Ego

THE EGO IS A POWERFUL ELEPHANT

D: How is the Guru found?

M: God, who is immanent, in His grace takes pity on
the loving devotee and manifests Himself according
to the devotee’s development. The devotee thinks
that He is a man and expects a relationship as
between two physical bodies. But the Guru, who is
God or the Self incarnate, works from within, helps
the man to see the error of his ways and guides him
in the right path until he realizes the Self within.

D: What should the devotee do then?

M: He has only to act up to the words of the Master
and work within. The Master is both ‘within’ and
‘without’, so He creates conditions to drive you
inward and at the same time prepares the ‘interior’
to drag you to the Centre. Thus He gives a push
from ‘without’ and exerts a pull from ‘within’, so
that you may be fixed at the Centre.

You think that the world can be conquered by your own
efforts. When you are frustrated externally and are
driven inwards, you feel ‘Oh! there is a Power higher
than man!’

The ego is like a very powerful elephant which cannot be
brought under control by any less powerful than a
lion, which, in this instance, is no other than the
Guru, whose very look makes the elephant-like ego
tremble and die.

You will know in due course that your glory lies where
you cease to exist. In order to gain that state, you
should surrender yourself. Then the Master sees that
you are in a fit state to receive guidance, and He
guides you.

D: How can the silence of the Guru, who gives no
initiation nor does any other tangible act, be more
powerful than His word etc.? How is such silence
better than the study of scriptures?

M: Silence is the most potent form of work. However
vast and emphatic the scriptures may be, they fail in
their effect. The Guru is quiet and Grace prevails in
all. This silence is vaster and more emphatic
than all the scriptures put together.

D: But can the devotee obtain happiness?

M: The devotee surrenders himself to the Master and it
means that there is no vestige of individuality retained
by him. If the surrender is complete, all sense of self
is lost, and then there can be no misery or sorrow.
The eternal Being is nothing but happiness. That comes
as a revelation.

From Maharshi’s Gospel

Realization

When Realization dawns, then what happens?
You are no longer 'you'.
You remain established in the inner silence and freedom without any concern for your welfare, content with whatever comes along -- and life goes on in perfect effortlessness.

***************

When you see, that you have no control over the results, you stop worrying about the results and concentrate on the work that is being done.

Ramesh Balsekar
29th December

Vision of god

TEACHINGS OF SHANKARACHARYA SWAMI BRAHMANANDA SARASWATI

You desire to live a worldly life because you have not yet had a vision darshan of God: one should live instead for that experience-

When seeds are roasted there is no chance for them to sprout later. Similarly, when the human mind is roasted in the fire of knowledge and devotion, then there is no chance to return and germinate anew in the cycle of life and death. Therefore, try to become a devotee and knower, jnanavan.

But don't become that type of knower who mutters, “Sivo'ham, Sivo ‘ham, om, om, and Aham brahmasmi, "I am Siva. I am Brahman,” and yet retains love samsara in wealth, women, progeny, and so on. Such superficial knowledge produces more harm than benefit. 

When people call themselves Brahman yet stray from dharma and karma, they lack sufficient strength to remain in that state. Hence, as long as you are not free from the love of worldly objects, do not fall into  the trap of “Brahman,” but instead, develop devotion to God When you practice devotion for a long time, greater desire, raga for Bhagavan will dawn, releasing you from the cycle of birth and death.

I work

The feeling 'I work' is the hindrance...
Ask yourself 'who works?'
What is destined to happen will happen...
If you are destined not to work,
work cannot be had even if you hunt for it;
if you are destined to work,
you will not be able to avoid it;
you will be forced to engage yourself in it..
So leave it to the Higher Power;
you cannot renounce or
retain as you choose...
Maharishi's Gospel... p...4..
Ramana Maharshi

Silence

Sri Bhagavan: The silence of solitude is forced. Restrained speech in society amounts to silence. For the man then controls his speech. The speaker must come forth before he speaks. If engaged otherwise speech is restrained. Introverted mind is otherwise active and is not anxious to speak.
Mouna(Silence) as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities due to speech. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mouna is unnecessary. For mouna becomes natural.
Vidyaranya has said that twelve years’ forced mouna brings about absolute mouna - that is, makes one unable to speak. It is more like a mute animal than otherwise. That is not mouna.
Mouna is constant speech. Inactivity is constant activity. ~Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

Realization

Spiritual science says there are six symptoms of Realization.

I never said neglect your food-body. This is the media through which you can identify yourself. There are so many concepts from childhood till today: ‘I am born’, ‘I am a man or woman’, so many concepts are there, social concepts, religious concepts. And within this circle we are living our life. After perfectly identifying (yourself) there will be dramatic changes within you, called signs of Realization. Spiritual science says there are six symptoms of Realization.

There is the question: ‘How can I identify whether I’m Realized or not? What is the sign of Realization, what is the sign of Enlightenment?’ After having Conviction, after absorbing the knowledge of Reality, some changes are taking place.

*‘Shama’ means to forgive and forget. Petty matters are giving irritation. After having the Conviction you’ll be calm and quiet, just like Gautama Buddha or Jesus Christ, you know them? There’s no irritation. ‘Shama’ means forgive and forget. If anything happens against your mind, you’re not getting irritated, no anger is there.

*‘Dama’ means tolerance or patience. Tolerance comes spontaneously within you. Where petty matters would irritate us, there may be some violence inside, patience will appear. You will feel it. If any incidents happen against your mind, you’re not getting irritation. There’s tolerance, patience,

*‘Titiksha’ means just to know the Reality, anxious to know the Reality: who am I?

*‘Uparati’ means there is no attraction of the world. There are so many attractions to the world: publicity, money, sex, there are so many attractions to the world. No greediness, no attraction to the world. You’re living in the world, but there’s complete calm and quiet.

*'Bhakti’ means devotion, total devotion. After knowing the Reality there is total devotion.

*‘Shraddha’ means full trust and faith.

These are the six symptoms given in spiritual science. You can measure yourself. And after having the Spontaneous Conviction about the Reality, these changes are taking place. What you are prior to beingness, how you will be after leaving the body, at that time there was no anger, nothing is there. And these symptoms will appear spontaneously within you. You’ll be calm and quiet.

Sri Ramakant Maharaj

Silence

Silence is never-ending speech. Vocal speech obstructs the other speech of silence. In silence one is in intimate contact with the surroundings. Language is only a medium for communicating one's thoughts to another. Silence is ever speaking.

― Ramana Maharshi

(photo: Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, by Lizzy Gadd)