SOME YEARS BACK HUGGING SAINT OF KERALA,
MATHA AMUTHANANDAMAYI VISITED BANGALORE,
I WENT TO MEET HER. THE QUEUE WAS SO LONG
THAT I COULD MEET HER ONLY AT 1.30 AM & SEEING
THE REMAINING QUEUE IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TILL
DAWN TO MEET ALL THE PEOPLE !! THAT MEANS
SHE DID NOT SLEEP WHOLE NIGHT TO MEET
PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY !!
AS SOON AS I CAME IN FRONT OF HER, THE TERM
'ATHMA SAKSHATKARA' CAME FROM MY MOUTH ,
SHE SHOOK HER HEAD IN A POSITIVE NOTE &
ASKED ME TO SIT ON THE DIAS BEHIND HER !
THIS SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TERM
SPIRITUALLY.
IN REALITY, SAKSHATKARA OF ATHMA IS ALWAYS
THERE, ONLY WE HAVE TO REMOVE THE HURDLES
IN BETWEEN LIKE, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS,
RESTLESS MIND ie, ANTHAKARANA - MANAS, BUDDI,
CHITTA, AHANKARA. ONLY WHEN THE MIND
BECOMES MINDLESS(AMANAS) OR MANO NASHA OR
MIND MERGES WITH AHMA, WE CAN EXPERIENCE
ATHMA & REMAIN AS ATHMA !
RAMANA MAHARSHI ON ATHMA SAKSHATKARA
Bhgvan, Arunachala Hill, Arunachaleshwara Temple Gopura
Question : What is the Self referred to in Atma samstham (fixing it in the Self)?
Ramana Maharshi : Do you not know your Self? You certainly exist. Or do you deny your existence? The question may arise “Who is this Self”, only if you do not exist, but you cannot ask anything unless you exist at the same time. Your question shows that you exist. Find out who you are. That is all.
Question : I have read many books. But my mind does not turn to the Self.
Ramana Maharshi : Because the Self is not in the books; but it is in you. Reading books makes one learned. That is its purpose and it is fulfilled.
Question : What is Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation)?
Ramana Maharshi : You are the Atma (Self) and that sakshat (here and now) also. Where is the place for kara (accomplishment) in it? This question shows that you think you are the non-Self. Or you think that there are two selves, the one to realise the other. It is absurd.
That you identify yourself with the gross body lies at the root of this question. Well, this question arises now. Did it arise in your sleep? Did you not exist then? Certainly you did exist in sleep. What is the difference between these two states that the question should arise now but not in sleep? Now you think that you are the body. You see things around you and you want to see the Self in a similar manner. Such is the force of habit.
The senses are mere instruments of perception. You are the seer. Remain as the seer only. What else is there to see? Such is the state in deep sleep. Therefore this question does not arise then. Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation) is thus only anatma nirasana (giving up the non-Self).
ATHMA SAKSHATKARA ie, SELF REALISATION
Mind & senses try their best to get you immersed in maya all
the time, It is as difficult as making Ganga river to flow back to
its source, to make the mind rest on Athma ! By repeatedly
training the mind through OM-kara or Gayathri Mantra or Rama
nama japa restless mind should be made to concentrate on
Athma to achieve peace of mind,happiness,bliss in this life &
also to avoid repeated birth-death cycle.
Shruthi says --
Athma va arae drstavya: shrothavyo manthavyo nididhyasithavya I
Yajnavalkya tells to his wife Maitreyi that Athma only to be seen,
heard , repeated in mind, concentrated on it. Take back the
mind inside you to hridaya where Athma is seemingly located.
Repeated effort, patience, determination, renunciation and
intense Bhakthi should take over you.
The Self is without thought,,make it impossible for the thought
oriented mind to think at all,causing the mind to get settled on
the Self.Let not the mind to think anything else. We have to
meditate always on the Self which is beyond the reach of the
mind and extolled as the Supreme Bliss !
We have been brought up from our childhood to pray GOD as
if HE is outside us, as source of supreme power & he will
grant whatever we pray for. This thought has to be wiped out
& in its place 'I AM ATHMA ie, BRAHMAN', 'I AM SHIVA' has
to be firmly established.
