as objects - that is the outer world plus our visible body- is like a painting. The colours in it are the qualities of things. In these things are held all material forms, feelings, thoughts, good and evil, true and false, everything that we know as the universe.
They are like the separated colours of the white light or God-Self, broken up by the prism of the material universe, as the Maharshi told us. If you could imagine the same picture painted with only the basic white Light, unbroken by the bewitched prism - that would be Spirit, Self or God, the ultimate truth of being. That is why the Master said: "There is nothing but the Pure Being which alone exists and our sole purpose in life is to realise It for ourselves."
Right meditation leads to the discovery of this great mystery. All other means mentioned in different Yogas such as breath control, mind control, body postures, special foods and attitudes of the mind, and so on , are only intermediary steps on the path to the goal, taken by our material nature when we step onto the Direct Path to the summit.This attainment makes these intermediary steps unnecessary. When the train reaches a certain station, one does not go back to count the milestones already passed. Thus attunement with the Self produces of its own accord the right postures, breathing, and imperviousness to influences from the outer world.
Techniques of Meditation
One of the initiations through which we pass while in the presence of the Maharshi , is true meditation, which years of study of occult literature had assured me was the key to the awakening of supra-physical consciousness. During my allegiance to Theosophy I practised different forms of meditation in accordance with their literature. From what I have since found out, the knowledge given was for beginners.
Their aim was to direct the mind into certain deliberately chosen channels of thought. There were meditations on different themes such as Beauty, Love, Purity, Wisdom, Devotion, God, The Creator of the universe and so on. The object was to keep these ideas in the mind as long as possible, and to imagine the working out of these virtues in the consciousness. Such 'meditations' can create certain currents of thought in the mind, conditioning it to a positive force which activates the thinking. Such exercises have a certain usefulness, for it is said:'a man is as he thinks'.
In other words, the manner of a man's thinking creates his worthiness.
If he associates himself with good and positive thoughts his nature will be improved; if with negative and evil currents- he will retrograde and fall. All this is true in the relative field, but is founded on the assumption that man's consciousness is derived from his thinking apparatus or mind.
Man can elevate his mind, as do the Yogis, and perform 'miracles' as have many of the saints of all religions. The mind is a power, and when controlled and directed, its force and subtlety are apparently unlimited. But only apparently, for the power of the mind is based on the false notion that there is one who thinks, and an object of thought. This is the old lie of duality, and its end cannot be brought about by the ennoblement of the instrument(mind).
The subject and object still exist. This conception hinders the realisation of the unreality of the outer world. And to count this as real is an insurmountable obstacle on the path of realisation of the true Self in man.
So long as man's consciousness is unable to merge in the whole, there will always be the necessity for rebirths and incarnations in matter. The bewitched circle is closed.
Strangely, from the first days of my stay at the Ashram, my old mental meditations were forgotten and I could not practice them in the presence of the Master.So it still is, and for me there will be no return to those old currents of thought. Every day there is a more and more urgent inner inclination to be still, to remain without thought, to merge in the silence.
The inaudible inner voice tells me that there lies the truth.
Maharshi himself insisted on the necessity for meditation, but what did he mean by this term 'meditation'? He calls true meditation 'silence', being still', 'stillness'. So it was the same power which drew me then and now.
While one is immersed in water one cannot see anything above the water's surface. The world above is veiled from sight. To gain the wider horizon one has to rise out of the water, and only then will one realise how limited was one's former vision. So long as man is merged in the world of thought - the realm of mind- his consciousness will be bounded by its limitations.
Thought must always have an object, however sublime it may be, thus there must always be two, not one.Therefore, thought and its process is a blind alley.
The Master's power released me from all desire to follow this by-path. It was simply forgotten, as mentioned before. I am not a believer in miracles. So I cannot put the help and activity of the Master into this category. But the fact remains, and that is all that matters In this manner, I came at last to the secret of true meditation. This state when I am aware of being apart from the thinking process can be called true meditation. This Awareness is the source of all Life, of that which is my life. It is the source of everything. From It alone I draw all that makes possible what I say on these pages.
How can one enter this state of supra-mental meditation? Analysing the process in myself, I find that FIRST must come the stopping of all thoughts. The Vichara ripens in the mind so that interest in the thinking process vanishes, and the stilling of the mind, so difficult in the past, becomes easy.
SECONDLY, when the mind is still, there arises a strong urge to be united with the whole, but what this whole is, cannot yet be conceived and I feel that I could never attain it alone. The closest comparison is melting and dissolving in That which alone Is. It is different to leaving the body or ego for there is no movement. One remains where one is, but is not what one was before. Everything that could be seen or felt before is now apart from me. No more can be told.
THIRDLY, the state of unity with the whole brings an unshakable certainty that only this state is real and permanent. That it is that last refuge which one has always sought, and from which one can never more be lost.There is nothing beyond it, for - it is all.
