VEDANTA OF RAMANA MAHARSHI AND HIS UPADESA SARA

VEDANTA OF RAMANA MAHARSHI AND HIS UPADESA SARACHING

(COMPILED BY N.R. SRINIVASAN FOR A DISCOURSE, NASHVILLE,   SEPT. 2019)

Ramana Maharshi, was one of the gurus whose non-dual teachings of Advaita Vedanta caught the attention of the West. Born in 1879 in what is now Tiruchuli, in Tamil Nadu in India.  Maharshi at the age 16  had an awakening and moved to Tiruvannamalai and lived there  till his death in 1950. His teachings on “Who am I” had impact on the entire generation. Throughout his life, a community sprouted up around him as he was regarded by many as an enlightened being, and is now generally considered   Maharshi and a great sage of Wisdom of Modern Days. He practiced most of the times in “mouna vratam” and silent meditation.

Ramana Maharshi mainly advocated the path of jnana yoga, which emphasize a method of self-inquiry. By constantly paying close attention to the feeling of ‘I’ and asking questions around that sensation, particularly ‘Who am I?’ and ‘To whom do these thoughts arise,’ he   believed that by dissolving ego one would merge with the Supreme.

On Spiritual Awakening

“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”

“Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.”

“Realization is not acquisition or anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.”

“Aim high, aim at the highest, and all lower aims are thereby achieved. It is looking below on the stormy sea of differences that makes you sink. Look up, beyond these and see the One Glorious Real, and you are saved.”

“Time is only an idea. There is only the reality whatever you think it is, it looks like that. If you call it time, it is time. If you call it existence, it is existence, and so on. After calling it time, you divide it into days and nights, months, years, hours, minute, etc. Time is immaterial for the Path of Knowledge. But some of these rules and discipline are good for beginners.”

“What is illusion?  To whom is the illusion? Find it out. Then illusion will vanish. Generally people want to know about illusion and do not examine to whom it is. It is foolish. Illusion is outside and unknown. But But the seeker is considered to be known and is inside. Find out what
is immediate, intimate, instead of trying to find out what is distant and unknown.” 

“Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think “I am”, and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the “I am”. Sense your presence, the naked unveiled, unclothed Being-ness. It is untouched by young or old, rich or poor, good or bad, or any other attributes. It is the spacious womb of all creation, all form.”

The great Tamil poet Muruganar approached the South Indian sage, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, and requested elucidation on the instruction which had been given by Lord Siva to the Rishis of Darukavanam (the Pine Forest). The Rishis had become hooked on action (karma) and every attainment threw up the desire for a further bigger, better attainment. They approached Siva and asked for help. Things have not changed much since then ... have they? The human condition continues to be enthralled with the shadows all the while oblivious to the all important source of the light. Sri Ramana Maharshi agreed and wrote this instruction in 30 verses. The Sanskrit work is known as Upadesa Saram (The Essence of Instruction).

 Upadesa Sara - the essence of all teaching - is one of the most popular Vendatic texts. It explains the paths of Action (Karma Yoga), Yoga (Astanga Yoga) and Knowledge (Jnana Yoga) and how they lead to the final goal of Self Knowledge. The great sage, Bhagvan Ramana Maharishi presents the subject in a simple and beautiful way.

Sri Ramana welcomed and guided every kind of seeker, irrespective of whether he was a beginner or an advanced seeker, whether Yogi, Bhakta or Jnani. Even though his main emphasis was always on the path of Self- Inquiry, which is a short-cut and direct path to Self- Realization, he knew that it wasn’t an easy method and that it required maturity of understanding. This is why he prescribed the three margas (paths). His Vedanta and Upadesa can be clearly understood in his talks with others.

He clearly stated:

“If the aspirant is not temperamentally suited to Vichara Marga (to the introspective analytical method), he must develop bhakti (devotion) to an ideal– may it be God, Guru, humanity in general, ethical laws, or even the idea of beauty. When one of these takes possession of the individual, other attachments grow weaker, i.e., dispassion (vairagya) develops...

In the absence of inquiry and devotion, the natural sedative pranayama (breath regulation) may be tried. This is known as Yoga Marga... If an aspirant be unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods and circumstantially (on account of age) for the third method, he must try the Karma Marga (doing good deeds, for example, social service). His nobler instincts become more evident and he derives impersonal pleasure. His smaller self is less assertive and has a chance of expanding its good side...”

