Monday, February 24, 2014

*WORDS OF WISDOM*- As you are by nature unattached, you have to convert the state of ignorant deep sleep, in which you were formless and unattached, into conscious deep sleep. It is only by doing this that you can remain established in your real nature ~Ramana Maharshi

BHAGAVAN’S UPADESA TO SADHU NATANANANDA


I (S.N.)beseeched him fervently in the following words:

“It is my great desire that I should actually experience your gracious wisdom. Kindly fulfill my desire.” 

In those days Sri Ramana was not speaking much. Still, he spoke kindly as follows: 

“Is it the body in front of me that desires to obtain my grace? Or is it the awareness within it? If it is the awareness, is it not now looking upon itself as the body and making this request? If so, let the awareness first of all know its real nature. It will then automatically know God and my grace. The truth of this can be realized even here and now.” 

Besides speaking like this, he also explained it in the following way, using examples from my daily experience that I could understand and relate to.

“It is not the body that desires to obtain the grace. Therefore, it is clear that it is the awareness that shines here as ‘you’. 
To you who are the nature of awareness there is no connection during sleep with the body, the senses, the life force prana and the mind. On waking up you identify yourself with them, even without your knowledge. This is your experience. All that you have to do hereafter is see that you do not identify yourself with them. In the states of waking and dream try to remain as you were in the state of deep sleep. As you are by nature unattached, you have to convert the state of ignorant deep sleep, in which you were formless and unattached, into conscious deep sleep. It is only by doing this that you can remain established in your real nature. 

You should never forget that this experience will come only through long practice. This experience will make it clear that your real nature is not different from the nature of God.”
 
~RAMANA MAHARSHI

No comments: