The recent video of this same title, The Essence of Awakening, was the chanting of Ramana Maharshi's "magnum opus", Upadesa Saram, with mudras. A complete exposition of Upadesa Saram is given in my first book, Happiness Beyond Thought: A Practical Guide to Awakening, pp 75 - 109.
Ramana Maharshi personally wrote Upadesa Saram in four different languages; Sanskrit, Telegu, Tamil and Malayalam.
These are all presented, with copies of Ramana's actual hand writing, in Upadesa Saram: The Complete Version in Four Languages Composed by Sri Bhagavan.
Many folk undoubtedly wondered, what Vijey Kumar asked, in a comment to the video, "Where did those "strange" mudras came from?" and suggested a blogpost to explain where they came from and what they "mean".
As far as "where these come from", these mudras manifested over many months, spontaneously, "out of nowhere".
The original intent was to develop a standing "yoga/tai chi flow" video to supplement the standing yoga routine which is described in "Happiness Beyond Thought". Developing it as a standing sequence over many months turned out to be an ergonomic challenge for the lower back unless one had a skilled yoga instructor to work with them, so it became a sitting flow.
Doing it sitting also worked much better with the available video filming resources that had been used for the other chanting w/mudras videos.
Completely serendipitously, Upadesa Saram manifested with this process. There was no intention to do this flow series with a chant.
The combination manifested over many months, which continued until no further change manifested.
As it turns out, the different segments of the mudras track with the flow of Upadesa Saram with its different topics.
Both Kevin Hackett and Rich Doyle were witness to this evolution.
Kevin was heavily engaged in learning both standing and sitting versions, and making it "fit" into the video formats.
Rich was critical in procuring video resources and different venues and, as always, in providing helpful comments.
The first section of Upadesa Saram focuses on karma yoga, the renunciation of the fruits of one's efforts and bhakti yoga, devotion towards a personal God in verses 1 to 6.
The ultimate outcome of actions is determined by the laws of the Universe. How can you hope to produce awakening by your actions? (v 1)
If you undertake actions with a goal, the result will almost always not be what you intended. The result will be better or worst, so it will lead you to more actions and frustration and will block your progress towards liberation. (v 2)
If you surrender your attachment to the results of your actions, that will purify your mind and provide a path to liberation. (v 3)
In selecting your spiritual practices, realize that the most powerful approach is meditation; chanting is less effective and physical actions like rituals are the least effective. (v 4)
Rituals (puja) should be done with the attitude that you are serving the world, which is God. (v 5)
Of all of the ways that verbal worship (japa) can be done, mental chanting as a meditation is the most effective. (v 6)
These mudras sweep back and forth to clear away past conditioning to open the way for a new approach and teaching.
The second section expands on meditation, also called dhyaana, or eka-cintana, w/ and w/o breathing practices, in verses from 7 to 16.
Unbroken meditation, like water flowing in a stream or oil pouring, is the most effective. (v 7).
Instead of meditating on an object, know that your are That, the One. (v 8)
The strength of concentration to abide as That is brought about by devoted practice. (v 9)
If the mind is absorbed in the Heart, all spiritual practices are accomplished. (v10)
These four verses do not use pranayama (praanaayaama), or breathing practices.
The next six verses use pranayama.
Control the breath and you control the mind, like throwing a net over a wild parrot. (v 11)
Mind and breath, consciousness and action, are joined like two branches on a tree, both with the same root. (v 12).
Calming of the mind can be either temporary or permanent. Lasting calm can only be attained if the mind is restructured and absorbed. (v 13)
Lasting absorption of the mind can be accomplished by first stilling it through breath control, and from that state, contemplating That. (v 14)
If your mind becomes absorbed, there is nothing else to be done (v 15).
Withdraw your mind from your perceptions and recognize the Truth. (v 16)
These mudras mirror the process of working in every direction on every facet of these teachings. Each individual verse moves first out and into the work, then it deepens, and moves back into understanding and absorption.
The third section focuses on jnana in advaita Vedanta, which is Ramana's "Direct Approach" of inquiry in verses 17 to 20.
