happiness

Question: What is happiness?

What is called happiness is merely the nature of the Self. Happiness and the Self are not different. The happiness of the Self alone exists; that alone is real. There is no happiness at all in even a single one of the [many] things in the world. We believe that we derive happiness from them on account of aviveka [a lack of discrimination, an inability to ascertain what is correct]. When the mind is externalised, it experiences misery. The truth is, whenever our thoughts [that is, our desires] get fulfilled, the mind turns back to its source and experiences Self-happiness alone. In this way the mind wanders without rest, emerging and abandoning the Self and [later] returning within. The shade under a tree is very pleasant. Away from it the sun's heat is scorching. A person who is wandering around outside reaches the shade and is cooled. After a while he goes out again, but unable to bear the scorching heat, returns to the tree. In this way he is engaged in going from the shade into the hot sunshine and in coming back from the hot sunshine into the shade. A person who acts like this is an aviveki [someone who lacks discrimination], for a discriminating person would never leave the shade. By analogy, the mind of a jnani never leaves Brahman, whereas the mind of someone who has not realised the Self is such that it suffers by wandering in the world before turning back to Brahman for a while to enjoy happiness. What is called 'the world' is only thoughts. When the world disappears, that is, when there are no thoughts, the mind experiences bliss; when the world appears, it experiences suffering.

Who am I  

self

samadhi

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Ego of a Jnani

A Jnani crushes the ego at it's source. It rises up again and again, for him too,  as for the ignorant, impelled by nature i.e. prarabdha. Both in the ignorant and the Jnani, ego sprouts up but with this difference: the former's ego when it rises up is quite ignorant of its source, or is not aware of it in deep sleep, in the dream and waking states, whereas a Jnani when his ego rises up, enjoys his transcendental experience with this ego, keeping his lakshya ( vision) always on it's source. His ego is not dangerous, it is only the ash skeleton of a burnt rope; although it possesses a form it is ineffective. By constantly keeping our lakshya on our source, our ego is dissolved.- Ramana Maharshi ( from 'Conscious Immortality')

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12. Are there no other means for making the mind quiescent?

Other than inquiry, 

there are no adequate means. 

If through other means it is sought to control the  mind, 

the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again go forth. 

Through the control of breath  also, the mind will become quiescent; 

but it will be quiescent only so long as the breath remains  controlled, and 

when the breath resumes the mind also will again start moving and will wander as

impelled by residual impressions. 

The source is the same for both mind and breath. 

Thought, indeed,

is the nature of the mind. 

The thought “I” is the first thought of the mind; 

and that is egoity. 

It is from  that whence egoity originates that breath also originates. 

Therefore, 

when the mind becomes quiescent,

the breath is controlled, and 

when the breath is controlled the mind becomes quiescent. 

But in deep  sleep, 

although the mind becomes quiescent, 

the breath does not stop. 

This is because of the will of God, 

so that the body may be preserved and other people may not be under the impression that it is  dead. 

In the state of waking and in samadhi, when the mind becomes quiescent the breath is controlled.

Breath is the gross form of mind. 

Till the time of death, the mind keeps breath in the body; and 

when the body dies the mind takes the breath along with it. 

Therefore, 

the exercise of breath-control is only

an aid for rendering the mind quiescent (manonigraha); 

it will not destroy the mind (manonasa).

Like the practice of breath-control. meditation on the forms of God, 

repetition of mantras, restriction on food, etc., are but aids for rendering the mind quiescent.

Through meditation on the forms of God and through repetition of mantras, the mind becomes one-pointed, 

the mind will always be wandering. 

Just as when a chain is given to an elephant to hold  in its trunk it will go along grasping the chain and nothing else, so also when the mind is occupied  with a name or form it will grasp that alone. 

When the mind expands in the form of countless thoughts, each thought becomes weak; but as thoughts get resolved the mind becomes one-pointed  and strong; 

for such a mind Self-inquiry will become easy. 

Of all the restrictive rules, that relating

to the taking of sattvic food in moderate quantities is the best; by observing this rule, the sattvic  quality of mind will increase, and that will be helpful to Self-inquiry.

✅ Who Am I? (Nan Yar?)

The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

devotion