Abide As The Self - Ramana Maharishi

[sky]

Originally Posted by Omsatchitananda547

ha ha.. thank you so much for starting this thread.

my understanding,

To reach the ultimate one.

You need to connect,

and to see how??
complete concentration on what is that, which is connecting you to the source.

Focus - connect - done. you are One now.


practically it is really really difficult to achieve this, not everyone is fortunate enough to be born with extremely pure qualities.

Gyan me if my perception needs another eye.

I see it from another angle, you can disconnect from the idea you are not already one with the ultimate...

[Omsatchitananda547]

@sky123

I think what you said is "the last understanding".

Once you have realised you are one with ultimate, there is nothing left to Qn, explore or breathe.

But if someone has just learnt message but not realised then there come different ways.

Bhakti & Dhyaan yoga.

via this, your belief turns into experience then realisation.


To understand what lies beyond the human body you need to avoid distractions caused by the body, for that you need to concentrate on one thing which will dissolve other distractions.

Learned people have to guide me if the above is true to help us go beyond the human body suffering.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Omsatchitananda547

@sky123

I think what you said is "the last understanding".

Once you have realised you are one with ultimate, there is nothing left to Qn, explore or breathe.

But if someone has just learnt message but not realised then there come different ways.
Bhakti & Dhyaan yoga.

via this, your belief turns into experience then realisation.


To understand what lies beyond the human body you need to avoid distractions caused by the body, for that you need to concentrate on one thing which will dissolve other distractions.

Learned people have to guide me if the above is true to help us go beyond the human body suffering.

Yes some may need a teacher to guide them but again this idea will hold you back because you are relying on others when the answers are within not without... but each to their own

You call it the ' last understanding ' why is it not the first ??

[django]

Ramana himself said he had no guru. He only ever looked within in meditation.

[sky]

Originally Posted by django

Ramana himself said he had no guru. He only ever looked within in meditation.

He was a wise man Buddha also tried various Guru's but realised it's all within... and he went alone and reached enlightenment.

[jonesboy]

Ramana Maharshi wasn't against an external guru :)

D. How can I obtain Grace?

M. Grace is the Self. That also is not to be acquired: you only need to know that it exists.

The sun is brightness only. It does not see darkness. Yet you speak of darkness fleeing on the sun’s approach. So also the devotee’s ignorance, like the phantom of darkness vanishes at the look of the Guru. You are surrounded by sunlight; yet if you would see the sun, you must turn in its direction and look at it. So also Grace is found by the proper approach you make, though it is here and now.

D. Cannot Grace hasten ripeness in the seeker?

M. Leave it all to the Master. Surrender to Him without reserve.

One of two things must be done : either surrender yourself, because you realize your inability and need a higher power to help you; or investigate into the cause of misery, go into the Source and so merge in the Self. Either way, you will be free from misery. God or Guru never forsakes the devotee who has surrendered himself.

[sky]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Ramana Maharshi wasn't against an external guru :)

D. How can I obtain Grace?

M. Grace is the Self. That also is not to be acquired: you only need to know that it exists.

The sun is brightness only. It does not see darkness. Yet you speak of darkness fleeing on the sun’s approach. So also the devotee’s ignorance, like the phantom of darkness vanishes at the look of the Guru. You are surrounded by sunlight; yet if you would see the sun, you must turn in its direction and look at it. So also Grace is found by the proper approach you make, though it is here and now.

D. Cannot Grace hasten ripeness in the seeker?

M. Leave it all to the Master. Surrender to Him without reserve.

One of two things must be done : either surrender yourself, because you realize your inability and need a higher power to help you; or investigate into the cause of misery, go into the Source and so merge in the Self. Either way, you will be free from misery. God or Guru never forsakes the devotee who has surrendered himself.

I don't see that anyone has said Ramana was against Gurus...

[django]

Questioner: If it is true that the Guru is one’s own Self, what is the principle underlying the doctrine which says that, however learned a disciple may be or whatever occult powers he may possess, he cannot attain Self-realisation without the grace of the Guru?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Although in absolute truth the state of the Guru is that of oneself (the Self), it is very hard for the self which has become the individual (jiva or embodied soul) through ignorance, to realise its true state or nature without the grace of the Guru.

Questioner: How then some great persons attain knowledge without a Guru?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: To a few mature persons the Lord shines as the formless light of knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth.

Questioner: Sri Aurobindo and others refer to you as having had no Guru.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: It all depends on what you call a Guru. He need not be in a human form. Dattatreya had twenty-four Gurus including the five elements- earth, water, etc. Every object in this world was his Guru. The Guru is absolutely necessary. The Upanishads say that none but a Guru can take a man out of the jungle of intellect and sense perceptions. So there must be a Guru.

Questioner: I mean a human Guru- Maharshi did not have one.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: I might have had one at one time or other. But did I not sing hymns to Arunachala? What is a Guru? Guru is God or the Self. First a man prays to God to fulfil his desires. A time comes when he will no more pray for the fulfilment of material desires but for God Himself. God then appears to him in some form or other, human or non-human, to guide him to Himself in answer to his prayer and according to his needs.

[jonesboy]

So unless you are one of those very lucky few.

Find a realized guru.

[Gem]

I think the key teaching of Ramana was self inquiry, so it's probably worth looking into that as he explains it. I'm not so sure of the value of the other asides, though these might be relevant to particular questioners.

We will find that those interested in being gurus will promote gurus, but there are spiritual teachers who suggest it is inhibiting, but it's not a question of which teacher is right and which teacher is wrong, because to believe either on the authority of their teacherdom is 'following'.

We run into these sorts of problems with knowledge, as the formation of 'the answer' only gives us something to cling to, and wield out of our own desire to influence others. In the ways of teaching I am accustomed to, the teacher speaks from their insight, but the student is alone to discern, and can only understand the meaning through their own actual insight. In this way Ramama's method of self inquiry is sensible, because it doesn't tell you what an answer is, and it requires you to look and see for yourself.

Now, when people tell you you need a guru, what makes them right and what makes them wrong? This is all senseless debate in which each party attempts to influence the other, and that is power, where the basic intent is to be right, and thereby come out on top.

If people want to find a guru, then go ahead, enjoy the benefits of such an endeavour, and if another finds it unappealing, then don't - it's each one's self determination to discern what is best.

In my life I have not sought gurus, but at times in my life I have 'stumbled upon' highly advanced people who gave me a hand in moving along, just within my friendships - but I read a bit of Ramama and he has said some relevant things to me, so I can only suggest reading a bit and see what you think of it.