If you search for your mind, you will find that it doesn't exist. (v 17)
Your mind is nothing but thoughts based on an "I". (v 18)
See where the "I" comes from and it will disappear. (v 19)
When the "I" disappears, limitless Awareness is there. (v 20)
The mudras aggressively wipe away the mind, thoughts and the "I" and reveal the Self, which had been obscured.
The fourth section brings out the concept of Self as the sole Reality and as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss from verses 21 to 27.
Every night in sleep, the "I" disappears and the Self remains. (v 21)
You are not your body, senses, energies, mind or ignorance, which have no existence without Consciousness. (v 22)
Existence is Consciousness is Awareness. (v 23)
You and God are One, only your appearance is different. (v 24)
Removing your costume, you realize that your essential Nature is the same as God's and that you both are That. (v 25)
Effortless abidance in the nondual Self is realization. (v 26)
Abiding in Consciousness is beyond any knowledge or ignorance. If you abide There, there is nothing else to be known. (v 27)
These mudras show the full emergence of the understanding of Self and Existence-Consciousness-Bliss by sweeping upward and downward without any hindrances.
The fifth section summarizes the achievement of the goal of the nondual awakening process from 28 to 30.
your real nature is unchanging, unborn, complete happiness (v 28).
Having the right predispositions, you achieve that limitless happiness that is beyond the concepts of bondage and liberation. (v 29)
Surrendering the "I" is the greatest spiritual practice and leads to Self Realization. This is Ramana's teaching. (v 30)
These mudras are the opening fully into the limitless happiness of what Ramana described as sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi.
 |
| Ramana Maharshi |
These are all presented, with copies of Ramana's actual hand writing, in Upadesa Saram: The Complete Version in Four Languages Composed by Sri Bhagavan.
Many folk undoubtedly wondered, what Vijey Kumar asked, in a comment to the video, "Where did those "strange" mudras came from?" and suggested a blogpost to explain where they came from and what they "mean".
As far as "where these come from", these mudras manifested over many months, spontaneously, "out of nowhere".
The original intent was to develop a standing "yoga/tai chi flow" video to supplement the standing yoga routine which is described in "Happiness Beyond Thought". Developing it as a standing sequence over many months turned out to be an ergonomic challenge for the lower back unless one had a skilled yoga instructor to work with them, so it became a sitting flow.
Doing it sitting also worked much better with the available video filming resources that had been used for the other chanting w/mudras videos.
Completely serendipitously, Upadesa Saram manifested with this process. There was no intention to do this flow series with a chant.
 |
| Kevin Hackett Working at Springwater Center |
As it turns out, the different segments of the mudras track with the flow of Upadesa Saram with its different topics.
 |
| Rich Doyle EE Sparks Professor Penn State |
Kevin was heavily engaged in learning both standing and sitting versions, and making it "fit" into the video formats.
Rich was critical in procuring video resources and different venues and, as always, in providing helpful comments.
The first section of Upadesa Saram focuses on karma yoga, the renunciation of the fruits of one's efforts and bhakti yoga, devotion towards a personal God in verses 1 to 6.
The ultimate outcome of actions is determined by the laws of the Universe. How can you hope to produce awakening by your actions? (v 1)
If you undertake actions with a goal, the result will almost always not be what you intended. The result will be better or worst, so it will lead you to more actions and frustration and will block your progress towards liberation. (v 2)
If you surrender your attachment to the results of your actions, that will purify your mind and provide a path to liberation. (v 3)
 |
| Puja |
 |
| Japa |
Rituals (puja) should be done with the attitude that you are serving the world, which is God. (v 5)
Of all of the ways that verbal worship (japa) can be done, mental chanting as a meditation is the most effective. (v 6)
These mudras sweep back and forth to clear away past conditioning to open the way for a new approach and teaching.
The second section expands on meditation, also called dhyaana, or eka-cintana, w/ and w/o breathing practices, in verses from 7 to 16.
Unbroken meditation, like water flowing in a stream or oil pouring, is the most effective. (v 7).
Instead of meditating on an object, know that your are That, the One. (v 8)
The strength of concentration to abide as That is brought about by devoted practice. (v 9)
If the mind is absorbed in the Heart, all spiritual practices are accomplished. (v10)
These four verses do not use pranayama (praanaayaama), or breathing practices.
 |
| Pranayama |
Control the breath and you control the mind, like throwing a net over a wild parrot. (v 11)
Mind and breath, consciousness and action, are joined like two branches on a tree, both with the same root. (v 12).
Calming of the mind can be either temporary or permanent. Lasting calm can only be attained if the mind is restructured and absorbed. (v 13)
Lasting absorption of the mind can be accomplished by first stilling it through breath control, and from that state, contemplating That. (v 14)
If your mind becomes absorbed, there is nothing else to be done (v 15).
Withdraw your mind from your perceptions and recognize the Truth. (v 16)
These mudras mirror the process of working in every direction on every facet of these teachings. Each individual verse moves first out and into the work, then it deepens, and moves back into understanding and absorption.
The third section focuses on jnana in advaita Vedanta, which is Ramana's "Direct Approach" of inquiry in verses 17 to 20.
If you search for your mind, you will find that it doesn't exist. (v 17)
Your mind is nothing but thoughts based on an "I". (v 18)
See where the "I" comes from and it will disappear. (v 19)
When the "I" disappears, limitless Awareness is there. (v 20)
The mudras aggressively wipe away the mind, thoughts and the "I" and reveal the Self, which had been obscured.
The fourth section brings out the concept of Self as the sole Reality and as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss from verses 21 to 27.
Every night in sleep, the "I" disappears and the Self remains. (v 21)
You are not your body, senses, energies, mind or ignorance, which have no existence without Consciousness. (v 22)
Existence is Consciousness is Awareness. (v 23)
You and God are One, only your appearance is different. (v 24)
Removing your costume, you realize that your essential Nature is the same as God's and that you both are That. (v 25)
Effortless abidance in the nondual Self is realization. (v 26)
Abiding in Consciousness is beyond any knowledge or ignorance. If you abide There, there is nothing else to be known. (v 27)
These mudras show the full emergence of the understanding of Self and Existence-Consciousness-Bliss by sweeping upward and downward without any hindrances.
 |
| Ramana in Old Hall |
The fifth section summarizes the achievement of the goal of the nondual awakening process from 28 to 30.
your real nature is unchanging, unborn, complete happiness (v 28).
Having the right predispositions, you achieve that limitless happiness that is beyond the concepts of bondage and liberation. (v 29)
Surrendering the "I" is the greatest spiritual practice and leads to Self Realization. This is Ramana's teaching. (v 30)
These mudras are the opening fully into the limitless happiness of what Ramana described as sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi.
Thanks Gary! I felt, watching the video, that the mudras could be expanded upon to further their efficiency. I'll try these movements now!
ReplyDelete- Ben
Hi BendikB. Great. It is useful to couple mudras with chants as the engagement and integration of more, and different parts, of the brain is significantly increased, particularly if the message is understood.
DeleteThe blogpost "How to deepen your awakening practices...neuroscientifically" goes through the research on this which is expanded in "Dancing Hands for Lower Anxiety, Higher Cognition and Awakening".
stillness
i really hope to learn this chant soon and the mudras! Without knowing the words/meaning, this has always been a kind of mental mantra for me after hearing it so many times on your soundcloud page...
ReplyDeletei haven't chanted much lately due to living with others and being a bit (false sense of?...) "self" conscious of what they might think hearing me chant! Also hoping that that yoga/tai chi sequence you mentioned manifests some day, though "yoga for your life" by The Pierces has served me well recently :)
Thanks as always for everything Gary, hoping to be in touch soon... the elephant has been quite busy lately!
Hi Michael,
DeleteIt is surprising how powerful it is to chant a text with mudras as the blogpost "Dancing Hands for Lower Anxiety, Higher Cognition and Awakening" discusses.
Now, with Upadesa Saram added to the list of Kirtan Kriya, Ribhu Gita, Gayatri and Nirvana Shatakam, all of these major teachings can be chanted with mudras.
