Thursday, November 16, 2017
Nidhidhyasana- Baby Steps
Om Harih Sharan
Om Vishwa-chaitanyaya namah
Om Vishwa-Chaitanyaya Namah
So thus we need to spend
dedicated time to assimilate what we have studied, so that we can own up the
knowledge. That spending dedicated time is called as nidhidhyasana.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Upadesha Saram - Ramana Maharshi
1.कर्तुराज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम्। कर्म किं परं कर्म तज्जडम्।
The result of an action is
obtained by the laws of the Lord. How can action, which is inert, be limitless?
2 कृतिमहोदधौ पतनकाराणम्। फलमशाश्वतं गतिनिरोधकम्।
2 कृतिमहोदधौ पतनकाराणम्। फलमशाश्वतं गतिनिरोधकम्।
Action is the cause for (one) to fall in the vast ocean of
further action. The result of an action is limited and (hence) is an
obstruction to (knowledge which is the direct means of) liberation.
3 ईश्वरार्पितं नेच्छया कृतम्। चित्तशोधकं मुक्तिसाधकम्।
3 ईश्वरार्पितं नेच्छया कृतम्। चित्तशोधकं मुक्तिसाधकम्।
Action done not out of
desire and dedicated to the Lord, purifies the mind (and thereby) becomes the
indirect means for liberation.
4 कायवाङ्मनःकार्यमुत्तमम्। पूजनं जपश्चिन्तनं क्रमात्।
4 कायवाङ्मनःकार्यमुत्तमम्। पूजनं जपश्चिन्तनं क्रमात्।
The
physical, oral and mental actions viz., ritualistic worship, chanting,
meditation (on Him), are all most beneficial in that order.
5 जगत इशधीयुक्तसेवनम्। अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम्।
5 जगत इशधीयुक्तसेवनम्। अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम्।
Serving
the world with an attitude that it is the Lord, is the worship of the Lord of
eight forms (five elements ie space, air, fire, water, earth; the Sun, the Moon
and the conscious being)
6 उत्तमस्तवादुच्चमन्दतः। चित्तजं जपध्यानमुत्तमम्।
6 उत्तमस्तवादुच्चमन्दतः। चित्तजं जपध्यानमुत्तमम्।
Compared
to the loud singing of His praise, repeating His namealoud, (repeating) in a murmuror
meditation in the form of mental (silent) chanting is better (in that order).
7 आज्यधारया स्त्रोतसा समम्। सरलचिन्तनं विरलतः परम्।
7 आज्यधारया स्त्रोतसा समम्। सरलचिन्तनं विरलतः परम्।
Unbroken
thinking (of Him) like even the (unbroken) flow of ghee or the (effortless)
flow of water (in a river) is better than interrupted meditation.
8 भेदभावनात् सोऽहमित्यसौ। भवनाभिदा पावनीमता।
8 भेदभावनात् सोऽहमित्यसौ। भवनाभिदा पावनीमता।
Instead
of meditating with an attitude of duality, (I am different from the Lord), the
nondual vision ‘He I am’ is purifying – this is the view (of Sruti).
9 भवशून्यसद्भावसुस्थितिः। भावनाबालाद्भक्तिरुत्तमा।
9 भवशून्यसद्भावसुस्थितिः। भावनाबालाद्भक्तिरुत्तमा।
The
best devotion is abidance in one’s own Self, free from duality (of seer and
seen) (brought about) by the strength of (repeated) contemplation (of He am I).
10 हृत्स्थले मनःस्वस्थता क्रिया। भक्तियोगबोधाश्च निश्चितम्।
10 हृत्स्थले मनःस्वस्थता क्रिया। भक्तियोगबोधाश्च निश्चितम्।
Abiding
of the mind in the heart (the core of myself) is action, devotion, yoga and
knowledge. This is the confirmed view (of Sruti).
11 वायुरोधनाल्लीयते मनः। जालपक्षिवद्रोधसाधनम्।
Like a
net for a bird, breath-control is a means for controlling the mind; by control
of breathing, the mind is absorbed (but not resolved totally).
12 चित्तवायवश्चित्क्रियायुताः। शाखयोर्द्वयी शक्तिमूलका।
12 चित्तवायवश्चित्क्रियायुताः। शाखयोर्द्वयी शक्तिमूलका।
The
mind and the prana are endowed with the ability to know and act, respectively.
These two are like the two branches stemming from one power (Maya).
13 लयविनाशने उभयरोधने। लयगतं पुनर्भवति नो मृतम्।
13 लयविनाशने उभयरोधने। लयगतं पुनर्भवति नो मृतम्।
There
are two forms of control of the mind; laya,
absorption and vinasha, destruction.
The mind that has attained absorption is born again, but definitely not the
mind that is dead.
14 प्राणबन्धनाल्लीनमानसम्। एकचिन्तनान्नाशमेत्यदः।
14 प्राणबन्धनाल्लीनमानसम्। एकचिन्तनान्नाशमेत्यदः।
The
mind that has gained absorption by control of breathing is destroyed once and
for all by contemplating on the one non-dual Self.
15 नष्टमानसोत्कृष्टयोगिनः। कृत्यमस्ति किं स्वस्थितिं यतः।
15 नष्टमानसोत्कृष्टयोगिनः। कृत्यमस्ति किं स्वस्थितिं यतः।
For
that exalted Yogi, whose mind is lost (totally resolved), and who has attined
his own nature, is there anything to be done? (There does not remain anything
to be done for him).
