tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post901077917436041801..comments2023-10-16T13:06:42.360+01:00Comments on Happiness of Being: The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi: Asparśa yōga is the practice of not ‘touching’ or attending to anything other than oneselfMichael Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-64960553974536286942016-07-29T14:27:02.162+01:002016-07-29T14:27:02.162+01:00Mouna,
thank you for your clarifying reply.
I was ...Mouna,<br />thank you for your clarifying reply.<br />I was a bit slow on the uptake.<br />Of course in both cases the wrong perception is on the ego's side.muktinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-35699690804137281952016-07-29T01:42:10.941+01:002016-07-29T01:42:10.941+01:00Sorry mukti, I didn't express myself correctly...Sorry mukti, I didn't express myself correctly then.<br /><br />You are right when you say: “<i>the rope is never a snake. To see the rope as a snake is only a case of wrong perception.</i>”<br />That is exactly the characteristics of the ego and its projections, a case of error, hallucination or wrong perception.<br />If we had to paraphrase your statement I would put it this way: "oneself (the self) is never the ego. To see oneself as the ego is only a case of wrong perception."<br /><br />So yes, we <b>can</b> apply that allegory or metaphor in a transferred sense one to one to this ego. Actually, that is one of the principal functions of the analogy.<br /><br />Hope this clarifies my take on your question.<br />Mounahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02416580298727681711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-72096104159791661742016-07-29T01:33:57.259+01:002016-07-29T01:33:57.259+01:00Mouna,
you did not answer my question.Mouna,<br />you did not answer my question.muktinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-4735369076332242242016-07-29T01:25:29.908+01:002016-07-29T01:25:29.908+01:00mukti,
Exactly. You already knew the answer.mukti,<br /><br />Exactly. You already knew the answer.Mounahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02416580298727681711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-47348736973028138802016-07-29T01:15:23.333+01:002016-07-29T01:15:23.333+01:00Mouna,
the rope is never a snake. To see the rope ...Mouna,<br />the rope is never a snake. To see the rope as a snake is only a case of wrong perception.<br />But can we apply that allegory or metaphor in a transferred sense one to one to this ego - as you seem to assume ?muktinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-36141011663943946432016-07-29T00:59:57.697+01:002016-07-29T00:59:57.697+01:00Mukti,
How can this snake that I see there whose ...Mukti,<br /><br />How can this snake that I see there whose nature is to hiss and curl and bite with poison be nevertheless and simultaneous essentially a rope?Mounahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02416580298727681711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-78115821257769265182016-07-29T00:57:16.921+01:002016-07-29T00:57:16.921+01:00Michael,
section 11.
How can this ego whose very n...Michael,<br />section 11.<br />How can this ego whose very nature is to experience limitations be nevertheless and simultaneous essentially just pure formless self-awareness ?muktinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-8762759212737405842016-07-29T00:15:01.090+01:002016-07-29T00:15:01.090+01:00Michael,
section 10.