The yoga/tai chi "standing version" of Upadesa Saram needs to be modified so that the hands don't cross the vertical plane in the sweeping motions for verses 17 - 20. Letting those motions extend to the opposite foot when bent over causes a problem in the lower part of the spine.
Best with your mudras and chanting. IME, others like to hear the chanting if they know what it "means".
stillness
What a lovely and restful surprise - wonderful video, thanks, Gary! (by Andy Hoye)
ReplyDeleteHi Andy,
DeleteGreat to hear from you. Wonderful that it was so useful, and "a lovely and restful surprise".
So much gratitude for your support and assistance during the early critical times.
Trust all is well.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteThanks for making time in your schedule to give such an elaborate explanation to the Mudras flow and for the detailed translation on Upadesa saram. In my brief practice of hatha Yoga, no matter what the sequence is, that is taught by the teacher, my personal experience has been that the body naturally tends to follow a flow which is most beneficially for itself. Case in point is the "Shavasana" or the "Corpse pose" which is advocated to be done at the end of the sequence of asanas, but somehow in my personal practice, i always feel "shavasana" to be most natural at the start of any of the hatha yoga flow sequence,rather as a rest at the end of the sequence.
As it has been your observation as well, no matter how much of knowledge we fill ourselves with, both esoteric and otherwise, the creative outflow/timing of this knowledge or data is beyond our logic understanding and beyond our wildest comprehension.
Hi vijey kumar,
DeleteYes, in many decades of yoga practice in many traditions, it is clear that, as you say "the body naturally tends to follow a flow which is most beneficial for itself".
Every day, whatever happens in yoga practice is what manifests "all by itself". It is fascinating to see how today's practice perfectly reflects what the body "needs" given the work that was done the previous day or any physical problems that have manifested.
The body has enormous wisdom and if it is carefully listened to, rather than "overridden" and given some "practice" or diet that was seen on-line, or in the "latest" book, it will heal and care for itself.
The same approach works for morning practice, where whatever mix of chanting, mudras, abiding in Presence, yoga, etc. manifests is what happens, "all by itself".
Hello Gary, what do you think about people who say they awaken spontaneously, not practicing any method, or maybe not knowing about it ?
ReplyDeletethanks,
John
Hi John,
Deletei've only encountered one such folk who have reached the persistent "no thoughts" state without practicing any method. In his case, he didn't know that everyone else had thoughts until he got to the university.
The rest who make such statements have different definitions of "awakening", or they are selling their "method" and deluding folk by telling them what they want to hear. The blogpost "What nonduality is (bliss) and isn't (no bliss)..." gives the definition of what nondual awakening is.
The most important thing to recognize is that our brains are highly complex physical systems with 50,000,000,000,000 synaptic interconnections. It requires significant restructuring over something like 10,000 hrs to develop "mastery" in anything, whether it's chess, high jumping, playing the violin, grocery clerks, playing darts, or meditation.
The blogposts "10,000 hrs (meditation) practice isn't enough...genetics matters" and "Are 10,000 hrs needed for awakening? NO. How to practice better" give the extensive research on this.
Trust this is useful.
stillness
Hi Gary,
DeleteIt is useful yes thank you. Perhaps it's a matter of definitions, as there are people (like the famous Eckhart Tolle) who say they lost their sense of self all of a sudden. But that might not be exactly the no thoughts state you mean.
And then there are people who, after an awakening, say that the individual can't do it, it's beyond the control of the individual.
So I was wondering if it is like sports - training makes success more likely, but genetics and favourable conditions matter too. And some people have super genes, and some people have super favourable conditions - and everything mushes into one impersonal mysterious game of luck ?
thanks,
John
I like that you put "no thoughts" in quotes because it gets pretty baffling when teachers say they don't have thoughts any more when they really mean they don't have certain kinds of thoughts.
