Behind My Hand

Ramana Maharshi in Talk 40: Meditation on forms is according to one’s own mind. It is meant for ridding oneself of other forms and confining oneself to one form. It leads to the goal. It is impossible to fix the mind in the Heart to start with. So these aids are necessary.

There is no posture like Siddha asana "Of the different postures, eighty-four are the main ones. Of these, again, four, viz., simha, bhadra, padma, and siddha are said to be excellent. Of these too, it is only siddha, that is the most excellent. Thus the yoga texts declare." (from Ramana's "Self Enquiry") When a Muslim visitor asked Bhagavan about asana, he replied that "abidance in God is the only true posture." (Talk 234) On another occasion, he said "nididhyasana (one-pointedness of the mind) is the best." (Talk 557) The one-pointed mind focussed by vichara (Self-enquiry) is indeed pure abidance in the Self. When the ego rises up, confusion ensues and the world of differentiated objects is taken to be real, ego goes off searching for the best asana. In truth, only one is the centre (heart) of all and forms the basis for all - the seat upon which all else abides, including the multitude of asanas. This is siddhāsana.

Ramana Maharshi, from Talk 146 "Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method. Whereas all other methods are done, only retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest." ___ ___ ___

I have shared this piece, from UG Krishnamurti, a few times over the years. It still stands up.  Have you ever looked at that parallel movement of thought? The books on English grammar will tell you that 'I' is a first person singular pronoun, subjective case; but that is not what you want to know. Can you look at that thing you call 'I'? It is very elusive. Look at it now, feel it, touch it, and tell me. How do you look at it? And what is the thing that is looking at what you call 'I'? This is the crux of the whole problem: the one that is looking at what you call 'I' is the 'I'. It is creating an illusory division of itself into subject and object, and through this division it is continuing. This is the divisive nature that is operating in you, in your consciousness. Continuity of its existence is all that interests it. As long as you want to understand that 'you' or to change that 'you' into something spiritual, into somethin

43. When knowledge scatters the darkness (of ignorance), the Self spontaneously reveals itself, as does the sun when the light of the dawn scatters the darkness (of the night). (Atma Bodha) (found in S. S. Cohen's Advaitic Sadhana, The Yoga of Liberation, 2007; 79)

Enquiry is deliberate... never random. Practice is all important. Spontaneity (unforced, natural) is manifestation of ever flowing Grace when strength of mind ensues. Then that which has taken effort becomes effortless. (from Talks on Self Enquiry, M. Wright)

"One looks around, sees mountains and rivers, sky-scrapers and market places, but sees them as they are, in their true proportions, in the background of the eternal. This is what Sri Aurobindo has called 'waking union with the Divine'. Sri Raman Maharshi has called it 'the perfectly natural condition of the self'*. The world of space, time and causality appears as a meaningful mode of manifestation of the non-temporal." Integral Yoga, Haridas Chaudhuri, 1975; 107 *Note: I do not remember seeing this exact quote from Ramana but I get the gist. :)

“In the course of tracing ourselves back to our source, when all thoughts have vanished, there arises a throb from the Hridaya on the right, manifesting as ‘Aham’ ‘Aham' ‘I’- ‘I’. This is the sign that Pure Consciousness is beginning to reveal itself. But that is not the end in itself. Watch wherefrom this sphurana (throbbing) arises and wait attentively and continually for the revelation of the Self. Then comes the awareness, oneness of existence.” (from a reply, approved by Bhagavan, which was sent to an English devotee; recorded in ‘Moments Remembered’ by V. Ganesan, p. 53)

8. What part of the body is the abode of the Self? The Heart on the right side of the chest is generally indicated. This is because we usually point to the right side of the chest when we refer to ourselves. Some say that the sahasrara (the thousand-petalled lotus) is the abode of the Self. But if that were true the head should not fall forward when we go to sleep or faint. (Spiritual Instruction; Collected Works) —- —- —- 18. Between the two paps, below the chest, above the stomach, there are six organs of various colours. Of these, one, looking like a lily bud, is the Heart, at two digits’ distance to the right of the centre. (Ramana selected this verse from Ashtanga Hridayam, Malayalam. It can be found in Reality in Forty Verses: Supplement)