1st January, 1936
Talk 122.
A crowd had gathered here during Christmas.
D.: How to attain Unity Consciousness?
Maharshi: Being Unity Consciousness how to attain it? Your question is its own answer.
D.: What is Atman (Self), anatman [?] (non-self) and paramatman
(Supreme Self)?
Maharshi: Atman is jivatman [?] (the individual Self) and the rest are plain. The Self is ever-present (nityasiddha). Each one wants to know the Self. What kind of help does one require to know oneself? People want to see the Self as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. They desire to see it as a blazing light, etc. How can it be so? It is not light, not darkness (na tejo, na tamah). It is only as it is. It cannot be defined. The best definition is `I am that I AM.'
The Srutis speak of the Self as being the size of one's thumb, the tip of the hair, an electric spark, vast, subtler than the subtlest, etc. They have no foundation in fact. It is only Being, but different from the real and the unreal; it is Knowledge, but different from knowledge and ignorance. How can it be defined at all? It is simply Being. Again Sri Bhagavan said that in the whole Thayumanavar literature, he preferred one stanza which says: "Ego disappearing another `I-I' spontaneously manifests in full glory," etc. Again he cites Skandar Anubhuti: "Not real, nor unreal; not darkness nor light, it is." One man said, that a siddha [?] of Kumbakonam claimed to overcome the defects in Sri Sankara's system which deals only with transcendentalism and not the work-a-day life. One must be able to exercise super-human powers in ordinary life, that is to say, one must be a siddha in order to be perfect. Sri Bhagavan pointed out a stanza in Thayumanavar which condemns all siddhis. Further he said that Thayumanavar mentions mouna (silence) in numerous places but defines it in only one verse.
Mouna is said to be that state which spontaneously manifests after the annihilation of the ego. That state is beyond light and darkness, but still it is called light since no other proper word could be found for it.
Talk 121 Talk 123
Showing posts with label silence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silence. Show all posts
Talk 117
25th December, 1935
Talk 117.
A Ceylonese: What is the first step for Realisation of Self? Please help me towards it. There is no use reading books.
Another: This one man's request is that of us all.
Maharshi: Quite so. If the Self be found in books it would have been already realised. What wonder can be greater than that we seek the Self in books? Can it be found there? Of course books have given readers the sense to ask this question and to seek the Self.
D.: Books are utterly useless. They may all be burnt. The spoken word alone is useful. Grace alone is useful.
Others spoke according to their own light, until finally they returned to the original question, but Sri Bhagavan remained silent.
Talk 116 Talk 118
Talk 117.
A Ceylonese: What is the first step for Realisation of Self? Please help me towards it. There is no use reading books.
Another: This one man's request is that of us all.
Maharshi: Quite so. If the Self be found in books it would have been already realised. What wonder can be greater than that we seek the Self in books? Can it be found there? Of course books have given readers the sense to ask this question and to seek the Self.
D.: Books are utterly useless. They may all be burnt. The spoken word alone is useful. Grace alone is useful.
Others spoke according to their own light, until finally they returned to the original question, but Sri Bhagavan remained silent.
Talk 116 Talk 118
Talk 102
19th November, 1935
Talk 102.
He returned with a request next day. He said, "It is said that one should receive instruction from a Guru. Mere reading of books is not helpful. I have read many books; but there is no practical help derived from such learning. Please tell me what I should do, how I should do it, at what times, in which places, and so on."
The Master remained silent. His silence seemed to say, "Here and now, be at peace and tranquil. That is all". But the questioner could not interpret it that way; he wanted something concrete.
Talk 101 Talk 103
Talk 102.
He returned with a request next day. He said, "It is said that one should receive instruction from a Guru. Mere reading of books is not helpful. I have read many books; but there is no practical help derived from such learning. Please tell me what I should do, how I should do it, at what times, in which places, and so on."
The Master remained silent. His silence seemed to say, "Here and now, be at peace and tranquil. That is all". But the questioner could not interpret it that way; he wanted something concrete.
Talk 101 Talk 103
Talk 60
5th July, 1935 ON MOUNA (SILENCE)
Talk 60.
Sri Bhagavan: The silence of solitude is forced. Restrained speech in society amounts to silence. For the man then controls his speech. The speaker must come forth before he speaks. If engaged otherwise speech is restrained. Introverted mind is otherwise active and is not anxious to speak.
Mouna as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities due to speech. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mouna is unnecessary. For mouna becomes natural. Vidyaranya has said that twelve years' forced mouna brings about absolute mouna - that is, makes one unable to speak. It is more like a mute animal than otherwise. That is not mouna. Mouna is constant speech. Inactivity is constant activity.
Talk 59 Talk 61
Talk 60.
Sri Bhagavan: The silence of solitude is forced. Restrained speech in society amounts to silence. For the man then controls his speech. The speaker must come forth before he speaks. If engaged otherwise speech is restrained. Introverted mind is otherwise active and is not anxious to speak.
Mouna as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities due to speech. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mouna is unnecessary. For mouna becomes natural. Vidyaranya has said that twelve years' forced mouna brings about absolute mouna - that is, makes one unable to speak. It is more like a mute animal than otherwise. That is not mouna. Mouna is constant speech. Inactivity is constant activity.
Talk 59 Talk 61
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