Behind My Hand

A new page describing how to do Vichara  (Self enquiry) has been published. Although this is the simplest of practices there have been some torturous explanations over the years. The above link removes the nonsense. 

The moon shines by the reflected light of the sun. When the sun has set, the moon is useful for revealing objects. When the sun has risen, no one needs the moon, although the pale disc of the moon is visible in the sky. So it is with the mind and the Heart. The mind is useful because of its reflected light. It is used for seeing objects. When it is turned inwards, the source of illumination shines forth by itself, and the mind remains dim and useless like the moon in day-time. Ramana Maharshi in Talk 98 (Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi)

M.: The ultimate Truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said. Still, it is a wonder that to teach this simple Truth there should come into being so many religions, creeds, methods and disputes among them and so on! Oh the pity! Oh the pity! Maj. Chadwick: But people will not be content with simplicity; they want complexity. M.: Quite so. Because they want something elaborate and attractive and puzzling, so many religions have come into existence and each of them is so complex and each creed in each religion has its own adherents and antagonists. Ramana Maharshi, Talk 96, 13th November 1935

“From ‘Moments Remembered’ (p. 77), Sri M.G. Shanmugam relates: “He (Bhagavan) once said categorically: ‘For practising Atma Vichara every day is auspicious and every moment is good, ­­no discipline is prescribed at all. Any time, anywhere it can be done, even without others noticing that you are doing it. All other sadhanas require external objects and congenial environment, but for Atma Vichara nothing external to oneself is required. Turning the mind within is all that is necessary. While one is engaged in Atma Vichara one can with ease attend to other activities also. ... With attention focussed on the first person and on the Heart within, one should relentlessly practise Who am I? When this is done one-pointedly, one's breathing will subside of itself. During such controlled practice, the mind might suddenly spring up; so you have to vigilantly pursue the Vichara, Who am I?’” Recorded in Talks on Self Enquiry Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert https://amzn.to/34TWleg Mo

“Lokavichara is paying attention to the world of externals rather than holding the substratum of the ‘I’. Whereas Atma Vichara opens the ‘secret’ of the Self and reveals that the world is unreal apart from the underlying Reality.” Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert https://books.apple.com/gb/book/talks-on-self-enquiry/id1078197373 This material may be protected by copyright.

“It is said that the sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor lightning nor fire. All the lights in the universe cannot be compared even to a ray of this inner light of the Self. Conceptual twaddle falls away in obeisance to this Light of all. Take to Vichara and merge yourself in this constant, eternal light of lights, the light of the Self.” Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert https://books.apple.com/gb/book/talks-on-self-enquiry/id1078197373 This material may be protected by copyright.

“Sphurana’ can be translated in a variety of ways – flashing, glistening, quivering, vibrating, throbbing, coming into view, manifestation, etc. In essence it is the primary manifestation of the Self in the body (the real source of creation). It is experienced when the flow of consciousness is reversed and thoughts/ego are traced back to the Heart centre (Hridaya). Some have experienced this as a physical manifestation on the right side of the chest. One may continue to sense a constant sphurana after revelation of the Self. In Absolute terms however there is no location. This is simply the centre without bounds.” Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert https://books.apple.com/gb/book/talks-on-self-enquiry/id1078197373 This material may be protected by copyright. ————- Note: Sphurana can also be compared to a knock at the door; or a recall. Vichara is answering the call.

Ramana Maharshi makes it very clear that there is no advanced method only maturation of vichara. Vichara is the direct method."There is nothing more to be known than what you find in books. No secret technique. It is all an open secret, in this system." (Day by Day, 8-10-46)

““In the union of the individual with the Supreme, the Supreme is hearsay and the individual directly experienced. You can make use only of direct experience; therefore look who you are.” (from Talk 332)” Recorded In Talks on Self Enquiry Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert https://books.apple.com/gb/book/talks-on-self-enquiry/id1078197373 This material may be protected by copyright.

mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya | nivasiṣyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ || Fix the mind on me alone, place the thought process in me. Hereafter, without doubt, you will abide in me alone.  (Bhagavad Gita 12.8, - Trans. MWright) The above Verse from Bhagavad Gita is a concise description of vicāra (Self-enquiry).  Note: “Who am l?” - the thought process arises from “me”. Trace the source. Remain there.  ————- “Atma Vichara leads to the source of the ego. There the ego disappears. Remaining as that source the ego no longer arises.” (Excerpt From Talks on Self Enquiry, Miles Wright & Gabriele Ebert;  https://books.apple.com/gb/book/talks-on-self-enquiry/id1078197373)

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā | mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ || All of this Universe is pervaded by me, with my unmanifested form.* All beings abide in me, but I am not contained in them.  Bhagavad Gita 9.4 ————- *brahman - Trans. MWright

407 . This apparent universe has its root in the mind, and never persists after the mind is annihilated. Therefore dissolve the mind by concentrating it in the Supreme Self, which is thy inmost Essence.* —- Vivekacudamani, of SRI SANKARACHARYA Text with English Translation, Notes and an Index, BY SWAMI MADHAVANANDA. (1921) —- * An interesting historic translation of Vivekachudamani which is available for download online.

