Behind My Hand

There is a telling paragraph at the beginning of Chapter One of S. S. Cohen's " Advaitic Sadhana -  The Yoga of Direct Liberation " - "This is the age of shortcuts. Time has shrunk and space more so, and the dual inconvenience has affected men's moods and temper. Even the supreme knowledge has nowadays to be given in massive doses and has to produce quick results too, or they will have none of it." Telling because it reveals that there was a deep seated impatience even back in the days when westerners used to flock to the Ashram on short visits to "bask" in the presence of Sri Ramana Maharshi. This essay was drafted during Ramana Maharshi's lifetime, although first published in 1975. If there was an impatience then what must one say of today! In his introduction to the book Cohen says that, "he used to watch their comings and goings and the haste with which most of them expected to pluck the plum of Self-realisation,

It has taken next to no time at all for young Venkataraman's gift of dis- cover -y to become largely disregarded. Pure simplicity having been replaced with the dullard's contrived attempt to explain that which he has never experienced [and never will] in a form which most appeals to his ego. Of course, this very act can, at best, only ever be counterproductive. Ego appealing to ego begets ego. How to perform Vichara (self enquiry)

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

“In proper Enquiry there is no sequence of thought other than the reiteration of the enquiry, for as soon as any thought/feeling etc. arises ‘I’ ask ‘myself’ the question “To whom does this thought (feeling etc.) arise?” and scythe it down. What the thoughts, feelings etc. are is unimportant... What is important is the continuous remembrance of the enquiry into ‘my’ thoughts.” ———— Talks on Self Enquiry: A collection of writings on Self Enquiry (Atma Vichara) according to the teaching of Ramana Maharshi https://amzn.to/34TWleg