My Master, Ramana Maharishi, said to me,
"God is not an object to be seen, He is the subject.
He cannot be seen, He is the Seer, find this Seer."
My Heart was opened.
"Find the Seer." This is the Teaching.

- Papaji

Be aware of being conscious and seek the
source of consciousness. That is all. Very
little can be conveyed in words. It is the
doing as I tell you that will bring light, not
my telling you. The means do not matter much;
it is the desire, the urge, the earnestness that
counts.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj

A man who is advancing (spiritually) will begin to enjoy the deeper beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude.

-Ramana Maharshi

There is an oft quoted but, it seems, seldom read passage, in Ramana Maharshi's "Who Am I?" (available from Sri Ramanasramam, translated by T. M. P. Mahadevan and available online at http://ramana-maharshi.org)

Everything you need to know about the practice of Self-enquiry is contained in the following few lines.

11. What is the means for constantly holding on to the thought ‘Who am I?’

When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them, but should inquire: ‘To whom do they arise?’ It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence, “To whom has this thought arisen?”. The answer that would emerge would be “To me”. Thereupon if one inquires “Who am I?”, the mind will go back to its source; and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the skill to stay in its source. When the mind that is subtle goes out through the brain and the senseorgans, the gross names and forms appear; when it stays in the heart, the names and forms disappear. Not letting the mind go out, but retaining it in the Heart is what is called “inwardness” (antarmukha). Letting the mind go out of the Heart is known as “externalisation” (bahir-mukha). Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the ‘I’ which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self which ever exists will shine. Whatever one does, one should do without the egoity “I”. If one acts in that way, all will appear as of the nature of Siva (God).

12. Are there no other means for making the mind quiescent?

Other than inquiry, there are no adequate means. If through other means it is sought to control the mind, the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again go forth.

Regarding this, there is a question which is often asked - "what happens after I've asked the question "who am I?" - The answer is there, in the passage above. There is no need to go off here, there and everywhere asking what to do next. "It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should enquire with diligence. "To whom has this thought arisen?"" This re-asserts vichara mode.

Ramana Maharshi's simple instruction coupled with his statement "it does not matter how many thoughts arise," negates any need to go looking for further instruction. The very thought - "now what happens" - needs vichara attention. The thought - "OK, I've done that" - needs vichara attention. The idea - "I'm still waiting!" - as soon as one registers it, needs vichara attention. If the mind drifts and the drift does not register, do not worry, re-commence vichara when one becomes aware of any obtrusive thought. If one becomes angry, who is angry? If one registers sadness, who is sad? If one registers a semblance of happiness, who is happy?...etc.

From Talk 454 - Ramana Maharshi advises:

There is confusion between the means and the end (i.e., sadhana and sadhya). Who is the enquirer? The aspirant and not the siddha. Enquiry signifies that the enquirer considers himself separate from enquiry.

So long as this duality lasts the enquiry must be continued, i.e., until the individuality disappears and the Self is realised to be only the eternal Be-ing (including enquiry and enquirer).

The Truth is that Self is constant and unintermittent Awareness. The object of enquiry is to find the true nature of the Self as Awareness. Let one practise enquiry so long as separateness is perceived.

If once realisation arises there is no further need for enquiry. The question will also not arise. Can awareness ever think of questioning who is aware? Awareness remains pure and simple.

The enquirer is aware of his own individuality. Enquiry does not stand in the way of his individual awareness; nor does external work interfere with such awareness. If work, seemingly external, does not obstruct the individual awareness, will the work, realised to be not separate from the Self, obstruct the uninterrupted Awareness of the Self, which is One without a second and which is not an individual separate from work?
(Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, S. India and online)

om vacadbhuve namah

To each person that way is the best which
appears easiest or appeals most. All the ways
are equally good, as they lead to the same goal,
which is the merging of the ego in the Self.
What the bhakta [devotee] calls surrender, the
man who does vichara calls jnana. Both are trying
only to take the ego back to the source from which
it sprang and make it merge there.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi

Who is a master? He is the Self after all. According
to the stages of development of the mind the Self
manifests as the master externally. The famous
ancient saint Dattatreya said that he had more than
twenty-four masters. The master is one from who
one learns anything. The Guru may be sometimes
inanimate also, as in the case of Dattatreya. God,
Guru and the Self are identical.