16 दृश्यवारितं चित्तमात्मनः। चित्वदर्शनं तत्वदर्शनम्।
16 दृश्यवारितं चित्तमात्मनः। चित्वदर्शनं तत्वदर्शनम्।
One’s
mind withdrawn from perceptions is the appreciation of Awareness (one’s real
nature) which is appreciation of Truth.
17 मानसं तु किं मार्गणे कृते। नैव मानसं मार्ग आर्जवात्।
17 मानसं तु किं मार्गणे कृते। नैव मानसं मार्ग आर्जवात्।
When an
enquiry is undertaken as to the nature of the mind, it is found that indeed
there is no mind, since there is directness in the enquiry.
18 वृत्तयस्त्वहं वृत्तिमाश्रिताः। वृत्तयो मनो विद्ध्यहं मनः।
18 वृत्तयस्त्वहं वृत्तिमाश्रिताः। वृत्तयो मनो विद्ध्यहं मनः।
Mind is
thought-forms and the thought forms are but dependent upon the I-thought, ego.
So know the mind to be the ego.(So enquiry into the mind is the same as enquiry
into the I-thought).
19 अहमयं कृतो भवति चिन्वतः। अयि पतत्यहं निजविचारणम्।
19 अहमयं कृतो भवति चिन्वतः। अयि पतत्यहं निजविचारणम्।
Oh
seeker! For the one, who enquires thus, “Where from does this ‘I’ arise?”, the
I-notion drops. This is self-enquiry.
20 अहमिनाशभाज्यहमहन्तया। स्फुरति हृत्स्वयं परमपूर्णसत्।
20 अहमिनाशभाज्यहमहन्तया। स्फुरति हृत्स्वयं परमपूर्णसत्।
When
the ego (I-notion) is destroyed, the limitless, full, existence that is the
Self, shines by Itself as I, I.... (‘I’ is self-shining).
21 इदमहम्पदाऽभिख्यमन्वहम्। अहमि लीनकेऽप्यलयसत्तया।
Even when the ego is resolved daily (in sleep) there remains
the ‘I’ in the form of destruction-free Existence; this awareness ‘I’ is the
implied meaning of the word ‘I’(the content of the ego).
22 विग्रहेन्द्रियप्राणधीतमः। नाहमेकसत्तज्जडं ह्यसत्।
22 विग्रहेन्द्रियप्राणधीतमः। नाहमेकसत्तज्जडं ह्यसत्।
I am
not the body, sense organs, physiological functions, the mind or the ignorance.
They are inert and hence unreal. I am the One, non-dual Existence.
23 सत्त्वभासिका चित्क्ववेतरा। सत्तया हि चिच्चितया ह्यहम्।
23 सत्त्वभासिका चित्क्ववेतरा। सत्तया हि चिच्चितया ह्यहम्।
Where
is another awareness to illumine the existence (I)? Awareness is in the form of
existence (I) and I (existence) is in the form of Awareness. (The two are not
different)
24 ईशजीवयोर्वेषधीभिदा। सत्स्वभावतो वस्तु केवलम्।
24 ईशजीवयोर्वेषधीभिदा। सत्स्वभावतो वस्तु केवलम्।
Due to
the reality given to the costume (upadhi),
there is the notion of division between the Lord and the jiva. But from the
standpoint of the essential nature which is sat,
the Truth is only one.
25 वेषहानतः स्वात्मदर्शनम्। ईशदर्शनं स्वात्मरूपतः।
25 वेषहानतः स्वात्मदर्शनम्। ईशदर्शनं स्वात्मरूपतः।
By
removal of these costumes) by proper enquiry) there is the appreciation of one’s
own Self (free from all limitations), and that is the vision of the Lord as one’s
own essential nature.
26 आत्मसंस्थितिः स्वात्मदर्शनम्। आत्मनिर्द्वयादात्मनिष्ठता।
26 आत्मसंस्थितिः स्वात्मदर्शनम्। आत्मनिर्द्वयादात्मनिष्ठता।
The
vision of one’s own Self is the well-abiding (of the mind) in the Self. Because
of the non-duality of the Self, there is natural effortless abidance in the Self.
27 ज्ञानवर्जिताऽज्ञानहीनचित्। ज्ञानमस्ति किं ज्ञातुमन्तरम्।
27 ज्ञानवर्जिताऽज्ञानहीनचित्। ज्ञानमस्ति किं ज्ञातुमन्तरम्।
Awareness
is knowledge which is free from knowledge (of objects) and ignorance (of
oneself and objects). Is there anything else to know?
28 किं स्वरूपमित्यात्मदर्शने। अव्ययाऽभवाऽऽपूर्णचित्सुखम्।
28 किं स्वरूपमित्यात्मदर्शने। अव्ययाऽभवाऽऽपूर्णचित्सुखम्।
(With
the enquiry) ‘What is the essential nature (of myself)?’,when there is knowledge of the Self, there is
Awareness (Self) that is happiness, ever full, (being) unborn and never waning.
29 बन्धमुक्त्यतीतं परं सुखम्। विन्दतीह जीवस्तु दैविकः।
29 बन्धमुक्त्यतीतं परं सुखम्। विन्दतीह जीवस्तु दैविकः।
The
limitless happiness (that is the Self) is beyond bondage and liberation. The
individual with divine qualities indeed attains it here and now (as a result of
teaching).
30 अहमपेतकं निजविभानकम्। महदिदं तपो रमणवागियम्।
The destruction of the ahankara (as a result of enquiry),
leading to the shining of the Self (knowledge of the Self) is indeed the
greatest tapas, penance. These are the words of Ramana.
Om Tat Sat
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Vedanta makes the vision of oneness a reality for us
From a class summarizing certain portions of Drg Drshya Viveka.