--from talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi & Sri Munagala Venkataramiah.

After much maturation through the preparatory margas (Karma, Bhakti and Yoga), the path of Self- Inquiry becomes naturally easy to understand in its true essence and the sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) is ready to inquire into the Self.

RAMANA VEDANTA

An entire ‘neo-Advaitic’ movement has arisen reflecting not only traditional Vedantic teachings but catering to the demands of Western culture. While this movement is arguably a good trend for the future and contains much that is positive in it, it is also a fertile ground for many distortions, which are likely to become more pronounced as the popular base of the movement expands.

However, a recent trend has been to remove Advaita from Vedanta, as if it were a different or independent path, and not bring in the greater tradition of Vedanta. 

This ‘Advaita without Vedanta’ is particularly strange because many important ideas found in the neo-Advaita movement, like that a universal path of Self-knowledge, reflect the neo-Vedanta movement popular in the early twentieth century since the teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda.

The teachings of Ramana Maharshi often form the starting point for neo-Advaitic teachers, though other influences also exist in the movement.   Some neo-Advaitins refer to Ramana’s teachings as if Ramana was a rebel or outside of any tradition, almost as if he invented Advaita himself.  While Ramana based his teaching on his own direct realization, he frequently quoted from and recommended the reading of Advaitic texts, which he found represented the same teachings as those that arose from his experience. This included not only the works of Shankara, the main traditional Advaitic teacher, but many other texts like Yoga Vasishta, Tripura Rahasya and Advaita Bodha Dipika.

Ramana did broaden out the traditional Advaitic path from its emphasis on monasticism. Yet even in this regard he was continuing a reformation since Vivekananda who created a practical Vedanta or practical Advaita and taught it to all sincere seekers saying “Vedanta is the Religion of the Future”.

Many students come to neo-Advaitic teachers because of Ramana’s influence, looking for another Ramana or for instruction into Ramana’s teaching, but apart from Ramana’s image used by the teacher, what they get may be something very different. That someone may use the image of Ramana or quote from him, therefore, is no guarantee that their teaching is really the same. So is also Ramakrishna Vedanta.

In much of neo-Advaita, the idea of prerequisites on the part of the student or the teacher is not discussed. Speaking to general audiences in the West, some neo-Advaitic teachers give the impression that one can practice Advaita along with an affluent life-style and little modification of one’s personal behavior. This is part of the trend of modern yogic teachings in the West that avoid any reference to asceticism or tapas as part of practice, which are not popular ideas in this materialistic age.

Ramana keeps the requirement for Advaita simple yet clear – a ripe mind, which is the essence of the whole thing, and encourages practice of the teaching without overestimating one’s readiness for it. Yet a ripe mind is not as easy as it sounds either.

Ramana defines this ripe mind as profound detachment and deep discrimination, above all a powerful aspiration for liberation from the body and the cycle of rebirth – not a mere mental interest but an unshakeable conviction going to the very root of our thoughts and feelings (note Ramana Gita VII. 8-11).

A ripe, pure or sattvic mind implies that rajas and tamas, the qualities of passion and ignorance, have been cleared not only from the mind but also from the body, to which the mind is connected in Vedic thought. Such a pure or ripe mind was rare even in classical India. In the modern world, in which our life-style and culture is dominated by rajas and tamas, it is indeed quite rare and certainly not to be expected.

 

To arrive at it, a dharmic life-style is necessary. This is similar to the Yoga Sutra prescription of the yamas and niyamas as prerequisites for Yoga practice. In this regard, Ramana particularly emphasized a sattvic vegetarian diet as a great aid to practice.

The problem is that many people take Ramana’s idea of a ripe mind superficially. It is not a prescription that anyone can approach or practice Advaita in any manner they like. Advaita does require considerable inner purity and self-discipline, developing which is an important aim of practice which should not be lightly set aside.

Traditional Advaita, which Ramana echoed, states that advanced aspirants who are truly ready for a dedicated path of self-inquiry can discard other yogic practices if they are so inclined. But it also states that for gaining a ripe mind, developing proficiency in these preliminary practices is essential. Most people can benefit from support practices, particularly beginners, even if their main focus is Self-inquiry. Note the Ramana Gita VII. 12-14 in this regard.