DeleteI used to listen to a teacher who started one of his tapes "thinking is a psychological disease, a madness infecting just about everybody", which of course sounded like the cure was to never, ever think. Not an easy goal. Ironically I used to churn about that... heh
thanks,
John
Hi John,
DeleteEckhart's awakening did manifest suddenly and relatively unexpectedly, but it's like LeBron James, the chess master Magnus Carlsen and Pele. It's not just trying harder and having great genes and favorable conditions, there is a huge element of what you call "luck", but i call it Her dancing.
There are many examples of situations manifesting that are very highly unlikely, but that manifest and are very useful and helpful, like you and i having this discussion. It's all Her dancing...all of it.
stillness
gary
Oo Gary, I like this idea of a dancing woman...
DeleteHi John,
DeleteOn the "types of thoughts", the videos "What no thoughts means...3 different kinds of thoughts" @ https://youtu.be/WnWxCgiZfrc and "What types, and patterns of thoughts do you have? What can be done w/them?" @ https://youtu.be/HuJmqF_r46o are very useful to clarify this point.
On the "dancing woman", don't forget you are also Her as is everything.
stillness
Thank you Gary yes I did catch that video after I asked the question, and it does set things out in an unusually clear way for this subject. Maybe I should just pause and let the answers come.
DeleteOne thing that doesn't seem to get much consideration is the role of ageing on desire. As hormonal activity declines so does emotional turbulence and natural desires. I'm not saying this is the case with you, but how do we distinguish between wisdom and simply running low on sexual/emotional drive ?
Particularly on the renunciate side of things it's very easy for old people to tell young people that their desires are an obstacle (again not saying you do this).
Would it be a stretch to figure age as a factor as well as genes and environment ?
thanks,
John
Hi John:
DeleteSounds like two different situations, the first is older, more experienced folk recommending to younger folk that strong sexual desire is something that can make your life difficult as it generates a lot of craving, longing, possessiveness, jealousy, etc. That is their experience.
These are the result of our evolutionary conditioning, as discussed in my friend, Robert Wright's "The Moral Animal: Why We Are The Way We Are", the bible of evolutionary psychology.
This is discussed in several blogposts, particularly "Which is more pleasurable...psychedelics, the nondual state, or sex?", which was featured in the recent viral video "Is THIS Better Than SEX?" by Prince Ea @ https://youtu.be/_u50wn-jTpw?list=FLMSnyxnteEx7IOPIFkfh3og.
For evolutionary survival, the brain runs a pleasure/pain comparison which overweights pain 3 to 5X pleasure. As "sex" generates a lot of pain, over time it loses out, if folk are paying attention.
The other situation is anyone, older or younger, telling folk, younger or older, that they need to renounce sex to progress on the spiritual path. Since sex, and getting genes into the next generation, is our "Prime Directive", it just doesn't work.
If you want to make something irresistible, and generate bad behaviors around it, forbid it, i.e. most religions.
IME, unless folk experience sex and understand for themselves what happens, as described above, they will never be able to "let go" of their sexual desire.
Trust this is useful.
stillness
Hi Gary, I just came across Declutter your mind on Amazon. Is that your new book? It looks different from your previous publications so I just wanted to make sure. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Anastasia. No that's not my new book. The new book is "Evolving Beyond Thought: Updating Your Brain's Software" and is described in detail in the blogpost "Updating Your Brain's Software".
DeleteBTW, it is now available for free download @ https://www.scribd.com/document/390031187/Evolving-Beyond-Thought-Final and of course on Amazon.
stillness
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Evolving Beyond Thought, self referential thought, default mode and tasking networks.
After the page turns, does creative thought not have any image of the self in it any more ?
For example, say I am learning an acting role. Is there no longer any third-person thinking of how I will deliver the soliloquy ?
Or if I am building a shed do I cease to imagine how I will be hammering the nails and cutting wood ?
Or does it just mean that self referential imaginings become more controlled and less intrusive ?
Or does everything become unplanned (or unplannable) and spontaneous ?
thanks,
John
Hi John,
DeleteThe "tasking" network does the planning/problem solving/analysis, much of which is creative. However, what is your experience with re-engaging the self-referential network to "improve" the "doing"?
If you are learning an acting role, after you have mastered your "lines", see/feel for yourself if it is useful to have on-going third-person adjustments on the delivery of the soliloquy.