how to unrealise the unreal ?...Michael,<br />section 10.<br />how to unrealise the unreal ?unrealise the unrealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-13327169566740700002016-07-28T16:55:20.699+01:002016-07-28T16:55:20.699+01:00Hi Michael,
Is there is there a subtler translatio...Hi Michael,<br />Is there is there a subtler translation for "savikalpa samadhi": "holding on to Reality with effort is savikalpa samadhi" ?<br /><br />This makes sense from my level of development as it requires effort.<br />However, for Bhagavan it must have been effortless. Thus... it seems like there might be a subtler translation.<br /><br />thanks,<br />RogerRogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-16035388352593674052016-07-28T12:37:55.047+01:002016-07-28T12:37:55.047+01:00Thank you Michael,
for your reply giving Bhagavan&...Thank you Michael,<br />for your reply giving Bhagavan's sweet words of love in Sri Arunachala Aksaramanamalai verse 101. <br />Oh Arunachala, let me become mature for melting me as love in you. At present I am not even aware that you love me as yourself. How then could I merge in that love, as that love ?sakti-padanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-85094662532896987452016-07-28T11:51:19.185+01:002016-07-28T11:51:19.185+01:00Yes, Sakti-Pada, at his mercy. But we know his lov...Yes, Sakti-Pada, at his mercy. But we know his love is infinite, so we are safe and will be saved. Saved from ourself, this devilish ego. His love is beyond our understanding, because he loves us as himself, since he sees us as nothing but himself. Our only goal is to lose ourself by merging in that love, as that love.<br /><br />அம்புவி லாலிபோ லன்புரு வுனிலெனை<br /> யன்பாக் கரைத்தரு ளருணாசலா.<br /><br /><i>ambuvi lālipō laṉburu vuṉileṉai<br /> yaṉbāk karaittaru ḷaruṇācalā</i>.<br /><br /><b>பதச்சேதம்:</b> அம்புவில் ஆலி போல் அன்பு உரு உனில் எனை அன்பா கரைத்து அருள் அருணாசலா.<br /><br /><b><i>Padacchēdam</i></b> (word-separation): <i>ambuvil āli pōl aṉbu-uru uṉil eṉai aṉbā karaittu aruḷ aruṇācalā</i>.<br /><br /><b>English translation:</b> Arunachala, like ice in water, lovingly melt me as love in you, the form of love.<br /><br />Bhagavan’s sweet words of love in <i>Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai</i> <a href="http://happinessofbeing.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/can-our-mind-be-too-strong-for-our.html#aamm101" rel="nofollow">verse 101</a>.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-22199461922983182982016-07-27T22:28:13.937+01:002016-07-27T22:28:13.937+01:00Michael,
section 5.
That the ego should terminate ...Michael,<br />section 5.<br />That the ego should terminate its arising and refrain from projecting the appearance of any other thing than itself will be felt by the ego to be an insult. Due its nature the ego therefore will resist any attempts made to attend to itself alone. To overcome the ego's resistance we completely are at Arunachala's mercy. All our striving should be to gain Arunachala's favour.sakti-padanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-55959801419962233932016-07-26T17:23:18.606+01:002016-07-26T17:23:18.606+01:00Michael,
section 6.
"Only when we manage to (...Michael,<br />section 6.<br />"Only when we manage to (be) attend to ourself so keenly... will our ego finally subside completely in manonasa, and then it will no longer exist to experience the absolute stillness that alone will remain."<br />If I understand you correctly I have to ask : Why should we avoid to experience the absolute stillness of manonasa ?<br />When I am - as the ego - subsided in the absolute stillness, who then will be there to experience the absolute stillness of awareness ?homecomernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-20585533639641144532016-07-26T16:17:17.906+01:002016-07-26T16:17:17.906+01:00Michael,
section 7.
Let us be in the state of inte...Michael,<br />section 7.<br />Let us be in the state of intense curiosity and thereby detach us from the illusion of a vast world full of countless phenomena. May we be able to deprive our visaya-vasanas of the water (of fanning flames of desires) and expose them the scorching heat of the terrible sun (of fierce determination).nirasanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-86342820223484927522016-07-19T23:44:21.030+01:002016-07-19T23:44:21.030+01:00Roger Isaacs,
I have to admit that you are right a...Roger Isaacs,<br />I have to admit that you are right and I was wrong: The fundamental difference between saying "Total absence of body consciousness..." and "body consciousness..." did not alter your judgement on your remark about "The statements about 'world is a projection of ego' are false".<br />Now I will take the recommended nap on a rock in the sun. Please do not make any noise or shadow. Otherwise my venomous fangs could easily hurt you again.<br />Influencing the conduct of a rattlesnake is seldom a request concert because they use not to dance to somebody's tune. Smile.Rattlesnakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-35911865565878575132016-07-19T22:26:44.146+01:002016-07-19T22:26:44.146+01:00Rattlesnake,
You rattle unnecessarily.