The conception that we know as 'death' is obliterated, but this does not mean that we are in that state thought of as 'life after death'. The only fact one knows is , that this life will always go on.
In this state of being there are no such false distinctions of time as past, present, and future.
It is possible to force language to convey to the mind something of that which one brings back from such a meditation, but it is likely to be of no avail, and more likely to be misunderstood. What I can express is tragically little.
There is a mysterious experience which proves the power of the Vichara. The Master insisted that we should not use it as a Mantra, that is, as words only, but soak each question with the desire to know 'WHO AM I?'. By using the Vichara in this way, after stilling the mind, the answer comes of itself, but without words or thought- you know who you are.
What follows-is inexpressible
This is the great service which Maharshi performed for humanity-the welding of this infallible instrument of achievement, the inspired VICHARA.
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Sri Ramana Maharshi said "This path (attention to the ' I ' ) is the direct path; all others are indirect ways. The first leads to the Self, the others elsewhere. And even if the others do arrive at the Self it is only because they lead at the end to the first path which ultimately carries them to the goal. So, in the end, the aspirants must adopt the first path. Why not do so now? Why waste time?"
[Note: By David Godman: That is to say, other techniques may sometimes bring one to an inner state of stillness in which self-attention or self-awareness inadvertently takes place, but it is a very roundabout way of reaching the Self. Sri Ramana maintained that other techniques could only take one to the place where self-enquiry starts and so he never endorsed them unless he felt that particular questioners were unable or unwilling to adopt self-enquiry.]
Sri Ramana Maharshi said: "The goal is the same for the one who meditates [on an object] and the one who practises self-enquiry. One attains stillness through meditation, the other through knowledge. One strives to attain something; the other seeks the one who strives to attain. The former takes a longer time, but in the end attains the Self."
[Note: Although Sri Ramana vigorously defended his views on self-enquiry he never insisted that anyone change their beliefs or practices and, if he was unable to convince his followers to take up self-enquiry, he would happily give advice on other methods.]
Question by a disciple: "There is more pleasure in dhyana (concentration) than in sensual enjoyments. Yet the mind runs after the sensual enjoyments and does not seek the former.
Why is it so?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Pleasure or pain are aspects of the mind only. Our essential nature is happiness. But we have forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is that wrong identity that gives rise to misery. What is to be done? This mental tendency is very ancient and has continued for innumerable past births.Hence it has grown strong. That must go before the essential nature, happiness, asserts itself."
Question: "It is said that the Self is beyond the mind and yet the realisation is with the mind. The mind cannot think it. It cannot be thought of by the mind and the mind alone can realise it. How are these contradictions to be reconciled?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Atman (Self) is realised with mrita manas (dead mind), that is, mind devoid of thoughts and turned inward. Then the mind sees its own source and becomes that (the Self). It is not as the subject perceiving an object.
When the room is dark, a lamp is necessary to illumine, and eyes are necessary to recognise objects. But when the sun has risen there is no need of a lamp to see objects. 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 objects the reflected light of the mind is necessary. To see the Heart it is enough that the mind is turned towards it. Then mind loses itself and Heart shines forth.
The essence of mind is only awareness or consciousness.
When the ego, however, dominates it, it functions as the reasoning, thinking or sensing faculty. The cosmic mind, being not limited by the ego, has nothing separate from itself and is therefore only aware.
Again people often ask how the mind is controlled. I say to them, 'Show me the mind and then you will know what to do'. The fact is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts. How can you extinguish it by the thought of doing so or by a desire? Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind. The mind is simply fattened by new thoughts rising up. Therefore it is foolish to attempt to kill the mind by means of the mind. The only way of doing it to find its source and hold on to it. The mind will then fade away of its own accord.
Yoga teaches CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA (control of the activities of the mind). But I say ATMA VICHARA (self-investigation). This is the practical way. Chitta Vritti Nirodha is brought about in sleep, swoon, or by starvation. As soon as the cause is withdrawn there is a recrudescence of thoughts. Of what use is it then? In the state of stupor there is peace and no misery.But misery recurs when the stupor is removed. So Nirodha (control) is useless and cannot be of lasting benefit.
How then can the benefit be made lasting? It is by finding the cause of misery. Misery is due to the perception of objects. If they are not there, there will be no contingent thoughts and so misery is wiped off.
'How will objects cease to be'? is the next question. The sruti (scriptures) and the sages say that the objects are only mental creations. They have no substantive being. Investigate the matter and ascertain the truth of the statement. The result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective consciousness.The Self is thus the only reality which permeates and also envelopes the world. Since there is no duality, no thoughts will arise to disturb your peace. This is realisation of the Self. The Self is eternal and so also is realisation.
Abhyasa (spiritual practice) consists in withdrawal within the Self every time you are disturbed by thought. It is not concentration or destruction of the mind but withdrawal into the Self."
