Ramana maharshi talked about the insurer method
On surface it looks like it is nit yoga and your contemplating
But that is not true. All the thoughts you have in the inquiry method becomes an object and is no longer the source
So he talks about who am I? And says find the I Now it seems simple. But the moment you try to find the I you go into speculation and Are unable to find the source. Your mine imagine you to be consciousness. Or you think when you find it out You will be great like Ramana. You can teach others. Or you may make money. Or your frustrated You get angry Your anger and frustration further clouds the discovery of the source of I
So this method of who am I requires silence and calmness of mind and emotions. Plus requires giving up desires. The self being perfect has no desires.
Not so Easy is it?
Enjoy the following conversation
From ~~~ Day by Day with Bhagavan, 3-1-46.
Mr. Joshi put five questions.
I give below the questions and Bhagavan’s answers.
Question 1:
Should I go on asking ‘Who am I?’ without answering?
Who asks whom? Which bhavana (attitude)
should be in the mind at the time of enquiry?
What is ‘I’ the Self or the ego?
Answer:
In the enquiry ‘Who am I?’, ‘I’ is the ego. The
question really means, what is the source or origin of this
ego? You need not have any bhavana in the mind. All that is
required is, you must give up the bhavana that you are the
body, of such and such a description, with such and such a
name, etc. There is no need to have a bhavana about your real
nature. It exists as it always does; it is real and no bhavana.
Question 2:
I cannot be always engaged in this enquiry,
for I have got other work to do, and when I do such work I
forget this quest.
Answer:
When you do other work, do you cease to exist?
You always exist, do you not?
Question 3:
Without the sense of doership — the sense
‘I am doing’ — work cannot be done.
Answer:
It can be done. Work without attachment. Work
will go on even better than when you worked with the sense
that you were the doer.
Question 4:
I don’t understand what work I should do
and what not.
Answer:
Don’t bother. What is destined as work to be
done by you in this life will be done by you, whether you
like it or not.
Question 5:
Why should I try to realise? I will emerge
from this state, as I wake up from a dream. We do not make
an attempt to get out of a dream during sleep.
Answer:
In a dream, you have no inkling that it is a dream
and so you don’t have the duty of trying to get out of it by your
effort. But in this life you have some intuition, by your sleep
experience, by reading and hearing, that this life is something
like a dream, and hence the duty is cast on you to make an
effort and get out of it. However, who wants you to realise the
Self, if you don’t want it? If you prefer to be in the dream, stay
as you are.
With reference to question 4, Mrs. P. C. Desai quoting
the Bhagavad Gita asked Bhagavan, “If (as Arjuna was told)
there is a certain work destined to be done by each and we
shall eventually do it however much we do not wish to do it
or refuse to do it, is there any free will?”
Bhagavan said,
“It is true that the work meant to be
done by us will be done by us. But it is open to us to be free
from the joys or pains, pleasant or unpleasant consequences
of the work, by not identifying ourselves with the body or
that which does the work. If you realise your true nature
and know that it is not you that does any work, you will be
unaffected by the consequences of whatever work the body
may be engaged in according to destiny or past karma or
divine plan, however you may call it. You are always free
and there is no limitation of that freedom.”
Most people will live a meaningless life – only seeking enjoyment in this world. Of course it is not meaningless but from a spiritual standpoint – since no effort has been placed to find your own consciousness- it lost its purpose.
It is very important to spend some time -to figure out what consciousness is. The answer is NOT found in books or talking but is found in deep meditation only. Once this central core is reached – many answers are automatically revealed and discussion with other ceases. For what avail is discussion.
The consciousness exists in all dimensions – 11 of them. It is always fully aware of it in all dimensions. How can an enlightened person explain consciousness or the experience in other dimensions. It is to be experienced ! Even if I tried to explain it – you will only imagine it but not reach it
Hence Guru are silent ! Who can they tell what it is ?
One evening in April 1982, G.L.Sah and his wife were returning to Nainital from Almora when their car’s brakes failed. It became difficult to control the car and on every bend, Sah was afraid of crashing into something coming from the opposite direction. He said nothing to his wife because he did not want to alarm her but he was not paying much attention to what she was saying. She did not understand the reason for his indifference and was surprised that he was driving erratically.
While they were passing Baba’s small temple in the valley of Kakrighat, she saw a sadhu standing by the road. He was looking towards them with his hand raised in a boon bestowing gesture. This incline of the road was not as steep there, so Sah decided to try to stop the car by crashing it against the rocks. Just as he was about to do so, the axle broke and the car came to a halt. Leaving the car in the care of a local shopkeeper, they got a lift to Nainital in a truck that same night.
