Brief Life Sketch of Bhagavan Ramana - 03
Hare Krishna Friends,
Belated Ugadi greetings to all of you. In the previous posting we had seen how Venkataraman had decided to leave Madurai and go to Arunachalam. We will tread further today.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As Venkataraman got up and started to walk out, Nagaswami asked Him to get five rupees from their aunt and pay his college fees. Probably Arunachaleshwara himself had provided the required money for Venkataraman to travel to Thiruvannamalai.
Sri Ramana consulted an old map of Madras Presidency, which unfortunately did not show the branch line from Villupuram to Katpadi, midway along which lies Thiruvannamalai (Arunachalam). He therefore thought that Dindivanam was the closest railway station to Thiruvannamalai. Out of the five rupees given by his aunt, He took with him only three. He hastily wrote a note and leaving it along with the two rupees He left the house. The note said:
In search of my father I by His order am leaving this place. This is undertaking only a good cause. Therefore no one need grieve over this action. To see this there is no need even to spend money.
[Your fees have not
[Yet been paid. Thus
[Here within ……………………………………
Instead of a signature only a straight line was drawn at the bottom of the note. The information of the sentences holds a deep meaning. “I”, in the first sentence changed into “This” in the next, and even “This” had vanished by the end of the note which is concluded by the absence of a signature.
Yes, the human body which was considered to be “I” so long as the sense of “I” (ahankaram) and the sense of mine (mamakaram) lasted became to him “This”, an insentient and alien object, as soon as the “I” and “mine” had been surrendered to God! When the union (that is oneness) with the Supreme finally takes place, what else can remain as a separate entity. It is this state of oneness which is shown by the absence of a signature. How clear, the state of perfect Jnana even at the age of 16!! The insertion just after the word “I” of the phrase “in search of my father” clearly points out that so long as the sense of “I” is retained, one should depend upon God as ones sole refuge. No would be “Non-dualistic” (Advaitin) can rightly deny God and a dual love towards Him so long as the sense of individuality survives.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Regards,
Neelakantan
Belated Ugadi greetings to all of you. In the previous posting we had seen how Venkataraman had decided to leave Madurai and go to Arunachalam. We will tread further today.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As Venkataraman got up and started to walk out, Nagaswami asked Him to get five rupees from their aunt and pay his college fees. Probably Arunachaleshwara himself had provided the required money for Venkataraman to travel to Thiruvannamalai.
Sri Ramana consulted an old map of Madras Presidency, which unfortunately did not show the branch line from Villupuram to Katpadi, midway along which lies Thiruvannamalai (Arunachalam). He therefore thought that Dindivanam was the closest railway station to Thiruvannamalai. Out of the five rupees given by his aunt, He took with him only three. He hastily wrote a note and leaving it along with the two rupees He left the house. The note said:
In search of my father I by His order am leaving this place. This is undertaking only a good cause. Therefore no one need grieve over this action. To see this there is no need even to spend money.
[Your fees have not
[Yet been paid. Thus
[Here within ……………………………………
Instead of a signature only a straight line was drawn at the bottom of the note. The information of the sentences holds a deep meaning. “I”, in the first sentence changed into “This” in the next, and even “This” had vanished by the end of the note which is concluded by the absence of a signature.
Yes, the human body which was considered to be “I” so long as the sense of “I” (ahankaram) and the sense of mine (mamakaram) lasted became to him “This”, an insentient and alien object, as soon as the “I” and “mine” had been surrendered to God! When the union (that is oneness) with the Supreme finally takes place, what else can remain as a separate entity. It is this state of oneness which is shown by the absence of a signature. How clear, the state of perfect Jnana even at the age of 16!! The insertion just after the word “I” of the phrase “in search of my father” clearly points out that so long as the sense of “I” is retained, one should depend upon God as ones sole refuge. No would be “Non-dualistic” (Advaitin) can rightly deny God and a dual love towards Him so long as the sense of individuality survives.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Regards,
Neelakantan
posted by vedanta at 8:27 PM
1 Comments:
HARI AUM
Prostrations to all.
No would be “Non-dualistic” (Advaitin) can rightly deny God and a dual love towards Him so long as the sense of individuality survives.
Vedanta ultimately speaks about one reality of Brahman alone. Everything else, whether we term it Ishwara or jeeva is only an illusion in Brahman. Any illusion is not important as long as we contemplate on its substratum. Many saints and acharyas generally speak from the empirical viewpoint and for initial seekers -- thus the concepts of God, dual love, individuality etc. comes into picture. But it is always better to see things from the ultimate viewpoint as presented in Gaudapada Karika (which is ofcourse the final authority and word on Vedanta).
When seeing from this perspective (gaudapada's ajaathi vaada), there is nothing apart from Brahman. There is therefore no "would be advaitin". Sankara himself emphasizes this viewpoint in the sutra bhashya while saying that everbody is the nitya shuddha buddha muktha atma (ever pure, ever enlightened and ever liberated Self).
It is ok to have devotion to God etc. but on the cost of forgetting the only existing reality, it is not fine. If we ever remember the reality of Brahman even while being devoted to a god assumed to Krishna or vishnu or Siva, then it is fine.
As to "sense of individuality surviving" :), there is never individuality existing in order for it to survive or get removed --- No, this isn't my words:).
Gaudapada says
Na kashcit jaayathe jeevah sambhavo asya na vidhyathe
etat tat uttamam satyam yatra kinchit na jaayathe
There is no jeeva created and such a possibility (of creation of jeeva) itself is not possible. This alone is the ultimate truth that nothing ever is created.
To sum up Gaudapada's words, there is nothing created -- whatever exists, exists. Since individuality is created out of limitations of body-mind-intellect, therefore individuality doesn't exist in the first place to either survive or negated or removed.
Then why scriptural proclamation and teachings about creation, jeeva etc.???
upadeshaadayam vaado jnaate dvaitham na vidhaythe
These arguments (the previous line says "if there is any vikalpa or modification, then it will surely vanish") are only for instruction (to those who seem to see modifications, creation etc.): once a person knows, then there is no duality at all.
Even when a person doesn't know duality, still what exists is non-dual reality alone. We have to constantly be fixed on this level if we are to not get diverted and deviated. As long as we are devoted to a Krishna different from us, the duality still persists & we are not even trying to get rid of the duality (since we ourselves are nourishing duality in the form of Krishna different from me).
I am not here trying to prove the words from the below mail to be wrong nor am I trying to impose "my" view in this forum. Whatever I have put forth are only echoes of Gaudapada, Sankara and others (even Ramana says this only as any person reading the Talks will surely understand and be able to recollect). We can accept such empirical sadhanas but never to the extent of assuming the God to whom we are devoted as different from ourselves. Ramana himself says in Upadesa saram "bhedha bhaavanaat soham ithi asau -- bhavana abhidhaa paavani mathaa" while explaining devotion and meditation (better than difference attitude, is the meditation that "I am he" - such a non-different attitude is surely purer and greater).
The main reason to have such a devotion attitude towards a God who is different from ourselves is to contain the EGO but the Ego can as well be controlled by having devotion to a God who is all-pervasive and the only reality present. Ezhuthacchan takes this stand in his Harinaamakeerthanam thus:
thonnunnathaakil akhilam njaan ithenna vazhi thonnename
If there is any sense of Ego, then let it be in the form of "everything is me".
Let Ramana, who has been one of the guiding lights in my life, lead us to realize our ever established state of ananda.
Prostrations to all.
HARI AUM
Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God
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