The tradition of Yoga-Vedanta – using Yoga to create a ripe or sattvic mind, and using Advaita for the higher realization through it – has been the dominant approach in Vedanta found not only in the works of older gurus like Shankaracharya and Vidyaranaya, but in modern gurus like Vivekananda, Shivananda and Yogananda. Ramana, though he emphasized Self-inquiry, never rejected the value of other yogic practices. He commonly extolled such practices as chanting the name of God, chanting Om and doing pranayama. He had regular Vedic chanting and pujas done at the ashram which continue today.

This traditional Advaitic view of different levels practice should not be confused with an approach that rejects all practices as useless. In this regard we can contrast traditional Advaita Vedanta, which Ramana followed, and the teachings of J. Krishnamurti, which is often the source of neo-Advaita’s rejection of support practices.

In much of neo-Advaita, there is a rush to become gurus and give satsangs, even without real study or practice. While certainly even a beginning student can teach the basics of Advaita for the benefit of others, to quickly set oneself up as a Self-realized guru raises a lot of questions. One can have an initial experience of the Self, while the full realization may yet be far away. Full Self-realization is neither easy nor common, under any circumstances.

 If one has access to genuine teachings, like those of Ramana, and follows them with humility and self-discipline, one can progress on the path, which will lead them to further teachers and teachings as needed. On the other hand, in the rush to get a living Self-realized guru, students may get misled by those who claim Self-realization but may not really have it. Such false gurus cannot lead students very far and may take them in a wrong direction altogether.

Like Ramana, many great gurus are quiet, silent and withdrawn. We can best find them by karmic affinity from our own practice, not by external searching or running after personalities. There are a number of Advaitic traditions from India that remain alive and vibrant like those of Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Dayananda, or Swami Avdheshananda, among many others.

Our true Self is our universal being, a consciousness present not only in humans but in animals, plants, the very Earth on which we live, the atmosphere, stars and planes of existence beyond the physical.

 Neo-Advaita gets mixed up with western psychology and can get caught in examining the mind rather than going beyond the mind. Advaita is not about psychological happiness but about negating our psychology. Naturally some clarity about our psychology can be of initial help, but it is not the goal of practice.

If we look at great gurus, their disciples are not simply imitations of them, but retain their own individuality. Note Ramana’s main disciples Muruganar and Ganapati Muni in this regard.

The West has a tendency to standardize, stereotype, mass-produce and even franchise teachings. The neo-Advaita movement, like the western Yoga movement, is affected by this cultural compulsion, and often gives the same teachings en masse. True Advaita is not a teaching than can be given uniformly to people of all temperaments. It is often best pursued in solitude, silence and retreat and can never become a thing of the marketplace.

Certainly Advaita Vedanta is bound to continue as an important influence in not only individual sadhana but also in world thought. But it has many depths and subtleties that require great concentration and dedication in order to understand. Our initial goal should be steadiness in practice along with equanimity of mind, even in the absence of any great dramatic results, not quick enlightenment in the absence of practice!

His philosophy draws its strength from the following verses in Gita:

raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śhaśhi-sūryayoḥ | praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣhu śhabdaḥ khe pauruṣhaṁ nṛiṣhu || 7-8 ||

Supreme Spirit is the taste in water and the radiance of the sun and the mothe sound in ether, and the ability in humans. He is the sacred syllable Om in the Vedic mantras.

punyo gandhah˙ prithivyåm cha tejas chåsmi vibhåvasau | jîvanam  sarva-bhüteshu tapas chåsmi tapasvishu || 7-9 ||

Supreme Spirit is the original scent of the earth, the luster of fire, the life of all creatures and the penances of the performers of austerities.

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam |buddhir buddhimatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham ||7-10 ||

Supreme Spirit is the eternal seed of all beings, intellect of the intelligent,  and the splendor of the glorious.

balaṁ balavatāṁ chāhaṁ kāma-rāga-vivarjitam dharma-viruddho bhūteṣhu kāmo ’smi bharatarṣhabha

Supreme Spirit is the strength of the strong devoid of passion and desire. He is (Kaamah) sex life that is not contrary to religious principles.

One must understand that the constituent aspects of Nature, viz. the Sattva (Purity, happiness, goodness, and light), the Rajas (passion, discontent energy, and action) and the Tamas (darkness, misery, evil and sloth, obstructing both Sattva and Rajas), proceed and operate only from, and at the behest of, the Supreme Spirit, which however is not confined in them, although they are confined in the Supreme Spirit.