Try it with and without the internal narrative as you deliver it, and see which is more convincing, alive, real and engaging.
Watch the presenters on TED/TEDx and see what happens when they deliver exactly from rote memory, as opposed to when they do it spontaneously from their well-known background in the material.
The same thing goes with building a shed. Talk to a skilled carpenter and ask him/her if they have to "imagine how they will be hammering the nails and cutting the wood".
The have to plan what tools they will need, the size of the nails and hammer and how much wood of what kind they will need. But once that planning is done, do they have to imagine how to pound the nails in or cut the wood?
IME, when "my" presentations manifest, they happen spontaneously. Whatever that audience at that time brings forth from the material is what manifests, completely out of "my" control.
Everything, and not just cutting wood or playing a role, but "life" itself, becomes "unplanned/unplannable and spontaneous".
Trust this is useful.
stillness
Hi Gary.
ReplyDeleteDo you think zazen meditation is a worthwhile practice to pair with self-inquiry? I understand mindfulness meditation alone is insufficient to silence self-referential thoughts but perhaps a sitting practice could be used to reduce agitation/anxiety so that inquiry is more effective?
Hi Ivan,
DeleteLearning zazen as a way to sit still and not move for 45 minutes at a time and focus on a meditation was an important and powerful learning on "my" path.
There is a lot of understanding developed on how much "we" believe we are our body and mind, and how to transcend and "let go" of them even in great discomfort.
However, virtually no one will do in any more...many "authentic" Zen centers are struggling to survive.
Popular "mindfulness" meditation apps now only require 1 or 2 minutes/day of listening to something for a daily meditation practice. How can our complex brain be re-configured and re-organized with a program like that? How is our suffering to be ameliorated with so little practice?
stillness
BTW, I'm still building up my sitting time with zazen. It's quite intense, sitting absolutely still in that lotus position with the utmost concentration. Only 15 minutes twice a day but will build up to 30 minutes at some point. Thanks for all your advice.
DeleteHi Ivan. It is great that you're "building up your sitting time with zazen". It will pay enormous benefits in your meditation practice.
DeleteHowever, it is not necessary that it be in "(full) lotus" position.
It can be in any position including kneeling on a seiza bench, half-lotus, "quarter lotus", Burmese, sitting in a chair, etc. The important thing is to be able to sit there "absolutely still with the utmost concentration" for at least 35 minutes and preferably 45 minutes.
Many, many folk have seriously injured their knees trying to force themselves into full lotus. The knees are a "hinge joint" and are not meant to bend to the side. It is easy to damage the knee ligaments if you have not spent significant time stretching your hamstrings and opening your hips.
Many folk have scars on their knees from ACL tears from forcing themselves into this posture. IME, it is the most frequent injury in yoga.
stillness
Thank you for the warning. I didn't know it could get this serious. I mentioned the full lotus because I'm currently reading "The Three Pillars of Zen" by Philip Kapleau and in it, Yasutani-Roshi instructs the reader that the full lotus is ideal for a number of reasons including stability. I might just invest in a seiza bench and meditate that way.
DeleteYes, the "full lotus" is the "ideal", but very few folk today can be comfortable in it for 45 minutes.
DeleteIn addition to stability, the "full lotus" is very useful for sitting on stone or wooden floors, as you have muscle, not bone, resting on them. A cushion or pad, of course can fix this, but they aren't always available.
Yes, invest in a seiza bench. It is also important to make sure, in whatever meditation posture you use, that your hips are higher than your knees. This ensures that your lower back has a bend in it, and your shoulders are over your hips. That decreases the work of the lower back muscles, which can matter if you sit a lot.
Trust this is useful.
stillness
Great post sir. I myself am from Tamil nadu, very close to ramanas birthplace.
ReplyDeleteRegarding yoga postures being Scandinavian, is there any idea which of them existed before then? Also, if possible ,could the self inquiry questions be fleshed out? I'm finding it of great help, but I'm wondering if I'm doing a couple of them right
Hi Ramesh:
DeleteIf you go to the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, you will find that only 32 are described in the Gheranda-Samhita. These are postures known currently as bow, cobra, fish, lion, peacock, tortoise, corpse, etc. Some folk claim there are only 15 of these which were the "core".
