VOL. XVIII, No. 4 March - April, 2016 Original Ink Sketch of Arunachala by Sri Ramana Maharshi from Kunju Swami's Notebook
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`. 10 VOL. XVIII, No. 4 March - April, 2016 Original ink sketch of Arunachala by Sri Ramana Maharshi from Kunju Swami's notebook VOLUME XVIII ISSUE 4 MARCH - APRIL, 2016 CONTENTS Editorial - Understanding Who a Sage is Vijay Vancheswar 3 Meditation- Its Role in Spiritual Life P.N.Vijay 5 Kendra Bulletin 8 Sri Bhagavan and Miracles A. Devaraja Mudaliar 9 Mystery of The ‘I’ A S Rajaram 11 Ascent Akhila Ghosh 15 Significance of Mahasivaratri Vijay Vancheswar 19 The Quest: A sacred Pilgrimage unto the Self Dr. Pallavi Kwatra 21 Bhagavan's Jayanti Photos 23 The Mother Principle 27 Poems Neera Kashyap 30 euq"; dSls lk/kd cu ldrk gS \ f'kjksef.k fot; 31 Jh je.k egf"kZ ds laLej.k 33 Jh je.k egf"kZ ls ckrphr 37 Editor : Dr.VijayVancheswar Editorial Board : R. Seetharaman/Neera Kashyap/Shiromani Vijay Website : www.ramanakendradelhi.org ; E Mail: [email protected] Cover: Bhagavan with his favourite Cow Lakshmi Letters to the Editor the extinction of ego which is Self- realisation. Two Paths - the swift and the Vijay P Mital gradual by Neera Kashyap Vasant Vihar, New Delhi To make Direct Path more interactive, The story of King Sikhidhvaja and we are pleased to introduce Letters to Cudala in the article, Two Paths - the Editor column from this issue the swift and the gradual by Neera Readers are welcome to express their Kashyap, conveys interestingly and views on the articles printed (in not significantly the message of Bhagavan more than 200 words) and send them Ramana in “Updesa Saram” that to [email protected] moksha comes not by action but by non-action and that the paths of Please send your articles for consideration surrender and self-enquiry lead to to [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION/DONATION Ramana Kendra, 8 Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003 Bank Details “Ramana Kendra” A/c No149801000026733 Indian Overseas Bank, Lok Kala Manch Branch, New Delhi IFS Code: IOBA0001498 Schedule of Rates Direct Path: One Year: Rs 60/- Two Years: Rs 120/- Satsang Sponsorship: Rs 1000/- per Satsang Special Events (Jayanthi/Aradhana/Advent/Karthigai Deepam/ Poor feeding): Rs 5000/- 2 March - April 2016 Understanding Who a Sage is Vijay Vancheswar ho is a Sage? In common and prognosis is more an expression parlance a Sage is a of prior experiences of a soul. In fact, Wrealised soul, one who Bhagavan Ramana cautioned seekers has understood who he or she truly is against getting carried away by and is established in his or her’s true demonstrations that appear to be in nature. In Sanskrit terminology we the realm of miracles. He constantly refer to a Sage as a Rishi. A Maharshi said that visions and miracles like is one who is considered to belong to all appearances are not part of the the upper echelon of Sages. Truth. Anything that appears has There is however a general to disappear. The only truth is one misconception as to how a Sage or which is self luminous and ever Rishi responds or feels when living present- the sense of ‘I AM’ (till in the phenomenal world in a mortal the mortal frame remains) and the frame. Does the Sage experience Noumenon or unmanifest ‘SELF’ on feelings of joy and sadness or have which the divine phenomenal play of an ego? How does a Sage respond to the universe occurs. a situation which demands action? When queried as to whether In our interpretation, we sometimes the Sage has an ego, Ramana gave tend to ascribe paranormal powers perhaps the most lucid reply ever to the Sage. Sri Ramana in his lucid given by a Sage. He said “Yes, but and simple style clearly mentions the Sage’s ego is harmless, like the that while certain realised souls may remnants of a burnt rope!” What exhibit thaumaturgic powers, one does this mean? Indeed a Sage has should not give much importance to an ego in so much as he or she these manifestations. The existence would respond if called by a name. of some powers such as clairvoyance However, and most importantly, the Ramana Gyan - Direct Path 3 identification with the name and form the tales of devotion of the 63 Saivaite is just perfunctory, to do mechanical Saints called Nayanars, especially things , such as responding to a those relating to the triumvirates call, smiling, at times showing of Appar, Manikavachakar and anger, demonstrating happiness or Sambandar. Similarly, we have sadness as the accounts of case may be, the somber depending on Yes, but the Sage’s ego is m o o d t h