By these three aspects of Nature the world is indeed deluded (Led astry); the people in the world do not understand that the Supreme Spirit is far beyond and higher than these aspects; and the Supreme Spirit unlike these aspects, is altogether immutable.

The Supreme Spirit is never subjected to the operation of the three aspects, nor is facilitated by them as the people in the world are.

The becoming of the world   in terms of 1) Sattva and its modifications lead to mind, intellect, the senses of cognition; 2) Rajas to vital currents and the organs of action; and 3) Tamas to the physical body and the state of sleep.  This psycho-physical constitution of man is what deludes by concealing the reality and projecting unreal world 9moha is synonymous with Maya.

ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha  | ye  matta eveti tāni viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te may || 7-12 ||

tribhir guna-mayair bhavair ebhih sarvam idam jagat | mohitam nabhijanati mam eb

hyah param avyayam || 7-13 |

[Extracted and Edited by N. R. Srinivasan from the Article “Misconception about Adbvaita“ by David Frawley]

 UPADESA SARAM

KARMA YOGA

1. कर्तुराज्ञया प्राप्यते फलम् । कर्म किं परं कर्म तज्जडम् ॥ १॥

kartur ājñyayā prāpyate phalaṃ karma kiṃ paraṃ karma tajjaḍam

Action yields fruit; for so the Lord ordains it. How can action be the Lord? It is insentient.

2. कृतिमहोदधौ पतनकारणम् ।  फलमशाश्वतं गतिनिरोधकम् ॥ २॥

kṛti-maho-dadhau patana-kāraṇam  phalama-śaśvataṃ gati-nirodhakam

The fruit of action passes.  But action leaves behind seed of further action leading to an endless ocean of action; Not at all to moksha.

3. ईश्वरार्पितं नेच्छया कृतम् ।  चित्तशोधकं मुक्तिसाधकम् ॥ ३॥

īśvarārpitaṃ necchayā kṛtam citta-śodhakaṃ mukti-sādhakam

Disinterested action surrendered to the Lord purifies the mind and points the way to moksha.

4. कायवाङ्मनः कार्यमुत्तमम् ।  पूजनं जपश्चिन्तनं क्रमात् ॥ ४॥

kāya-vāṅ-manaḥ kāryam-uttamam  pūjanaṃ japa-ścintanaṃ kramāt

This is certain: Worship, praise and meditation, being work of body, speech and mind, are steps for orderly ascent.

BHAKTI MARGA

5. जगत ईशधी युक्तसेवनम् ।  अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम् ॥ ५॥

jagata īśadhī yukta sevanaṃ aśṭa-mūrti bhṛd deva-pūjanam

Ether, fire, air, water, earth, sun, moon and living beings--worship of these, regarded all as forms of His, is perfect worship of the Lord.

6. उत्तमस्तवादुच्चमन्दतः ।  चित्तजं जपध्यानमुत्तमम् ॥ ६॥

uttama-stavād-ucca-mandataḥ cittajaṃ japa dhyānam uttamam

Better than hymns of praise is repetition of the Name; Better low-voiced than loud, but best of all is meditation in the mind.

7. आज्यधारया स्रोतसा समम् । सरलचिन्तनं विरलतः परम् ॥ ७॥

ajya-dhāraya srotasā samam sarala cintanaṃ viralataḥ param

Better than spells of meditation is one continuous current steady as a stream, or downward flow of oil.

8. भेदभावनात् सोऽहमित्यसौ ।  भावनाऽभिदा पावनी मता ॥ ८॥

bheda-bhāvanāt so’hamityasa bhavana’bhidā pāvanī matā

Better than viewing Him as Other, indeed the noblest attitude of all, is to hold Him as the 'I' within--The very 'I'.

9. भावशून्यसद्भावसुस्थितिः ।  भावनाबलाद्भक्तिरुत्तमा ॥ ९॥

bhāva śūnyasad bhāva susthitiḥ bhāvanā-balād bhaktir-uttamā

Abidance in pure being transcending thought through love intense is the very essence of  supreme devotion.