In the house of the family with whom they were staying, Sah’s wife saw a photograph of Maharaj, whose appearance was the same as that of the sadhu they had seen at Kakrighat a few hours before. Upon enquiry they were told that the photograph was of Baba Neeb Karori and that he had left his body nine years previously. They were also told that the Kakrighat temple had been built by Baba. The couple was surprised that even though they did not know Baba, he blessed them by giving darshan and saving them in that perilous situation. By Baba’s act of grace they became devoted to him. They attended the celebrations at Kainchi on 15th June and narrated this experience.
Excerpts from “THE DIVINE REALITY of SRI BABA NEEB KARORI JI MAHARAJ” Chapter “AFTER MAHASAMADHI” written by Shri RAVI PRAKASH PANDE “RAJIDA”
Even though I have heard and read this story dozens and dozens of times, I heard again this morning…
Krishna Das telling the story about the first time he met Neem Karoli Baba…
“I had these apples, I was told that when you meet Maharaji you bring apples, so I bought these apples and I polished them up, I shined them up. I entered his room and there is Maharaji in his blanket on his cot, I placed the apples on his cot and bowed, by the time I lefted myself up from the bow he is throwing the apples to other people in the room. I was like ‘What did I do, he doesn’t like my apples?’
Maharaji looked at me and said ‘Did I do right?’
I gave him a very holy answer, ‘Any thing you do is right.’
Baba answered “Dahhhhhh”
He then looked at me and said ‘When you have God you don’t need anything.’
I stared at him blankly.
He said it again, ‘When you have God you don’t need anything.’
I didn’t get it.
He leaned into me and said, ‘When you have God, you have no desires.’ — with Diane Jackman.
Krishnadas is on the east coast, Virginia I believe. He goes to many different places in the world and chants. Audiences love it and he is quite a good orator
Quite enjoyable. I am told. But there is an entrance fee to be there
So now finally the point of the story. Krishnadas went to Baba thinning he had likes and dislike and almost thought he would please him.
Baba in his great style said I have no desires what more is to achieve once your with God. Or what more to want?
So when the mind is silenced – and you do not go into unconscious / sushupti – there should be Joy. Unexplained Joy
When you overcome ego – there should be no ego that you overcame ego. Or any thought that your doing things for the world.
This whole business of trying to understand is complicated and generates more ego, more ignorance and after a while boundfor failure
Don’t believe you have knowledge or have destroyed ego. The simple test is – if while working you have lack of success or if you have success and there is Joy or disappointment then there is I or ego which gave those feelings
Don’t walk the dark side of self deception. It is difficult to destroy ego
It has survived millions of births. It has survived many destructions of the world.
” There is no more liberating action than sincerely to give people kindness in return for unkindness. Why not be like a flower that gives fragrance even when crushed in the hand ? ” Paramahansa Yoganandaji.
So you want to watch say cbs news. Or you want to hear Hindi sangeet mala on radio What do yog have to do? You have to tune into the exact frequency! Now if your off by one to two points what do you get? Noise. Nothing
God operates on the frequency of kindness and love. Even slightly off you can’t tune in. And you can’t deceive. You can’t say I will pretend. Or I will think good thoughts That is still good but not complete
For it to be complete, even your heart should have no anguish when someone hurts you
Since we cannot go to that level right away, it’s very good to start with thoughts.
That’s why he says no more liberating thoughts
All great people have been treated by having evil Around them. And they love them back.!
Prayer in which your very soul is burning with desire for God is the only effectual prayer. You have prayed like that at some time, no doubt; perhaps when you wanted something very badly, or urgently needed money – then you burned up the ether with your desire. That is how you must feel for God. Talk to Him day and night; you will see that He will respond.
Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
This is the best way to connect up God
But it should be selfless. Only wanting him. This prayer attracts the attention of great perfected Guru and then they send a messenger. This takes you to God very swiftly
Babaji sent Yogananda for maybe 2-3 people.
What a sacrifice! Such great people will come . Assume a physical body – if only there are 2 or 3 people on earth ! They don’t ask for many genuine people
Yoga is a perfect science. But it is not theory. There is no theory in it. Since it is all practical, everyone who breathes has a right to it You don’t even need to understand it
But
But
Since it is all practical you must do It and experience it!
Reading all the books on meditation – will it teach you meditation?
Discussing mediation -does it reach you Samadhi?
Does understanding the 3 Gunas give you the ability to conquer Gunas – give you victory over anger?
