Author: Tom Das

Ramana Maharshi: Peace is your true nature

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Ramana letters

Yesterday, two pandits came from Kumbakonam. This morning at 9 o’clock, they approached Bhagavan and said, “Swami, we take leave of you. We pray that you may be pleased to bless us that our mind may merge or dissolve itself in shanti [peace]”

Bhagavan nodded his head as usual. After they had left, he said, looking at Ramachandra Iyer,

“Shanti is the original state. If what comes from outside is rejected what remains is peace. What then is there to dissolve or merge? Only that which comes from outside has to be thrown out.

“If people whose minds are mature are simply told that the swarupa itself is shanti, they get jnana. It is only for immature minds that sravana (listening to the teachings) and manana (reflecting upon the teachings) are prescribed, but for mature minds there is no need of them. If people at a distance enquire how to go to Ramana Maharshi, we have to tell them to get into such and such a train or take such and such a path, but if they come to Tiruvannamalai, reach Ramanasramam and step into the hall, it is enough if only they are told, here is that person. There is no need for them to move any farther.”

“Sravana and manana mean only those described in Vedanta, don’t they?” asked some one. “Yes,” Bhagavan replied, “but one thing, not only are there outward sravana and manana but there are also inward sravana [listening] and manana [thinking]. They must occur to a person as a result of the maturity of his mind. Those that are able to do that antara sravana (hearing inwardly) do not have any doubts.”

Whenever any one asked what those antara sravanas are, he used to say, “Antara sravana means the knowledge of that Atma which is in the cave of the heart always illuminated with the feeling ‘aham, aham’ (‘I, I’), and to get that feeling to be in one’s heart is manana, and to remain in one’s self is nididhyasa [meditation].”

In this connection, it is worth while remembering the sloka [verse] written by Bhagavan bearing on this subject. In that sloka mention is made not only to Atma sphurana [the vibration of the Self] but also how to secure it. Securing means only remaining in one’s own self:

Brahman is glowing lustrously in the middle of the cave of the Heart in the shape of the Self, always proclaiming ‘I am, I am’. Become an Atmanishta, a Self-realised person, either by making the mind absorbed in the search of the Self or by making the mind drown itself through control of the breath.

19th July 1947, Letters from Sri Ramanasramam

Ramana Maharshi – Summa Irru (Be Still)

~ Tom Das ~ 3 Comments

ramana maharshi eyes of grace

!Om Guru Ramana!

In this video below, the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi have been arranged and presented for deep contemplation. Each quote is repeated twice to increase the impact. If you like this type of video and would like me to make some more, or if you have any feedback for future video offerings, please let me know.

To hear the quotes, see the video below, to read the quotes, please see the text beneath the video.

Here are the quotes:

Be still. Apart from this the mind has no task to do or thought to think
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 773

If you remain still, without paying attention to this, without paying attention to that, and without paying attention to anything at all, you will, simply through your powerful attention to being, become the reality, the vast eye, the unbounded space of consciousness.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 647

Because that state is taught by silence, and also because it is attained by remaining in silence, it is called silence. The sage is in silence always, even when he speaks.
Sri Ramana Paravidyopanishad, verse 539

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 peace prevails in all. His silence is more vast and emphatic than all the scriptures put together.
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talk 398

There is no reaching the Self. If the Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not now and here, but that it should be got anew. What is got afresh will also be lost. So it will be impermanent. What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So, I say, the Self is not reached. You are the Self; you are already That.
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talk 251

When one remains without thinking one understands another by means of the universal language of silence.
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talk 243

There is a state when words cease and silence prevails
Maharshi’s Gospel, page 14

O foolish mind who is suffering due to the desire for the petty pleasures of this world and of the next, if you remain quiet [i.e. without desire] you will certainly attain that State of Bliss which surely transcends the pleasures of these two.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 379

None can confront and overcome the mind. Ignore it, then, as something false and unreal. Know the Self-Awareness as the real ground and stand firm rooted in it. Then the mind’s movements will gradually subside. If the noise of thoughts rising incessantly within does not subside, the ineffable state of silence will not be revealed.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 921

When one refrains from looking out and noting outward objects, and instead abides within the Heart in Self-Awareness, the ego disappears. The pure silence that then shines forth is the goal of Knowledge.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 1194

The end of pain, the bliss of peace results from egoless awareness, and not at all from verbal wisdom.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 532

Having become free from concepts, which are afflicting thoughts, and with the ‘I am the body’ idea completely extinguished, one ends up as the mere eye of grace, the non-dual expanse of consciousness. This is the supremely fulfilling vision of God
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 348