a t the situation harmless, like the remnants of he displayed in question. a burnt rope when his The important m o t h e r d i s t i n c t i o n attained b e t w e e n a samadhi and Sage’s response and that of lesser when tears of sadness emanated mortals is the lack of involvement or when he heard the news of the death attachment to any incidence except ofthe greatest karma yogi of our at that moment. For instance Adi times, Mahatma Gandhi. These were Sankara is said to have jumped out spontaneous responses to the events of the way of a charging elephant. of life by the great Sage that Raman He was asked as to why he did this, was. The point to note is that these when he was not the body. His reply, responses unlike those from others, “The charging elephant as well as my hardly extended into any significant jumping off its track were also part of time frames. the dream!”Thus while a Sage may A Sage is fully conscious of the indeed have thoughts he or she does transient nature of phenomenal life; not extend it over time by ‘thinking’ lives in the moment going through about it. So also while there may be his or herpreordained course in the joy or sadness in a Sage, this does mortal frame, accepting all events and not extend itself to pride or grief. experiences as the will of the divine. The Sage has a harmless ego bereft of ‘egoism’ which results from a sense The focus of the Sage is only on of personal volition. the Self which is ever shining and unchanging. n This is validated from accounts of how tears of joy flowed from [e-mail: vijay.vancheswar@gmail. Bhagavan Ramana’s eyes on hearing com] 4 March - April 2016 Meditation- Its Role in Spiritual Life P. N. Vijay editation is a word that is spot, seated on a seat where cloth commonly used both in has been placed over skin and grass Mthe spiritual and secular making the mind one-pointed and worlds. In the spiritual world its subduing the action of the imaging virtues are glorified. As one goes a faculty and the senses, he should bit deeper into the idea of meditation, practice meditation.Let him firmly one enters a maze of definitions and hold his body, head and neck erect interpretations and stillwith depending on the eye balls the scripture or Meditation is a word that is fixed as if the organization commonly used both in the g a z i n g a t that is talking spiritual and secular worlds the tip of about it. the nose and not looking There is broad around. With agreement among most faiths and the body and mind controlled in this Gurus on the process of meditation. fashion, the seeker should constantly It is stated with the customary clarity think of the Lord and have Him as and brevity by Lord Krishna in the the Supreme Goal. If, for whatever Bhagavad Gita in the 6th Chapter reason his mind becomes restless in verses 10 to 14 and is worth and unsteady and wanders away, he recapitulating should bring it gradually under the “Embarking into meditation, an subjugation of the Self. In short, in aspirant should retire into solitude, meditation one controls the body and alone, with the mind and body subdued mind and lets the mind dwell on the and free from hopes and attachments. Divinity within and achieves oneness Having established himselfin a clean with that Divinity.” Ramana Gyan - Direct Path 5 While this is the practice generally Then throughManana (contemplation, followed with some bells and whistles, discussion, Satsang), the acquired when it comes to the role and purpose knowledge becomes a conviction. of meditation in one’s spiritual But even this is at the level of the journey, the confusion starts. Some intellect and one still continues to pass believe that meditation by itself, if through emotional turbulences and is sincerely practised, canlead to Self- affected by the world. The final stage Realisation. To understand whether is Nidhidhyasana which is meditation. this belief is well-founded, let us When a person actually sits down for examine meditation from the point of sincere meditation he would have gone view of Vedanta and what its role in through a Self-purificatory process spiritual life is. and also acquired the knowledge Let us briefly summarise the required for self-realisation. Through spiritual journey as elucidated in this, one achieves emotional balance our scriptures. and peace and In Vedanta, as the knowledge a householder There is broad agreement becomes Self- one is asked among most faiths and Gurus Awareness. to start his on the process of meditation I t c a n b e s p i r i t u a l seen that in journey by the spiritual performing journey of right actions.