”Q: ”What is the easiest way and most effective way to do atma-vichara, self-inquiry?”
Ramana Maharshi:”To always be aware consciously in all situations of the ”I Am”. No matter what you’re doing, where you are, be aware of the ”I Am” in your heart. This is the most effective practice.”
– Sri Ramana Maharshi
Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think “I am”, and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the “I am”. Sense your presence, the naked unveiled, unclothed beingness. It is untouched by young or old, rich or poor, good or bad, or any other attributes. It is the spacious womb of all creation, all form.
– Ramana Maharshi
”You will fall sick, experience pain, and encounter many adverse circumstances. At such times do not think, ‘Although I am practicing the Dharma, I have nothing but trouble. The Dharma cannot be so great. I have followed a teacher and done so much practice, and yet hard times still befall me.’
Such thoughts are wrong views. You should realize that through the blessing and power of the practice, by experiencing sickness and other difficulties now, you are purifying and ridding yourself of negative actions.
By purifying them while you have the chance, you will later go from bliss to bliss. So do not think, ‘I don’t deserve this illness, these obstacles, these negative influences.’ Experience your difficulties as blessings. When you do experience such difficulties, you should be very happy and avoid having adverse thoughts like, ‘Why are such terrible things happening to me?’”
– Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
My situation in life was like the phrase, “No knowledge, no strength in arms, no money to spend.” I felt I could not serve Baba in any way. In spite of this I was the recipient of his endless grace. He gave me everything when I was not able to offer anything in return. Not only am I indebted to him, but so is my whole family, particularly my mother, my wife, and my two sons. One day Baba came to our house at 150 Allenganj in Allahabad. After puja and a meal, he sat silently for some time. Suddenly he said to me, “Don’t worry.” I told him I did not worry, but the worries came to me and did not leave no matter how hard I tried. Baba said again very forcefully, “I say don’t worry.” Helplessly, I submitted to what he said, as it was no use
arguing further. Many years after this incident, I came to know the reality of his utterance. The purpose of his command was, as it is said in the Ramayana, “Friend, leave your worry and rely on me. I shall do all your work.”
In time he took away all my worries. The circumstances changed by themselves, and my nature to worry also improved. Even now if I worry about something, as is my basic nature, I have found the work automatically and appropriately done. I remember what Baba told me and feel ashamed of myself. Baba took care of me and he still does.
– Ravi Prakash Pande (The Divine Reality – Sri Neem Karoli Baba Ji Maharaj)
Q: The repetition of the name of God is very common in India. Is there any virtue in it?
M: When you know the name of a thing or a person, you can find it easily. By calling God by His name, you make Him come to you.
Q: In what shape does He come?
M: According to your expectations. If you happen to be unlucky and some saintly soul gives you a mantra for good luck and you repeat it with faith and devotion, your bad luck is bound to turn. Steady faith is stronger than destiny. Destiny is the result of causes, mostly accidental, and is therefore loosely woven. Confidence and good hope will overcome it easily.
Q: When a mantra is chanted, what exactly happens?
M: The sound of the mantra creates the shape which will embody the Self. The Self can embody any shape — and operate through it. After all, the Self is expressing itself in action — and a mantra is primarily energy in action. It acts on you, it acts on your surroundings.
Q: The mantra is traditional. Must it be so?
M: Since time immemorial, a link was created between certain words and corresponding energies and reinforced by numberless repetitions. It is just like a road to walk on. It is an easy way — only faith is needed. You trust the road to take you to your destination.
– Nisargadatta Maharaj
It is not right to compare and reason saying: “Such and such a person has done sadhana for so many years and yet has not got anywhere”.
How can you judge what is happening to anyone inwardly?
Sometimes it seems that a person who does sadhana seems to have changed for the worse.
But how do you know that this tendency has not always been in him and has now come out so that it may be dealt with and purified as a result of his endeavors?
– Ananadamayi Ma
This is the surest way to handicap oneself. This is burdening of one’s mind with the fear of failure and thought of one’s failing. That fear is not true. The greatest error of a man is to think that he is weak by nature, evil by nature. Every man is divine and strong in his real nature. What are weak and evil are his habits, his desires and thoughts, but not himself.
– Sri Ramana Maharshi
All bodies are composed of the five elements and they are alive because of consciousness. When consciousness departs from them, there is no longer any life in the bodies. Consciousness does not die, but merely separates from the body. Without consciousness, the bodies were already dead. So who dies now ?
Consciousness serves as an instrument and thanks to it, the Absolute is able to be a witness. Without consciousness, the Absolute cannot witness anything whatsoever.
The Absolute is first a witness to consciousness, when it exists, and then, it is a witness to the continuum of consciousness. If consciousness is called *Brahman*, its witness is *Parabrahman*.
– Nisargadatta Maharaj – To be nothing is to be everything. Excerpt p 135
Once, when the satsang was over, an old man was taking leave. ”It is getting late,” he said, ”I must be going home.”
”Late indeed,” agreed Anandamayi, ”there you are right; but go to your real home, not to the dharmasala pilgrim hostel.”
”I am not staying in any dharmasala, I have my own house here,” he replied.
She shook her head and smiled:
”Do you call that home? You won’t be able to stay there for ever. Your days are numbered and when your time is up, you will have to leave. I call it dharmasala. There are rules and regulations; you may remain for a while but then you have to quit. This body tells you to find your real home from which nobody can drive you out, which is not of this world. Dig deep and unearth your real wealth, find your real home in God, who is your own Self.
~ Anandamayi Ma
(Discourse and Dialogue of Anandamayi Ma – Richard Lannoy, Chapter 6)
Q: How to churn up the nadis, so that the kundalini may go up the sushumna?
~ Ramana Maharshi:
Though the yogi may have his methods of breath-control, pranayama, mudras, etc., for this object, the jnani’s method is only that of enquiry. When by this method the mind is merged in the Self, the Self, its shakti or kundalini, rises automatically.
-Sri Ramana Maharshi
Day by Day with Bhagavan