All places, all directions, all times are conducive for the
sadhana (practice) of yoga of Self.Differences of castes,
social status,gender cannot cause any difference in the
progress, knowledge & experience of this yoga just as
colour of milk is white, colour of cows many.
Now the question arises as to how ANTHAKARANA(Mind)
is able to experience Self ?
Experiencing Self is definitely possible,as we have seen
many saints talk about that experience & from their
experience many others are getting guided towards this
illumination.
Following sloka from karika of Sri Goudapadacharya
(Shankaracharya's guru's guru) says --
Athma sathyanubhodena na sangkalpayathae yada I
amanastham thada yathi grahyaa bhavae thadagraham II (3-32)
If one gets the knowledge that Soul is REAL(Sathya), mind will
not give any sense of form, then mind becomes mindless
(AMANAS), because mind's sensing faculty & its result, both
will vanish. There is no shape or form to sense when
concentrating on Self, hence mind becomes incapable to grasp
or stick to any form & becomes mindless. We can observe a
similar situation during deep sleep also, when mind rests on
Prana. Thus in mindless state every thing is seen as Athma
only & nothing else, which is called 'AMANASTVA'.Mind merges
in Athma, then the so called ATHMA SAKSHATHKARA takes
place.
In the case of a Yogi who has accomplished KUNDALINI jagriti,
Samadhi State remaining as Athma is easy, as mindless state
is achieved instantly & repeatedly depending on his duration of
meditation & frequency.
As mentioned earlier, Athma is always SAKSHATH(here & now)
'KARA'(accomplishment) is always there, hence irrelevant. As I
am only Athma & there is nothing in between blocking it, word
SAKSHATHKARA gives wrong usage as 'I am experienced by
myself !!'
Other forms of worship,bathing in holy waters, japa of name,
oblations to fire as sacrifice none of these are needed.Fruits of
Dharma or adharma, water oblations to forefathers none of
these are for him.
Highest level of purushartha(achievement in human birth) is
the experience of Self please note.There is nothing else need
be known or achieved other than this. The face of the person
who has experienced Athma shines bright & remains peaceful.
He is beyond Maya & not affected by it. Maya is the source of
all action. No action need he perform,as he is action less &
liberated. He has attained Awareness.
MATHA AMUTHANANDAMAYI VISITED BANGALORE,
I WENT TO MEET HER. THE QUEUE WAS SO LONG
THAT I COULD MEET HER ONLY AT 1.30 AM & SEEING
THE REMAINING QUEUE IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TILL
DAWN TO MEET ALL THE PEOPLE !! THAT MEANS
SHE DID NOT SLEEP WHOLE NIGHT TO MEET
PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY !!
AS SOON AS I CAME IN FRONT OF HER, THE TERM
'ATHMA SAKSHATKARA' CAME FROM MY MOUTH ,
SHE SHOOK HER HEAD IN A POSITIVE NOTE &
ASKED ME TO SIT ON THE DIAS BEHIND HER !
THIS SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TERM
SPIRITUALLY.
IN REALITY, SAKSHATKARA OF ATHMA IS ALWAYS
THERE, ONLY WE HAVE TO REMOVE THE HURDLES
IN BETWEEN LIKE, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS,
RESTLESS MIND ie, ANTHAKARANA - MANAS, BUDDI,
CHITTA, AHANKARA. ONLY WHEN THE MIND
BECOMES MINDLESS(AMANAS) OR MANO NASHA OR
MIND MERGES WITH AHMA, WE CAN EXPERIENCE
ATHMA & REMAIN AS ATHMA !
RAMANA MAHARSHI ON ATHMA SAKSHATKARA
ie, SELF REALISATION
Question : What is the Self referred to in Atma samstham (fixing it in the Self)?
Ramana Maharshi : Do you not know your Self? You certainly exist. Or do you deny your existence? The question may arise “Who is this Self”, only if you do not exist, but you cannot ask anything unless you exist at the same time. Your question shows that you exist. Find out who you are. That is all.
Question : I have read many books. But my mind does not turn to the Self.
Ramana Maharshi : Because the Self is not in the books; but it is in you. Reading books makes one learned. That is its purpose and it is fulfilled.
Question : What is Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation)?
Ramana Maharshi : You are the Atma (Self) and that sakshat (here and now) also. Where is the place for kara (accomplishment) in it? This question shows that you think you are the non-Self. Or you think that there are two selves, the one to realise the other. It is absurd.