I quoted t...Rattlesnake,<br />You rattle unnecessarily.<br /><br />I quoted the whole sentence once in my post. Am I not allowed to partially quote it as well... or am I required to fully quote it in both places? Doing so would not alter the meaning.<br /><br />Go curl up on a rock and take a nap in the sun, as rattlesnakes are known to do.<br /><br />If you'd really like to be useful, why don't you come out in the open and strike your venomous fangs at whatever misconceptions delude us regarding the issue at hand.Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-66492920689597552192016-07-19T17:02:17.307+01:002016-07-19T17:02:17.307+01:00Roger Isaacs,
if you take time to read your own co...Roger Isaacs,<br />if you take time to read your own comment you will find the missing clarity:<br />Bhagavan says<br />"what does it then matter whether...?<br />Total absence of body consciousness..."Rattlesnakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-35806017332356703532016-07-19T16:18:09.343+01:002016-07-19T16:18:09.343+01:00yes, but rattlesnake.... I have quoted several phr...yes, but rattlesnake.... I have quoted several phrases. And it's not clear which phrase your addition applies to.Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-56733607215223323932016-07-19T11:07:28.550+01:002016-07-19T11:07:28.550+01:00Roger Isaacs,
you should quote a clause or sentenc...Roger Isaacs,<br />you should quote a clause or sentence correctly in its connection and completely. Omitting the beginning words "Total absence" leads to a wrong meaning /sense of the clause. The quoted clause reads:<br />"Total absence of body-consciousness...".Rattlesnakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-35590318325918067562016-07-19T02:16:55.403+01:002016-07-19T02:16:55.403+01:00Hi Michael, Noob,
Michael says in the blog above ...Hi Michael, Noob,<br /><br />Michael says in the blog above things like :<br /><i>"Only when our ego subsides completely do all worlds disappear. The appearance of the world in our awareness is an arising, and like any other arising it is a projection of our ego. If the ego comes into existence, everything comes into existence; if the ego does not exist, everything does not exist. [Hence] the ego itself is everything. Therefore, know that investigating what this [ego] is alone is giving up everything. And such things as: when the ego is destroyed, the body and world are also destroyed. And that the world is a projection of the ego." </i><br /><br />These comments are somewhat correct but only when they refer to nirvikalpa samadhi, sleep or some similar temporary state where the ego, body and world are not in awareness.<br /><br />The statements about "world is a projection of ego" are false. The world is a ultimately projection... but <b>"body-consciousness... makes no difference to the knowledge of the supreme" </b>(quoting Bhagavan).<br /><br />See Bhagavan: Godman: be as you are Chapter 14 "Samadhi".<br /><br />Bhagavan says<br /><i>"What does it then matter whether the body-consciousness is lost or retained, provided one is holding on to that pure consciousness? Total absence of body-consciousness has the advantage of making the samadhi more intense, although it makes NO DIFFERENCE to the knowledge of the supreme."<br /><br />"What is body-consciousness? It is the insentient body plus consciousness. Both of these must lie in another consciousness which is absolute and unaffected and which remains as it always is, with or without the body-consciousness." </i><br /><br />In this regard Bhagavan agrees with Sankara and Gaudapada in the Karika.Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-28996338159856885302016-07-18T22:15:10.051+01:002016-07-18T22:15:10.051+01:00I think it is because the consciousness (awareness...I think it is because the consciousness (awareness) is just one and not three.Noobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12797750547512929881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-7865248843981659192016-07-18T05:03:48.092+01:002016-07-18T05:03:48.092+01:00Hi Michael,
