Behind My Hand

...regulation of breath is prescribed for making the mind quiescent. Quiescence lasts only so long as the breath is controlled. So it is transient. The goal is clearly not pranayama. It extends on to pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Those stages deal with the control of mind. Such control becomes easier for the man who had earlier practised pranayama. Pranayama leads him to the higher stages involving control of mind. Therefore control of mind is the aim of yoga also. A more advanced man will naturally go direct to control of mind without wasting his time in practising control of breath. A simple development of pranayama alone may confer siddhis which so many hanker for. ( Ramana Maharshi in Talk 154, 5 February 1936 )

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. [ note: Brahma akara vrtti - thoughts of Brahman ] ———— Ramana Maharshi in Talk 54, 16 June 1935 ———————————- Remember that both “ deha aham ” and “ brahma aham ” are in the realm of thought. This needs to be resolved hence Sri Ramana says:  “I am Brahman” is only a thought. Who says it? Brahman itself does not say so. What need is there for it to say it? Nor can the real ‘I’ say so. For ‘I’

M.: If the eyes are closed, it is nirvikalpa; if open, it is (though differentiated, still in absolute repose) savikalpa. The ever-present state is the natural state sahaja. Ramana Maharshi in Talk 17, 24 January 1935

Sri Ramana’s central teaching is: Self-inquiry. Instead of wanting to know this and that, seek to know the Self. Ask ‘Who am I?’ instead of asking about a hundred other things. Self-inquiry ought to be the easiest of all tasks. But it seems to be the most difficult because we have become strangers to our Self. What one has to do is simple - to abide as the Self. This is the ultimate Truth. This is one’s eternal, natural, inherent state. On account of ignorance we identify ourselves with the not-I. The most subtle of all these identifications is with the ego. Let us search for the root of the ego. Where from does this pseudo-I arise? At the end of this quest we shall find that the ego disappears letting the eternal Self shine. So the best discipline is the inquiry: ‘Who am I?’ This is the greatest japa. This is the true pranayama. The thought ‘I am not the body’ (naham) is exhalation (rechaka); the inquiry ‘Who am I?’ (koham) is inhalation (puraka); the realization ‘I am He’ (soham)

The atma is as it is. It is sakshat always. There are not two atmas, one to know and one to be known. To know it is to be it. It is not a state where one is conscious of anything else. It is consciousness itself. —- Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day, 28.12.45, afternoon  ————- The Atman does not love, it is love itself. It does not exist, it is existence itself. The Atman does not know; it is knowledge itself. —- Christopher Isherwood, Swami Prabhavananda, How to Know God, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, number 17 (commentary)

Question: When I think ‘Who am I?’, the answer comes ‘I am not this mortal body but I am chaitanya, atma, or paramatma.’ And suddenly another question arises — ‘Why has atma come into maya?’ or in other words ‘Why has God created this world?’ Answer: To enquire ‘Who am I?’ really means trying to find out the source of the ego or the ‘I’ thought. You are not to think of other thoughts, such as ‘I am not this body, etc.’ Seeking the source of ‘I’ serves as a means of getting rid of all other thoughts. We should not give scope to other thoughts, such as you mention, but must keep the attention fixed on finding out the source of the ‘I’ thought, by asking (as each thought arises) to whom the thought arises and if the answer is ‘I get the thought’ by asking further who is this ‘I’ and whence its source? —- Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day, 28.12.45, afternoon

There is no difference between dream and the waking state except that the dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of the mind. Because the waking state is long, we imagine that it is our real state. But, as a matter of fact, our real state is what is sometimes called turiya or the fourth state which is always as it is and knows nothing of the three avasthas, viz., waking, dream or sleep. Because we call these three avasthas we call the fourth state also turiya avastha. But it is not an avastha, but the real and natural state of the Self. When this is realised, we know it is not a turiya or fourth state, for a fourth state is only relative, but turiyatita, the transcendent state called the fourth state. ( Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day, 5. 1. 46 )

In Sri Ramanaparavidyopanishad, K. Lakshmana Sarma (aka 'Who') writes "praśnasya ko'smīti sadaiva sādhordvārāṇi sarvatra ca sambhavanti" - "everywhere and at all times doors (opportunities) pop up which lead to the question "Who am I?" The point being that there is no point in setting aside place and time to do vichara. Nor lighting the correct incense and wearing appropriately ethnic clothes while sitting in the lotus position, chanting a mantra you have never taken time to understand. If this is your idea of vichara then you have missed the point. Enquiry is the simple control of wayward thoughts. Thoughts like "setting aside place and time, lighting the correct incense and wearing appropriately ethnic clothes while sitting in the lotus position (or any other yoga position), chanting a mantra you misunderstand" any one of which will provide ample fuel for atma vichara. Ask the question... "Who is this poser?"  “Buddhi stan

न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषत: |  यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ||11||  na hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṁ tyaktuṁ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥ  yastu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate (Bhagavad Gita, 18. 11) “It is certainly not possible for the embodied being to abandon activities entirely. However, one who renounces the fruits of action is called “ the renouncer ”.” —- Note: When there is no “I”, can there be any karma! So long as egoity lasts the mind games go on. When egoity ceases to be, actions become spontaneous. The mind games might appear to go on but who on earth is playing them? —- Translation by MWright

I was fortunate to correspond with Swami Bhavyananda in the 80s and early 90s. This is an excellent interview which I highly recommend. He mentioned to me that, as a young monk, he met Sri Ramana Maharshi. This, in itself, was sufficient to encourage me to correspond with him. I am glad I did. His help in providing clarity was immense. Part two of this interview can be found here .

असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर् मामृतं गमय ।  asato mā sadgamaya,  tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,  mṛtyor mā'mṛtaṃ gamaya, From untruth lead me to truth, From darkness lead me to light, From death lead me to immortality. —- Note: “Where truth is ... falsehood is not. Brahman is truth. The Self cannot be attained without practising truth. Suffering is the result of false relationships, false fears, false ideas. Liberation is truth. How is this liberation realised? Through right action of mind, speech and body. That is jnana, that is freedom, that is moksha. Self Enquiry is constant truth. Maintaining the quest even in the midst of worldly duties ensures right action.” 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. —- A very nice musical rendition of the verse by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. Being a fan of both

yathā somyai kena mrtpindena sarvam mrnmayam vijñātam syādvācārambhanam vikāro nāmadheyam mrttiketyeva satyam || 6. 1. 4 | “O gentle sir, as by knowing a lump of earth everything made of earth becomes known, the transformation begins with speech. It is name only. In fact, ‘earth’ is the reality.” ( Chandogya Upanishad) na so ’sti pratyayo loke yah śabdānugamād rte |  anuviddham iva jñānam sarvam śabdena bhāsate   ||   Bhartrhari’s   Vakyapadiya 1. 123 “In this world, there is no cognition which does not follow language. All knowledge appears as if permeated by words.” api prayoktur ātmānau śabdam antaravasthitam | prāhur mahāntam rsabham yena sāyujyam isyate || tasmād yah śabdasamskārah sā siddhih paramātmanah |  tasya pravrttitattvajñas tad brahmāmrtam aśnute || VP 1. 130-131 “It is also said that the self of the speaker is the word situated within, the Great Bull with whom one desires union. Therefore that which purifies the word is attainment of the Supr

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. 

“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

“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)

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.