27. jnAnavarjitAjnAnahInacit / jnAnamastikim jnAtumantaram // True knowledge is that understanding which is without (objective) knowledge or non-knowledge. What else is there to know?    ——— Notes The Self is sometimes said to be unknowable. By this is meant that objective knowledge is absent because other than the Self there is nothing else to be known. A pure mind has immediate access to this knowledge because it is devoid of thought. Atma vicAra keeps the mind free of thoughts. “Sri Bhagavan said that it [the world] is unreal if viewed apart from the Self and real if viewed as the Self.” (Talk 516) “True knowledge’ is the daily experience. When one interacts with the world the Self simply appears to take on myriad forms. Whether or not such forms are withdrawn the Self rests happily in itself. Nothing is gained, nothing is lost, whether the world is perceived, or not. “The ajnani takes the world to be real; whereas the jnani sees it only as the manifestation of the Sel

The Master said: The Brahma akara vritti helps to turn the mind away from other thoughts. Either some such practice is necessary or association with sadhus should be made. The sadhu has already overcome the mind and remains in Peace. His proximity helps to bring about such condition in others. Otherwise there is no meaning in seeking a sadhu’s company. Deho aham (I am the body) is limitation and is the root of all mean and selfish actions and desires. Brahma aham (I am Brahman) is passing beyond limitation and signifies sympathy, charity, love etc., which are divine and virtuous. - From Talk 54 —- —- — brahmakaravrtti - this is the (moral) conduct of one whose sole intent is to diffuse Brahman widely and abundantly. The practice of vichara is not selfishness. It is the opposite. It removes the separation of self and other. It is bhedabheda, the identity of self and universe, simultaneously one and different. During these difficult times plagued by the current worldwide pan

Nisargadatta Maharaj:  January 9, 1981 Questioner: What are thoughts? Maharaj: They are the result of previous conditioning which the mind has had. Q: Are the thoughts of the jnani and the ignorant one different from one another? M: The difference is that the jnani has divorced himself from the body-mind, the body-mind thoughts will come and go but the jnani is not concerned; whereas, the ignorant one gets involved in those thoughts and the ignorant one considers himself as a name and a form. —- —- —- Ramana Maharshi:   June 19, 1936, Talk 211 D.: What is this mind? M.: A bundle of thoughts July 13, 1935, Talk 65 The ajnani takes the world to be real; whereas the Jnani sees it only as the manifestation of the Self. It is immaterial if the Self manifests itself or ceases to do so. —- —- —- Ramana Maharshi: February, 1939, Talk 623 Sri Bhagavan said to another devotee that there are five states: (1) Sleep, (2) Before waking, a state free from thoughts, (3) Se

D.: Can we not get realisation instantaneously? M.: Realisation is nothing new. It is eternal. There is no question of instantaneous or gradual realisation. - Ramana Maharshi,   Talk 164

Presently this body is undergoing a lot of agony: dizziness, pain; all these things are happening at the physical level. In spite of this state, the talk comes out inspiringly. What permits that? It is the guna, the beingness. That beingness not only experiences your visits here, but it also experiences various changes and transformations in this body and in the world. Nisargadatta Maharaj, Consciousness and the Absolute, Feb 12, 1981

215. That which is perceived by something else has for its witness the latter. When there is no agent to perceive a thing, we cannot speak of that thing having been perceived at all. 216. This Atman is a self-cognised entity, because It is cognised by Itself. Hence the individual soul is itself and directly the Supreme Brahman, and nothing else. Swami Madhavananda, Advaita Ashrama, 1921, Vivekacudamani: v. 215-216

204. Just as the water which is very muddy again appears as transparent water when the mud is removed, so the Atman also manifests Its undimmed lustre when the taint has been removed. [ Water is naturally pure, but it is polluted by foreign substances mixing with it. These impurities can be removed by filtration, distillation etc. So the apparent impurity of the soul can be removed by discrimination, which shows that it is Nescience that hides the real nature of the Self. ] Vivekachudamani, Swami Madhavananda, Advaita Ashrama, 1921; 204

D.: Is there efficacy in bathing in the Ganges? M.: The Ganges is within you. This Ganges does not make you feel cold or shiver. Bathe in it. Ramana Maharshi, Talk 164