Tag: Ramana Maharshi

  • Religion Rituals Hinduism Work

    I have come across comments like,

     

    ‘For reaching God, Self Realization, it is enough if our heart is pure,there is no necessity of the rituals, Poojas, visiting temples’

     

    ‘Love for All is the central message of Religions and of Spirituality,if I love all, there is no need for following Religion’

     

    ‘Wearing Caste-mark on the forehead, taking bath before Pooja, following strict cumbersome procedures fo the Pooja, Are they necessary?

     

    God is everywhere,why should I perform all these,they are nothing but expressions of hypocrisy’

     

    I have recently received a comment,

     

    I got your Comment on My Blog, So I came Here
    Seeing your blog, I find it is Spiritually Inclined. So I asking some Questions I Have

    Today Hinduism is full of Rituals. I feel that it is corruption of Hinduism. What do you say.
    True Hindu should worship work, not conduct rituals. What do you think.”

     

    Let me attempt to answer as I have been doing till now to my children and close friends.

     

    It is alright and it sounds nice to say that “I know that God is everywhere and I treat everyone equally’

     

    Is it an honest statement?( I am speaking out myself)?

     

    Do I treat everyone equally?

     

    Do I love everyone and everything in the world?

     

    Am I free from prejudices, anger, Lust for power,women, money?

     

    Do I forgive others?

     

    Am I helping others?

     

    Is my heart pure enough not to feel jealous of others?

     

    Do I place others before myself?

     

    Am I innocent?

     

    Did/Do I not  hurt many in my life, both professional and personal?

     

    Am I honest and follow what I say?

     

    My answer is NO.

     

    So I am not qualified to be counted among those who can realize God by these methods.

     

    There is also this perception,

     

    That if you do your Duty, there is no necessity of worshiping God.

     

    True.

     

    Lord Krishna implies this in The Bhagavad Gita.

     

    The confusion is what ‘work’ means’ though Krishna means Karma or Action’ which is different from work.

     

    What is the Work we are talking about?

     

    Going to office, 10-5, working in a software company or running a Business, where we earn?

     

    What do we do here?

     

    We earn money to satisfy our senses.

     

    We remain unsatisfied whatever we earn.

     

    We remain loyal , honest to others in the work place so that our jobs, businesses are secure.

     

    Where is the question of Altruism?

     

    At the end of the day, after we do our life’s work, what does remain for us?

     

    Have we evolved Happier, Contented?

     

    Have We answered our urge to know where We are, where were We and where do We go thither?

     

    Have I answered these questions?

     

    Of what use this money, the result of my dedication to work to Me finally?

     

    By saying Everything is Brahman, I am Brahman,I Love All does not make One Spiritually evolved.

     

    Every one can not become a Ramana Maharishi by asking ‘Who Am I?

     

    It is only by searching within oneself for answers and finding them, does one become a Jnani or a Realized Soul?

     

    Rituals, procedures laid for them, Poojas, Dhana, Dharma, Neethi Sastras,Vedas , Puranas, Ithihasas, Yoga all these are disciplines to follow , are to enable us to reach that mental and spiritual maturity to Realize Self/God.

     

    One in a Million can become a Ramana Maharishi,Kanchi Periyavar,Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

     

    Even these people had  followed a system of discipline.

     

    Merely Working in an office, running a business does not constitute a Sadahana.

     

    Ding even this has to have an attitude, disposition as explained in Karma Yoga.

     

    We do not follow this even.

     

    Till we become mature enough we need the Rituals.

     

    You may choose your own from any from the numerous paths explained in Hinduism.

     

     

  • No Guru Neither Disciple Sankaracharya

    I recall n incident form the Life Sri Ramana Maharishi.

    When Paul Brunton, Maharishi’s Biographer  requested Ramana to take him as His Disciple.

    Ramana Maharishi replied,

     

    Ramana Maharishi
    Sri Ramana Maharishi

    “Who is Guru and who is Sishya, every one has to seek one’s own Salvation’

     

    Height of Advaita.

     

    At the Paramaarthika, Transcendental Level, there is no Identity except being One, even this I am not sure whether a part can identify itself a part of the Whole.

     

    The World of Names and Forms are Real and Illusory, All at the same time, depends on one’s respective and stand point.

     

    Watch a child start expressing its likes and dislikes, especially of people.

     

    It expresses spontaneously without being able to rationalize.

     

    It forgets them as soon as people are out of sight.

     

    It lives in the present, no associations, consciously.

     

    Otherwise the Child is Full of Happiness or Bliss.

     

    Its smile conveys its Blissful State,especially when it is asleep.

     

    This is Ananda, unsullied by Impressions.

     

    This is Nirvana. The Original State.

     

    न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः
    पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
    न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यं
    चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥
    Na Mrtyur-Na Shangkaa Na Me Jaati-Bhedah
    Pitaa Naiva Me Naiva Maataa Na Janmah |
    Na Bandhurna Mitram Gurur-Na-Iva Shissyam
    Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||5||

    Meaning:
    5.1: Neither am I bound by Death and its Fear, nor by the rules of Caste and its Distinctions,
    5.2: Neither do I have Father and Mother, nor do I have Birth,
    5.3: Neither do I have Relations nor Friends, neither Spiritual Teacher nor Disciple,
    5.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva,
    The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.