" 'It' is as it is"!

“One who has burnt the seed of mental impressions and has the nature of the generality (or totality) of Existence will not be unhappy again, whether he is with the body or without the body.”

                                                                                                    Yoga Vaasishta, Chapter XX, Verse 22

There is a lot of speculation about the ‘Samadhi’ state and many questions arise to grasp its nature which clearly is ungraspable in verbal terms.

Bhagavan Ramana brushes off speculation by saying, “It is as it is” (Talk 138, Talks with Ramana Maharshi, by Munagala Venkataramaiah)). He further adds there that it is necessary to not stop at any intervening blankness but proceed to see for whom such blankness appears. And also that all will be well after the first few experiences. He clarifies that a wandering mind is on the wrong path and a devotional mind is on the right.

This time we read together the Self- Enquiry portions of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s Collected Works. Though anyone familiar with Bhagavan’s life and works would certainly have read this, I wish to focus attention upon certain aspects of it. Like all works of Bhagavan this can also be read at deeper and deeper levels of understanding as one proceeds in enquiry. Do not stop with the ‘thought’ that you ‘know’ it since you have ‘read’ it!

The comparison between Ashtanga Yoga and Ashtanga Jnana is very helpful for those seekers who would not suit themselves to any practice such as Yoga, Praanayama, ritualistic worship or any other upasana or sadhana.

I drew their attention to the Ashtanga Jnana’s final four steps: Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Bhagavan indicates to not stop at Dharana such as ‘Brahmasmi’, ‘Shivoham’ or such but proceed to Dhyana or the pure state of Consciousness and then further on to Samadhi – that state which is ‘as it is’!

Continuing on the same lines, what brought me around to see that which is as it is was the book ‘Prior to Consciousness’ by Nisargadatta Maharaj (ed. Jean Dunn) that came to my hands in November 2006 for a short while. Some effective lines here: (Read trying to trace the Ashtanga Yoga steps from Pratyahara to Samadhi)

’ I abided in one thing only; the words of my Guru are the truth, and he said, “You are the Parabrahman”. No more doubts, no more questions on that…

’ When you wake up you have only the sense of being, without words. This is the primary principle, the prerequisite; later on you know fully that you are and the world is, but that is an illusion, like the horns of a hare. The world is like a dream world. Understand this point thoroughly…

’ Throw away every thought, every experience, everything that happens after this consciousness has come…

’ Before this ‘I am’ and waking state, that borderline, there you have to be… but the subtlest part is from deep sleep to waking state. To abide in that you must have an intensely peaceful state. In that state, witnessing of the waking state happens. You must go to that limit…

’ All that one normally does is for the continuance of this consciousness, but for me there is nothing at all that I would like to continue…

’ Had I even the slightest knowledge would I have descended into the prison of my mother’s womb?...

’ If at all you want to do something, do that which you cannot do at all. That is the state of no-being…

Do I direct my dream?

Since we had termites in the house our new neighbour brought in a pest control agent as he believed the termites could affect his property even though the fact actually was that since they began building the termites had to seek resort in our compound.

After they inspected and discussed and as they left, Moti our pomeranian  found opportunity to mock frighten our kittens. Chinky, Pinky and Minky are the orphaned kittens of Toory who vanished suddenly one day when we were away on a half day outing. Since then these three kittens who together fitted in my palms held together were brought up by me, courtesy the internet that taught me how to behave like a mother cat would and understand kitten problems. But being species apart, I could do only as much as one species could do for another and I felt way behind compared to those great rescuers on TV who reach very far out to save the world!

The story continues: the frightening of Moti resulted in one of them running out of the protection of the house compound resulting in its being actually chased by the street dogs. Needless to say, Minky was still quite young to protect himself and was hunted down. Such incidents mostly happen when you are held up with other commitments and cannot deal with two situations at the same time!
I did notice it. Afternoon, I went around calling out for Minky. The other two followed. Soon I discovered the facts. The duo Pinky and Chinky fled when they saw Moti and started shivering. And upon searching the compound I found the remains of Minky that Moti was closely guarding. It appeared as if he was the killer, but no! he had brought back home the remains of Minky because he knew it was my child. His jealousy upon their closeness to me was only under normal circumstances, in the event of a situation he was one with them, but this incident occurred even beyond his control.
After the burial of Minky found remains I knew that having termites in the garden, nature would have this digested too!
Questions assail the human mind during such heart-wrenching situations. Moti could be easily named the catalyst to the incident. He could be suspected because of his jealousy. He could be blamed for his rude and bad behaviour. He could be underrated for not fighting the street dogs and protecting Minky.
Such and worse situations that can never be remedied or undone happen around and with us constantly!
But events are not to be judged at the level of appearance of happenings.
Facts are different from truth or Reality.'The law of causation is infallible. The effects cannot be condemned. the error is of the mind, intellect and ego that imagine themselves to be apart form the actual self and believe they can function independently. For if they truly believed in their interdependence as faculty no doubt would arise and all would be known like the clairvoyant.
When the unreal is eliminated the REAL automatically 'remains'. When ignorance is removed truth is. When doubts are eliminated only actuality remains.
These statements are applicable at several levels, layers and states.
Understanding depends on readiness of the mind to drop itself for the sake of the actuality. The seeker is the sought when informative knowledge culminates in actual experience.
To be still and know Reality alone to exist makes everything else a dream. And in which dream has any one ever directed any event?
Dream indicates and implies that "I witnessed an occurrence wherein I played a role for which I WAS NOT THE DIRECTOR!"