That you identify yourself with the gross body lies at the root of this question. Well, this question arises now. Did it arise in your sleep? Did you not exist then? Certainly you did exist in sleep. What is the difference between these two states that the question should arise now but not in sleep? Now you think that you are the body. You see things around you and you want to see the Self in a similar manner. Such is the force of habit.
The senses are mere instruments of perception. You are the seer. Remain as the seer only. What else is there to see? Such is the state in deep sleep. Therefore this question does not arise then. Atma sakshatkara (Self-Realisation) is thus only anatma nirasana (giving up the non-Self).
ATHMA SAKSHATKARA ie, SELF REALISATION
Mind & senses try their best to get you immersed in maya all
the time, It is as difficult as making Ganga river to flow back to
its source, to make the mind rest on Athma ! By repeatedly
training the mind through OM-kara or Gayathri Mantra or Rama
nama japa restless mind should be made to concentrate on
Athma to achieve peace of mind,happiness,bliss in this life &
also to avoid repeated birth-death cycle.
Shruthi says --
Athma va arae drstavya: shrothavyo manthavyo nididhyasithavya I
Yajnavalkya tells to his wife Maitreyi that Athma only to be seen,
heard , repeated in mind, concentrated on it. Take back the
mind inside you to hridaya where Athma is seemingly located.
Repeated effort, patience, determination, renunciation and
intense Bhakthi should take over you.
The Self is without thought,,make it impossible for the thought
oriented mind to think at all,causing the mind to get settled on
the Self.Let not the mind to think anything else. We have to
meditate always on the Self which is beyond the reach of the
mind and extolled as the Supreme Bliss !
We have been brought up from our childhood to pray GOD as
if HE is outside us, as source of supreme power & he will
grant whatever we pray for. This thought has to be wiped out
& in its place 'I AM ATHMA ie, BRAHMAN', 'I AM SHIVA' has
to be firmly established.
All places, all directions, all times are conducive for the
sadhana (practice) of yoga of Self.Differences of castes,
social status,gender cannot cause any difference in the
progress, knowledge & experience of this yoga just as
colour of milk is white, colour of cows many.
Now the question arises as to how ANTHAKARANA(Mind)
is able to experience Self ?
Experiencing Self is definitely possible,as we have seen
many saints talk about that experience & from their
experience many others are getting guided towards this
illumination.
Following sloka from karika of Sri Goudapadacharya
(Shankaracharya's guru's guru) says --
Athma sathyanubhodena na sangkalpayathae yada I
amanastham thada yathi grahyaa bhavae thadagraham II (3-32)
If one gets the knowledge that Soul is REAL(Sathya), mind will
not give any sense of form, then mind becomes mindless
(AMANAS), because mind's sensing faculty & its result, both
will vanish. There is no shape or form to sense when
concentrating on Self, hence mind becomes incapable to grasp
or stick to any form & becomes mindless. We can observe a
similar situation during deep sleep also, when mind rests on
Prana. Thus in mindless state every thing is seen as Athma
only & nothing else, which is called 'AMANASTVA'.Mind merges
in Athma, then the so called ATHMA SAKSHATHKARA takes
place.
In the case of a Yogi who has accomplished KUNDALINI jagriti,
Samadhi State remaining as Athma is easy, as mindless state
is achieved instantly & repeatedly depending on his duration of
meditation & frequency.
As mentioned earlier, Athma is always SAKSHATH(here & now)
'KARA'(accomplishment) is always there, hence irrelevant. As I
am only Athma & there is nothing in between blocking it, word
SAKSHATHKARA gives wrong usage as 'I am experienced by
myself !!'
Other forms of worship,bathing in holy waters, japa of name,
oblations to fire as sacrifice none of these are needed.Fruits of
Dharma or adharma, water oblations to forefathers none of
these are for him.
Highest level of purushartha(achievement in human birth) is
the experience of Self please note.There is nothing else need
be known or achieved other than this. The face of the person
who has experienced Athma shines bright & remains peaceful.
He is beyond Maya & not affected by it. Maya is the source of
all action. No action need he perform,as he is action less &
liberated. He has attained Awareness.
OM NAMO GURUDEVA
Excellent post very informative and just what i needed to know
ReplyDeletethanks a lot