Does reading a cook book satisfy your appetite?
So the books on yoga is a compilation of the experiences of a yogi! In Gita Krishna Bhagwan talks about kshetra kshetragna , he was describing something very subtle and great. This is an experience a yogi should strive for However, many people take the meaning as kshetra is the body and kshetragna is the knower of the body. Very convenient to shut your eyes!
Was Lird Krishna Arjuna merely trying to impress others by using the word kshetra instead of body?
But when you meditate, you experience the 3 different bodies, then you suddenly realize why he called it ksetra. Thus it is an all inclusive term – kshetra – field of playing ( karma ) for all three bodies What has happened is that , And those who are not yogi , those who have never truly meditated , they are not aware of the three bodies. They have heard of it. Pretend that the body they deal with in the dream is subtle body, etc but a person awake, is aware of all 3 bodies – he is a kshetragna – knower of the kshetra. The soul has three playing fields in the form of three bodies
Now I hope you see, that Yoga is practical. When people write a book they are announcing their ignorance ! How? By not conveying the true deeper meaning ! I don’t convey the true deeper meaning either – but how can I ? In order to eat a meal , you need the proper ingredients. When you have the proper ingredients, the meal is ready, that slight effort to open the mouth must be done!
If you read Tantrasara ( Abhinav Gupta translated by Chakravarty) the paragraph where he talks about Trilinga has not been translated properly. So I decided to write this blog.
In essence, one became two. Two became three. And two became 5 Three revealed in many ways That’s all there is to it
So trilinga in the book was a reference to one the three. These three things he refers to are very subtle. They are the basic seeds. He talks about seeds of knowables – etc there is a place where all 3 different seeds meet And that is trilinga / hriday
Here is a little analysis you can do! Examine your thoughts
Do you think of the world more often?
Do you think of events in the world?
Do you think of people
Do you think of events that happened to you
Do you think of future things you want to do or have to do
Do you think of food , and other pleasures
If you see that most of your thoughts are v in these categories your mind is very active in the outward direction
What if you are thinking of Goo ? Again that is still outward because you are thinking of a concept of God you have created
Now what if you are thinking of a liberated person like Raman Maharishi? Or Neem Karoli baba? Or Ramkrishna?
In this case it depends on your depth of thinking of them And your love and respect. This can now be simultaneously inward and outward. How can it be inward? Easy. Such great persons are a representation of the divine within you!
But the highest is to be in touch with the divine shakti within you. This shakti, when awakened, us living, easily you can be in touch with her at all times with All activities you do. This would be the beginning of going inward
Now above this there are a few more stages. Some other time, maybe
God is everywhere. We just have not learnt to find him everywhere. Our compass is on maya not on God
Merely thinking God is everywhere Is not enough.
Once you capture peace , progress is faster
Prana when it leaves the senses is beginning of purity.
Progress occurs in a vertical spiral. It may seem you have moved back a few steps but in reality it is an opportunity to uncover your flaws
Progress is both upward and inward
Inward progress is through sushumna, chitra, vajra, brahmanadi
The primary reason for the fall is anandmaya kosha. Once you go within what the mind perceived as fun becomes pain and an illusion
Never be discouraged. If your interest is genuine a Guru will appear
The inward layers can also be – prithvi, prakriti, maya And shakti
A liberated person does feel bodily pain too It is only in samadhi, is it gone.
When body awareness is gone that doe’s not mean you got liberated. A person undergoing surgery has no body awareness. Or in deep sleep. Samadhi is very different.
Samadhi is precious and rare.
The threes – 3 gunas, three bodies, three times , three a AVastha jagrat, swapna, sushupti, three levels of awakening
Aum is the way to liberation. It is to be heard and heard alone
To have human body again in next birth is very rare. Most people don’t get one. Why? All they have wanted in life is food, sex and desire to feel good. A human body is not needed for that A pig has an orgasm for 30 min. Maybe that is a better body for them
The ability to give up thoughts gives peace
True Guru are rare Swans fly alone. Geese in flocks. True Guru are usually alone with hardly any disciples
Vivekananda had many followers. Only 2 or 3 disciples
There is something unique a Guru has with a disciple. Only he would know how to create that bond
Shakti , once she takes interest in you liberation is a certainty
Fastest way to progress is going through hardships. Repeatedly. A person who has happiness Will not Be able to meditate or go within. He may think he meditates though
Hardship is your best friend and teacher
Be humble. Ego created this royal mess
Ego created the body. It exists after the body is gone And exists before the body
Bhavin
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