Focus the mind on 'I am'

I did not condition my mind by thinking: 'I am God, I am wonderful, I am beyond'. I simply followed his (my guru's) instruction which was to focus the mind on pure being 'I am'. and stay in it. I used to sit for hours together, with, nothing but the 'I am' in my mind and soon peace and joy and a deep all-embracing love became my normal state.

In it all disappeared - myself, my Guru, the life I lived, the world around me. Only peace remained and unfathomable silence.

I am That, p.239

Was I really born ?

Ask yourself such questions as: 'Was I really born?' 'Am I really so-and-so? 'How do I know that I exist?' 'Who are my parents?' 'Have they created me, or have I created them?' 'Must I believe all I am told about myself?' 'Who am I, anyhow?'

I Am That, p.296

Hurt no one

Live your life without hurting anybody. Harmlessness is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will take you speedily to your goal.

-- I am that (p.173)

Source link. Please also see this touching video created by a devotee of Bhagavan.

Maharshi Ramana's eyes - a video

Source: Look into No thing.

Bhagavan Ramana Quotes video

A friend sent this link. Thanks and wish you all a Happy Guru Purnima.

Bhagavan Ramana's Enlightenment Day

Dear readers,
Wishing you the best on Bhagavan's Enlightenment Day. On this day, in 1896, Bhagavan realized the Self. This day is an approximation, we do not for sure know which that day was when Venkataraman Iyer realized the Self, but it was close to July 17th.
Guru Poornima is tomorrow and Advent Day on Sept 1st.

Lakshmi Day 14/07/2008

July 14th is Cow Lakshmi Day this year, a day of immense grace for those committed to self-enquiry, or union with Bhagavan. Be sure to get as much Self-enquiry done as possible on the 14th.

Some beautiful words from Sri Nisargadatta.

My guru, before he died, told me: "Believe me, you are the Supreme Reality. Don't doubt my words, don't disbelieve me. I am telling you the truth, act on it". I could not forget his words and by not forgetting, I have realized. Once the guru told me: "You are the Supreme Reality", I ceased having visions and trances and became very quiet and simple. I found myself desiring and knowing less and less, until I could say in utter astonishment: "I know nothing, I want nothing."

I was undeceived, that is all. I used to create a world and populate it. Now I don't do it any more. Now I live in the void beyond being and non-being, beyond consciousness.

Worshipping the Unmanifest

"But those who are engaged in the worship of the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Invisible, the Omnipresent, the Unthinkable, the Immutable, the Immovable, and fixed

"Controlling all the senses, maintaining equanimity everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings, they also come to Me only.

"It is very difficult for those whose minds are preoccupied with the Unmanifest because for the embodied souls it is indeed very painful to make progress towards the Unmanifest."

Lord Krishna, Chapter 12.

Mind fixed on Me

Asked Arjuna:

"Those devotees who are always engaged in Your worship,
or those who worship the Inexhaustible and the Unmanifested,
which of these two know the Yoga better?"

[Chapter 12 verse 1]

Said Lord Krishna:

" With their minds fixed on Me,
those who worship Me always,
with faith and sincerity,
they are considered to be the most qualified in the Yoga by Me."

[Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12 verse 2]

Service to the Lord

Sri Ramana advises:

Keeping one's attention on the subtle consciousness that is experienced by the extremely subtle mind, is personal service to me.

-- From Bhagavan's Promises

Does this activity give me only temporary joy ?

Do not waste time in activities that lead only to that which is temporary and therefore futile.

Ask of each activity: “Where can this lead?”

Ask of each activity: “Can this lead to eternal bliss, or does this just lead to that which is temporary?”

Grace manifests itself when ...

"Grace manifests itself when the quest for the Self begins. The quest itself is the result of Grace. There is not a single moment when Grace is not operating in us. Grace is beyond time and space. Grace is always there. It is the beginning, middle and end. Grace is the Self."

-- Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.

Please see quest itself is the result of Grace.

Eagerness for liberation

Eagerness for liberation must be equal to the eagerness someone who is being held underwater has, for trying to rise to the surface.

-- Source.

Desire for freedom

If the desire for freedom is not great enough in you, the ego will always find a way to occupy your time with something other than spiritual practice.

-- Source.

Practice, not concepts

The ego keeps thoughts about spiritual concepts going, to avoid the practice that leads to the ego’s final end.

Spiritual concepts do not lead to freedom.
Only practice leads to freedom.

-- Source.

Meditating on the Lord

Knowing that what abides in your Heart is the Self, my true and real nature, you should search for it there. Only this can be regarded as meditating on me with devotion.

-- From Bhagavan's Promises.

The "I" thought

Thinking that thinking or thought is your self is a delusion, a dream-like illusion.

Thinking that you are a body living in a world is a delusion, a dream-like illusion.

Thought has created those delusions.


All sorrow, suffering and delusions have one single root.
The single root is thought.
The root of thought is the I thought.
The root of thought is the thought, I.

-- Michael Langford.

Bringing sense back to Sri Ramana's teachings

Over the years, Bhagavan Ramana's simple path of "clinging to oneself", or being as you are, holding onto awareness/ the feeling of "I", etc, has been complicated by various authors. This simple path has seemingly been lost in translation.

It is heartening, therefore, that Michael Langford has once again put it in simple words for all, in a manner that cannot be missed or confused. In addition, he puts in several chapters to motivate the reader to remain in self-awareness.

The seeker who has never experienced "the Self", is often confused by instructions such as "abide in the Self", "cling to the Self" etc, now understands that it was the most simple fundamental awareness of oneself that was being spoken of, the awareness that wakes up in the morning, the awareness that is looking at the computer screen at this moment -- focusing on that awareness.

At any rate, let me not confuse the reader again -- it is best to read it directly from Mr. Langford himself.
Link.

Awareness, not thought

Living from thought instead of living from Awareness is the cause of all human suffering.

Ego Tricks

However, to go on and on reading spiritual books is an ego preservation strategy, another of the ego’s tricks.

Most reading, discussing and thinking about spiritual teachings is an ego trick.

The ego keeps thoughts about spiritual concepts going to avoid the practice that leads to the ego’s final end.

Source.