Having restrained the deceitful senses, and having abandoned mental concepts, you should stand aloof in your real nature. In that state of Self-Abidance in which you remain firmly established in the consciousness of the Heart, Sivam will reveal itself.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 349

The true vision of reality that is free from veiling ignorance is the state in which one shines in the Heart as the ocean of bliss, the inundation of grace. In the mauna experience that surges there as wholly Self, and which is impossible to think about, not a trace of grief or discontent exists for the jiva.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 350

Though that state of being the real Self is called the state of knowledge, it is one in which there is none of the three: the knower, the object known, and the act of knowing. That being the case, what does one know there, by what means, and who is there to know? It must be understood that knowledge is just a name for the state of being the Self.
Sri Ramana Paravidyopanishad, verse 40

Except for the one who has completely cut the tie of desires, the false appearance [that he is a suffering jiva] will not cease. Therefore, without any hesitation, one should cut even the desire for the great Divine Happiness.
Guru Vachaka Kovai, verse 378

There is a two-fold ignorance, named as knowledge and ignorance, which is experienced by those not aware of the real Self. This pair is unreal just like all else.
Sri Ramana Paravidyopanishad, verse 276

“In that state doubts do not arise since the sage is ever firm in his awareness of the true Self. There he remains without affirmations and vacillations, immersed in the depths of peace, the mind having become extinct.”
Sri Ramana Paravidyopanishad, verse 569

!Om Guru Ramana!

Ramana Maharshi: Silence is the Teaching

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

This is the first time I have made a video like this, so I hope you like it. It is made with love and devotion to Sri Ramana Maharshi.

I am eternally grateful to you Bhagavan. I bow down to You and prostrate at Your Feet. I give myself to You. My heart pours out love to You.

All the quotes in the video were written by Sri Ramana Maharshi himself (as opposed to being recorded or compiled by someone else – of course English translations from the original Tamil are presented here)

See this link for the quotes and sources they were taken from: https://tomdas.com/2020/02/17/ramana-maharshi-no-thoughts/

I bow down to you Sri Ramana
I bow down to you

Om Guru Ramana

 

Ramana Maharshi: seeing a Lion in a Dream

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment
ramana-maharshi face
Sri Ramana Maharshi

That questioner said, “The ancients say that for a person who wants to know that real state sadhana, sravana, manana, and nididhyasana are absolutely necessary till the very end.”

Tom: traditionally the means to liberation is said by vedantins to consist of sravana (listening to the teachings), manana (contemplating upon the teachings) and nididhyasana (meditation).

Bhagavan replied, “They are necessary only to get rid of the various things that come from outside and that too for purposes of sadhana only, but not for realising the Self. One’s own self is there at all times and in all places.

Sravana, etc., are to be resorted to only to get rid of external influences, but if they are regarded as the most important things they will be the cause of the development of the feelings of ahankara [egotism or doership], such as ‘I am a pandit’ (learned man), ‘I am a great man’ and the like. That is a big samsara [cause of suffering]. It is difficult to get rid of it later on. It is bigger than a wild elephant. It will not yield ordinarily.

Tom: Ramana states here that the Self is ever-present and ever-realised. There is no need for sravana, manana or nididhyasana for realisation, only to remove ignorance. Sravana, manana or nididhyasana do not lead to Self-Knowledge or Realisation! Realisation is always present! Conversely, if this is not understood and it is thought that sravana, etc will lead to realisation, this will cause immense suffering as the sense of ‘me’ is perpetuated.

“For that wild elephant, it is said that Guru Kataksham (the Grace of the Guru) is like seeing a lion in its dream,” said the questioner.

“That is true. If an elephant sees a lion in its dream, it wakes up startled and will not sleep again that day for fear that the lion might appear again in a dream. In the same way in a man’s life which is also akin to a dream, it is not Guru Kataksham alone, but also sravana, manana, nididhyasana, etc., that are akin to the sight of a lion in a dream.

Tom: Ramana here agrees that the guru’s grace is like a dream lion which wakes up the elephant who is dreaming of it.

…With some surprise, that questioner said, “Are sravana etc. and Guru Kataksha akin to dreams?”

“Yes, that is so. For those who realise the truth, everything is akin to a dream…

… When you are able to understand your state which had been existent all the time, you will then understand that all the rest is like a dream. When that is known, the feeling that the Guru is different from you will disappear.

Tom: Ramana states that both the guru’s grace and the teaching are both like dreams. You are That!

The above were excerpts taken from Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, 18th May 1947.

The Ten most important verses of Shankara’s Vivekachudamani according to Sri Ramana Maharshi

~ Tom Das ~ 5 Comments
ramana-maharshi face
Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi stated that Shankara’s text Vivekachudamani contains in detail all the points required for a seeker of liberation ‘thereby directing them to the true and direct path‘.

Vivekachudamani contains 580 verses. Ramana Maharshi evidently placed this text in high regard, so much so that he translated the entire text into Tamil for those who could not read or understand the original Sanskrit. He also selected what he felt were the ten most important verses, which are as follows:

The ten most Significant Verses From Sri Sankara’s Vivekachudamani

As selected by Sri Ramana Maharshi

1. Among things conducive to Liberation, devotion (Bhakti) holds the supreme place. The seeking after one’s real nature is designated as devotion. (Verse 31)

2. The Supreme Self, the eternal, indivisible, non-dual Consciousness, the Witness of buddhi and the rest, is other than the real (Sat) and the unreal (asat), and is the ultimate significance of the notion conveyed by the term ‘I’. It is the immediate Reality, the embodiment of Bliss. (Verse 351)

3. Different from matter (prakriti) and its modifications is the Supreme Self, of the nature of pure Knowledge. It is Absolute and directly manifests the entire gross and subtle universe, in waking and other states, as the substratum of the steady sense of egotism. It manifests Itself as the Witness of the intellect (buddhi). (Verse 135)

4. That which clearly manifests itself in the waking, dream and deep sleep states; that which shines inside uniformly and continuously as I-I; witnesses the ego, the intellect etc, which are of different forms and modifications; which shines as Eternal bliss (nitya ananda) and consciousness (chit), know this, within your heart, as your own Self. (Verse 217)

5. With a regulated mind and a purified intellect, directly know yourself as the essential Self, in the form ‘This I Am’. Cross the shoreless ocean of worldy existence (samsara) with its waves of births and deaths. Firmly established as Brahman, which is your own true essence, be blessed (Verse 136)

6. The self-shining witness (sakshi) of everything, this Atman shines eternally, in the sheath of the intellect (vijnanakosha). Making this Atman, which is distinct from the unreal, the aim of contemplation, meditate upon It as your own Self, eliminating all other thoughts (Verse 380)

7. Extremely subtle is the Truth of the Self Supreme, and it is not discernible to the gross vision (of the mind). It is knowable to the noble-minded of very pure intellect, through samadhi, brought about by an extraordinarily subtle mind. (Verse 360)

8. Thus purified by constant practice when the mind merges with Brahman, then Samadhi passes from the Savikalpa stage [where objects still arise] to the Nirvikalpa stage [where no objects arise], leading directly to the experience of the Bliss of Brahman, the Non-dual. (Verse 362)

9. By this [Nirvikalpa] Samadhi are destroyed all the knots of vasanas and all karma is destroyed. One‘s Real Nature (swarupa) manifests spontaneously and effortlessly, forever, everywhere and always, within and without. (Verse 363)

10. In the cave of the intellect, there is the Brahman, the Supreme non-dual Reality, distinct from [relative] truth (sat) and untruth (asat). One who dwells in this cave as Brahman has no rebirth*. (Verse 266)

*Tom: The literal rendering of this last line of verse 266 is a play on the word ‘cave’ and states ‘One who dwells in this cave as Brahman does not enter into the cave of the body’. The ‘word ‘cave’ is used in the Upanishads to describe the location of Brahman, whilst ‘cave of the body’ refers to the mother’s womb, which in turn refers to rebirth in samsara and continued suffering.

Sri Ramana Maharshi also said that the entirety of Advaita Vedanta can be found in in verse 170 of Vivekacudamani:

170. In dreams, when there is no actual contact with the external world, the mind alone creates the whole universe consisting of the experiencer, etc. Similarly in the waking state also, there is no difference. Therefore all this [phenomenal universe] is the projection of the mind.

New Sunday Online Satsang!

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Tom Das online satsang

I am very happy to announce that I will now be holding ONLINE Satsang every Sunday at 3pm UK time (cost £5) in addition to the usual Thursday Satsang at 8pm UK time (cost £10). Further details can be found here.

All are welcome to attend and it’s easy to join if you have not done so before:

To join simply make a payment of £5 beforehand here: www.tomdas.com/donate

Then click here at the meeting time to join: https://zoom.us/j/9409264979

(If you have never used Zoom before it will prompt you to download the program onto your computer/phone/tablet)

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Tom

Note: nobody will be turned away due to inability to pay. In this situation please contact me if you would like to attend.

Disclaimer:
Meetings and sessions are not intended as a substitute for professional therapy, medical care, or legal advice. Please consult a licensed professional in these matters. Group meetings are usually recorded and may be shared publicly at a future date. Please read the full disclaimer at www.tomdas.com/disclaimer