As far as "fleshing out" the self-inquiry questions, my first book "Happiness Beyond Thought", available as a free download @ http://preview.tinyurl.com/bslfll8, gives a lot of background.
The blogpost "What is the 'Direct Path' to nondual awakening? What is self-inquiry?" is an excellent summary of the process.
How fortunate you are to be living so close to Ramana's birthplace...trust you have spent some time @ Ramanasramam and Thiruvannamalai.
Trust this is useful.
stillness
HI Gary, friends have gone off to Tiruvannamalai, I gave them your book.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Hi John,
DeleteIt will be interesting to hear their reactions. It is now quite a scene, much changed from when i first went there twenty years ago. Ramanasraman, Thiru itself, and the Arunachaleswar Temple are much more crowded and "touristy" than they were then.
Even the caves, especially Virupaksha, which was such a quiet treasure where one could sit for hours, is now a "must" stop for many, many folk, but primarily for a very short "I saw it". The noise from the increased traffic in town with the constantly blaring truck horns in now a great distraction.
The sanitation and safe water situation has also not kept pace with the growth in population and tourists, not only in Thiru but over much of India.
It is what it is, and as we frequently said on my first trip "as it is supposed to be, you can tell, because that it is how it is."
stillness
Well, they said there is a nice vibe there, and the food at the ashram is great.
DeleteJohn
Hi Gary, I put myself on Jeffery Martin's new course to see how that goes. I know you are referenced in his Finder's book, it's very interesting.
ReplyDeletethanks,
John
Hi John. Will be interesting how it works for you. Have heard good reports on the breadth of it as a good survey course of different approaches.
Deletestillness
Hello Gary,
ReplyDeleteI've read both of your books and watched most of the videos on your YouTube channel. Thank you, you've provided a lot of invaluable insights that I was looking for and felt it was missing from other sources. It would be great if you could clarify several things a little further.
1) In one of your videos there was a question about individuality and you said that it exists and it's real, but I'm not sure I understand. My question is, putting aside age, genetic differences and environment, if there is no ego, what would make me different from you or anybody else? In other words, if I could press an ego-delete button and completely erase my ego and you would do the same, how would we be different assuming we are located in an exactly the same environment and our surroundings are the same? It seems, if there is no ego, there is only consciousness, which is a neutral mirror that just reflects whatever, so what would make people different from each other without an ego? This question brings me to the second question.
2) I understand the importance of surrender, letting go of all attachments and not listening to my thoughts, because my thoughts are just different versions of many egos. But it's one thing to work on it during a meditation and understand this intellectually and conceptually versus applying it in real life in real life situations, and it's the latter part that I'm having issues with.
Letting go and not listening to my thoughts about trivial things, such as a weather, traffic, etc is easy, but what about situations when I need to make a decision about a job, where to live, etc.
It seems like a catch 22 situation, because on one I don’t want to listen to my thoughts, but on another hand, I need to use my thoughts to make a decision. So the solution seems to be not to do anything, but that doesn't feel right either. How does one make a non-dual decision in situations like this? What am I missing?
Just as an example, let’s say I don’t like my job and would like to change it. Is it my ego talking? Should I just ignore it and stay where I’m? Or maybe I have an idea to start a business. It seems that my ego, my thoughts that don’t know anything tell me to spend money and take risk and start a business. Do I ignore it? If I don’t, it seems that I’m listening to my ego again.
I appreciate your help!
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteOn 1), even if two folk both had no egos/Is, they would be different individuals. A good example was Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta. They were clearly different individualities with similar teachings and level of understanding, living at the same time and in the same country.
On 2, there are many, many blogposts and comments on predetermination and free will. Just put either term in the blog "search" box and you'll find many with lots of comments.
If everything is predetermined, it doesn't really matter what believe your choices are, it's all out of your control, so there's no point getting stressed about it.
you may find the blogpost "Feeling your way to nondual awakening" @ http://happinessbeyondthought.blogspot.com/2015/04/feeling-your-way-to-nondual-awakening.html can give some helpful tips in "feeling" you way to the most useful situation, which is the one which is "predetermined".
Trust this is useful.
stillness
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DeleteHello Gary,
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to David Godman and Michael James and they seem to be saying that "Who am I?" shouldn't be used as a question or a mantra, it is an investigation. But what is there to investigate? Intellectually, I don't have an issue and seem to understand that the self (ego) is an illusion and that my body and my thoughts have nothing to do with me being aware of being myself (my true self). Am I just over-thinking this?
Thank you.
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteWhat they are saying is that inquiring, persistently, practice session after practice session, into the question of what the "I" is will lead you to let go of the hundreds of egos/Is that are present. It can't be solved "intellectually", only "experientially".
The blogposts "What is the 'Direct Path' to nondual awakening? What is self inquiry?" and "Self-inquiry vs the egos/Is - how it works - the neuroscience" can give you some practice guidelines as well as the neuroscience behind it.
IME, the questions "Where/when/what am I?" are more useful than "Who am I?" which can become philosophical. Practice sessions should be from 35 to 50 minutes. Do them twice a day if you can and put your question into your day 5 to 7 times for 2 minutes, perhaps with a reminder app.
Trust this is useful.
stillness
Hi Garry,
DeleteVery useful, thank you...I practice twice a day and, as you've suggested, try to incorporate short sessions during the day. You're totally correct, "Who am I?" was philosophical. I thought it was some kind of "deep" question, like to find out who I'm as a person or what I'm suppose to do as a person.
I did get it almost immediately that there was no answer, silence. But I thought it cannot be this simple, but every time I asked, there was no answer. Then I've got my hand of Dialogues with Dominic and saw that he had the same issue in the beginning and that the answer is really just silence. I also saw your blog posts that explained how the brain likes that silence and that it wants to be in that state more and more.
It's amazing how one specific question can be such a game-changer. It is also amazing that people seem to have the same questions/concerns that come along the way. I had exactly the same questions as Dominic...you know, how could God allow this or that terrible thing to happen, etc.
I understand that being content with "what is" comes with practice, but I wonder if you have any tips on how to deal in non-dual way with a serious health situation for a loved one?
I appreciate your help.
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteOn dealing with someone who has a serious health situation, it is most important that "you" don't try to "solve" or "fix" it. Realize that everything is predetermined.
The most useful teaching on this, IME, is from Ramana Maharshi's Talks, a daily record of everything he said for years, which you can find @ https://selfdefinition.org/ramana/Talks-with-Sri-Ramana-Maharshi--complete.pdf.
Ramana said in #450:
She knows what is best and when and how to do it.
Leave everything entirely to Her.
Hers is the burden: you have no longer any cares.
All your cares are Hers.
Such is surrender.
Trust this is useful.
gary
Hi Gary,
DeleteIn 3rd February, 1938 Talk 450 a question from a Polish lady about the vision of Siva?
Thank you.
Hi Gary,
DeleteWould supporting the person to take medicine/go to a doctor be me trying to "solve" or "fix" anything? Do you mean not to be attached to an outcome of a medical treatment or do you literally mean to do absolutely nothing?
Thank you.
Hi Decklan,
DeleteYes, that is the right talk in "Talks". you will see that Ramana did it with the masculine gender. i have found the feminine gender to be how i experience it...with great compassion and caring, along with patient teaching.
It is, of course, the Universal Field of Consciousness we are dealing with, so "gender" is ultimately meaningless.
On your second question, it is "to not be attached to an outcome of a medical treatment". As you work with this daily or even hourly, you will find that it is far from a "passive" engagement...it is all about being fully present without attachment even in the midst of tremendous simultaneous challenges.
stillness
If I have hate or resentment for certain people or groups of people, will that hold me back from realizing the true self? If so how do I accept the way they are and let go of the judgement/anger towards them?
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous.
DeleteIf you actually read the blogpost, you'll find the answer.
stillness