Question: "Why is concentration ineffective?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "To ask the mind to kill the mind is like making the thief the policeman. He will go with you and pretend to catch the thief, but nothing will be gained. So you must turn inward and see from where the mind rises and then it will cease to exist."
Question: "In turning the mind inwards, are we not still employing the mind?'
Sri Ramana Maharshi:"Of course we are employing the mind. It is well known and admitted that only with the help of the mind can the mind be killed. But instead setting about saying there is a mind, and I want to kill it, you begin to seek the source of the mind, and you find the mind does not exist at all. The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self."
Samadhi
Question: "What is samadhi?"Sri Ramana Maharshi: "The state in which the unbroken
experience of existence-consciousness is attained by the still mind, alone is samadhi. That still mind which is adorned with the attainment of the limitless Supreme Self, alone is the reality of God.
When the mind is in communion with the Self in darkness, it is called nidra (sleep), that is the immersion of the mind in ignorance. Immersion in a conscious or wakeful state is called samadhi. Samadhi is continuous inherence in the Self in a waking state. Nidra or sleep is also inherence in the Self but in an unconscious state. In SAHAJ SAMADHI the communion is continuous.
The immersion of the mind in the Self, but without its destruction, is known as Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi. In this state one is not free from vasanas and so one does not therefore attain mukti (liberation). Only after the vasanas have been destroyed can one attain liberation."
Question: "When can one practice Sahaj Samadhi?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:"Even from the beginning. Even though one practises Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi for years together, if one has not rooted out the vasanas one will not attain liberation.
Question: "Is samadhi, the eighth stage of raja yoga, the same as the samadhi you speak of?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:"In yoga the term samadhi refers to some kind of trance and there are various kinds of samadhi.
But the samadhi I speak of is different. It is SAHAJ SAMADHI.
From here you have samadhan (steadiness) and you remain calm and composed even while you are active. You realise that you are moved by the deeper real Self within. You have no worries, no anxieties, no cares, for you come to realise that there is nothing belonging to you. You know that everything is done by something with which you are in conscious union.
Question: "If this sahaj samadhi is the most desirable condition, is there no need for nirvikalpa samadhi?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "The nirvikalpa samadhi of raja yoga may have its use. But in Jnana yoga this sahaj sthiti (natural state) or sahaj nishtha (abidance in the natural state) itself is the nirvikalpa state. In this natural state, the mind is free from doubts. It has no need to swing between alternatives of possibilities and probabilities.It sees no vikalpas (differences) of any kind. It is sure of the truth because it feels the presence of the real. Even when it is active, it knows it is active in the reality, the Self, the Supreme Being."
Question: "How can one function in the world in such a state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "One who accustoms himself naturally to meditation and enjoys the bliss of meditation will not lose his samadhi state whatever external work he does, whatever thoughts may come to him. That is Sahaja Nirvikalpa. Sahaj Nirvikalpa is Nasa Manas (total destruction of the mind). Those who are in the laya samadhi state (a trance like state in which the mind is temporarily in abeyance) will have to bring the mind back under control from time to time. If the mind is destroyed, as it is in sahaj samadhi, it will never slide down from their high state.
Question:"Is samadhi a blissful or ecstatic state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "In samadhi itself there is only perfect peace. Ecstasy comes when the mind revives at the end of samadhi. In devotion the ecstasy comes first. It is manifested by tears of joy, hair standing on end, and vocal stumbling. When the ego finally dies and the Sahaj is won, these symptoms and the ecstasies cease."
Siddhis (Super natural powers)
Question:"On realising samadhi, does not one obtain siddhis (super natural powers) also?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi:"In order to display siddhis, there must be others to recognise them. That means, there is no jnana in the one who displays them. Therefore, siddhis are not worth a thought. Jnana alone is to be aimed at and gained."
Turiya-the fourth state
Question: "Is samadhi the same as Turiya, the fourth state?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi: "Samadhi, Turiya and nirvikalpa allhave the same implication, that is, awareness of the Self.
Turiya literally means the fourth state, the Supreme Consciousness, as distinct from the other three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. The fourth state is eternal and the other three states come and go in it. In Turiya there is the awareness that the mind has merged in its source, the Heart, and is quiescent there, although some thoughts still impinge on it and the senses are still somewhat active. In nirvikalpa, the senses are inactive and thoughts are totally absent. Hence the experience of Pure Consciousness in this state is intense and blissful. Turiya is obtainable in savikalpa samadhi."
"Pursue the enquiry "WHO AM I" relentlessly. Analyse your entire personality. Try to find out where the I-thought begins. Go on with your meditations. Keep turning your attention within. One day the wheel of thought will slow down and an intuition will mysteriously arise. Follow that intuition, let your thinking stop, and it will eventually lead you to the goal".
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