A spiritually-minded man thinks that God is all-
pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God
brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the
man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man
is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self
is the master.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi

Truth is very simple, don't complicate it.
You must be in the Light to know the darkness:
Just be aware of yourself, the Light.
Jump into the fire of Knowledge
and don't be concerned with what will happen
to your clothing of concepts and vasanas.
This fire will burn all

- Papaji

Awakening

Daylight breaks
The mind is stilled
Silent, at peace
Movement nil.

No pebble drops into its pool
No ever widening ripple
A placid mirror lake
untouched by thought
Serenity stands on its shore to watch.

The sun appears.
Rays of pure light
Engulf the landscape mind
And in the vanished scene
Birds sing for all mankind.

"Awakening" hand written by Robert November, 1994

Reality Manifests When You Let Go Of All Beliefs

Commonsense too will tell you that to
fulfill a desire you must keep your mind
on it. If you want to know your true
nature, you must have yourself in mind
all the time, until the secret of your
being stands revealed.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj

Row Row Row Your Boat

There is neither creation nor destruction,
neither destiny nor free will,
neither path nor achievement;
this is the final truth.

- Ramana Maharshi

God, who is immanent, in his grace takes
pity on the loving devotee and manifest himself
according to the devotee's development. The
devotee thinks that he is a man and expects a
relationship between two physical bodies. But
the Guru who is God or the Self incarnate works
from within, helps the man to see the error of
his ways and guides him on the right path until
he realises the Self within.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi

All spiritual teachings are only
meant to make us retrace
our steps to our
Original Source
We need not to acquire anything new, only give
up false ideas and useless accretions.
Instead of doing this, we try to grasp something
strange and mysterious because we believe happiness
lies elsewhere. This is a mistake

- Ramana Maharshi

What does tying your shoe have to do with Zen?

Shoe Tying With One Hand

"who is the one that is meditating

who is the one that is reading this

who is the one that is seeing this

who is the one that is

who is your friend

who is the doer

who dies

who suffers

what is your origin

what is your fate

what are you now

what is going on

what is important to you

what do you want

what do you need

what are your fears

what is hate

what is peace

where are you now

where is God

where is love

where is understanding

where is reason

where is the Self

where is heaven

where is hell

where is forgiveness

what is happiness

what is bliss

what is death

why do you exist

why do you hate

why do you love

why do you cry

why do you suffer

why do you laugh

why do you think

where did you come from

where will you go

where are you

where is God

when will you be free

when will you see God

when will you know Truth

when will you forgive yourself

when is peace

when will you control your mind

how was this all created

how do you stay sane

how do you find peace

how do you exist

how do you understand anything

which one are you

which one is God

which one is your enemy

which one is your brother

which one is the Devil

which one is the Self


the list is endless
and
it will lead to liberation

the main guestions are

who am I

what am I

where am I

when am I

why am I

how am I

which one am I

and they are the doorway to moksha

God Bless You One in All"

Love baba

Effort is necessary up to the state of
realization. Even then the Self should
spontaneously become evident, otherwise
happiness will not be complete. Up to
that state of spontaneity there must be
effort in some form or another.

There is a state beyond our efforts or
effortlessness. Until it is realized
effort is necessary. After tasting such
bliss, even once, one will repeatedly
try to regain it. Having once experienced
the bliss of peace no one wants to be out
of it or to engage in any other activity.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharishi

He is still around us, bow and invoke his grace. Some retro scenes of Bhagwan in the living flesh. Om Namah Shivay

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

ZEN

http://www.do-not-zzz.com/