My understanding (which begs to be cor...Hi Michael,<br />My understanding (which begs to be corrected) is that Turiya (the Supreme Consciousness) underlies Waking, Dream & Sleep. Therefore, when Turiya is realized the other 3 states are known in it. Therefore, when established in Turiya, the experience of the waking state is unbounded.<br /><br />But it seems you are saying something entirely different, that the waking state with the projection of the world blocks realization of the supreme. You say that the projection of the world in waking state is just more ego to be overcome.<br /><br />Why the difference?<br /><br />thanks,<br />Roger<br />Rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12886674544129003153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-42959371736451909162016-07-17T13:02:24.273+01:002016-07-17T13:02:24.273+01:00Sorry Roger I misspelt your name in my last post, ...Sorry Roger I misspelt your name in my last post, apologies.<br />Bob Bob - Pnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-85372681759374266702016-07-17T12:59:11.564+01:002016-07-17T12:59:11.564+01:00{Mouna and Bob said:
I really don’t care anymore a...{Mouna and Bob said:<br />I really don’t care anymore about other teachers, that’s why i’m in this blog, to deepen my understanding of what my teacher says.<br />This is my perspective too my friend. <br /><br />Then I am a distraction? I often wonder if there is any use in my posting here.}<br /><br />Dear Rodger<br />Your posts are no more a distraction than my own posts.<br />I hope you keep posting here <br />All the best. <br />Bob Bob - Pnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-30487972611383073752016-07-17T10:07:29.930+01:002016-07-17T10:07:29.930+01:00Don’t be in such a hurry to wake up ~ Michael’s vi...<i>Don’t be in such a hurry to wake up</i> ~ Michael’s video dated 8-6-2016 at 0:46<br /><br />Devotee: If you are practicing self-enquiry as you go to sleep, that process carries on…<br /><br />Michael: Well, it is very beneficial, because at the moment the mind is subsiding, if we are able to try and hold on to that light…. Bhagavan also said the moment you wake up, try to catch that light, because there is a transitional state between waking and sleep, or between dream and sleep, either going into or coming out of sleep, there is a transitional state. That is so subtle; most of us miss it completely.<br /><br />Bhagavan also said between each two thoughts there is a gap. Just like when a cinema picture is projected on a screen, between each frame there is a gap, but we don’t see that gap, because it is going at a faster speed than our eyes can grasp, so we have an illusion of a moving image. So trying to catch that gap between thoughts, or between waking and sleep, these are all things which we can try and achieve. These are all ways of describing it, because however we describe it, what we are trying to catch is the ‘I’. What is it that is thinking thoughts? What is it that is waking or sleeping? We should aim for that ‘I’. That’s the most valuable clue.<br /><br />We can describe it in so many ways. Bhagavan has said try and practise whenever your mind is free from other pressing activities, but the moment of falling asleep is a very precious moment. Bhagavan also said to some people, ‘Don’t be in a rush to get up’. The mind is still relatively calm; therefore, before all the thoughts about all the things, about the things you have to do during the day, and all the things that happened yesterday, and all the things that are going to happen tomorrow, before all these thoughts rush in, try to hold that moment.<br /><br />So Bhagavan gave us many clues, but the essence of all the clues, the essential ingredient in all the clues he gave is clinging to ‘I’, holding to the ‘I’. <br /><br />Devotee: Even when we experience the gap between two thoughts, the seer is there. So long as the seer is there, there is no gap…<br /><br />Michael: Actually, we never experience the gap between two thoughts. […] Our whole experience is made up of many thoughts, rising and subsiding very quickly. With every thought the ‘I’ rises with it, as soon as the thought subsides the ‘I’ also subsides. So actually in the gap between two thoughts there is no seer but only self, because self is not a seer in the sense that there is nothing for it to see. The only thing it sees is itself. […]<br /><br />For one moment if you experience the gap between two thoughts, you will realise that there never were any thoughts. There is only that ‘gap’, the eternal ‘gap’, and the very dangerous 'gap' [because this ‘gap’ will swallow, or destroy everything]. <br /><br /><br />Sanjay Lohiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02384912997886218824noreply@blogger.com