10. हृत्स्थले मनः स्वस्थता क्रिया ।  भक्तियोगबोधाश्च निश्चितम् ॥ १०॥

hṛtsthale manaḥ svasthatā kriyā bhakti yoga bodhaśca niścitam

Absorption in the heart of being, whence we sprang, is the path of action, of devotion, of union and of knowledge.

DHYANA YOGA:

11. वायुरोधनाल्लीयते मनः ।  जालपक्षिवद्रोधसाधनम् ॥ ११॥

vayu-rodhanāl līyate manaḥ jāla-pakṣivat rodha-sādhanam

Holding the breath controls the mind like a bird caught in a net. Breath-regulation helps absorption in the heart.

12. चित्तवायवश्चित्क्रियायुताः ।  शाखयोर्द्वयी शक्तिमूलका ॥ १२॥

citta-vāyavaś cit-kriyāyutāḥ śā khayor-dvayi śakti-mūlakā

Mind and breath (as thought and action) fork out like two branches. But both spring from a single root.

13. लयविनाशने उभयरोधने ।   लयगतं पुनर्भवति नो मृतम् ॥ १३॥

laya vinaśane ubhaya-rodhan laya-gataṃ punar bhavati no mṛtam

Absorption is of two sorts; submergence and destruction. Mind submerged rises again; Dead, it revives no more.

14. प्राणबन्धनाल्लीनमानसम् ।   एकचिन्तनान्नाशमेत्यदः ॥ १४॥

prāṇa-bandhanāt līna-mānasam eka-cintanāt nāśametyadaḥ

Breath controlled and thought restrained, the mind turned one-way inward fades and dies.

15. नष्टमानसोत्कृष्टयोगिनः ।  कृत्यमस्ति किं स्वस्थितिं यतः ॥ १५॥

naṣta-manasot-kṛṣṭa yoginaḥ kṛtyam asti kiṃ svasthitiṃ yataḥ

Mind extinct, the mighty seer returns to his own natural being and has no action to perform.

16. दृश्यवारितं चित्तमात्मनः । चित्त्वदर्शनं तत्त्वदर्शनम् ॥ १६॥

dṛśya-vāritaṃ citta-mātmanaḥ citva-darśanaṃ tattva darśanam

It is true wisdom for the mind to turn away from outer objects and behold its own effulgent form.

JNAANA MARGA

17. मानसं तु किं मार्गणे कृते ।  नैव मानसं मार्ग आर्जवात् ॥ १७॥

mānasaṃ tu kiṃ mārgaṇe kṛte naiva mānasaṃ mārge ārjavāt

When unceasingly the mind scans its own form there is nothing of the kind. For every one this path,  direct is open.

18. vṛttayastvahaṃ vṛtti-maśritaḥ vṛttayo mano viddhayahaṃ manaḥ

Thoughts alone make up the mind; and of all thoughts the 'I' thought is the root--what is called mind is but the notion 'I'.

19. अहमयं कुतो भवति चिन्वतः ।   अयि पतत्यहं निजविचारणम् ॥ १९॥

ahamayaṃ kuto bhavati cinvataḥ ayi patatyahaṃ nijavicāraṇam

When one turns within and searches whence this 'I' thought arises, the shamed 'I' vanishes   and wisdom's quest begins.

20. अहमि नाशभाज्यहमहंतया ।   स्फुरति हृत्स्वयं परमपूर्णसत् ॥ २०॥

ahami nāśa-bhā-jyahama-hantaya  sphurati hṛt-svayaṃ parama-pūrṇa-sat

Where this 'I' notion faded now there as I–I, arises the One, the very Self, the Infinite.

21. इदमहं पदाऽभिख्यमन्वहम् ।  अहमिलीनकेऽप्यलयसत्तया ॥ २१॥

idamaham padā’bhikhya-manvaham aham-ilīnake’pyalaya sattyā

Of the term, 'I', the permanent import is That.  For even in deep sleep where we have no sense of 'I' we do not cease to be.

22. vigrah-endriya prāṇa-dhītamaḥ nāhameka-sat tajjaḍam hyasat

Body, senses, mind, breath, sleep –all insentient and unreal – cannot be 'I', 'I' who am the Real.

23. सत्त्वभासिका चित्क्ववेतरा ।  सत्तया हि चिच्चित्तया ह्यहम् ॥ २३॥

sattva-bhāsika citkva vetarā sattyā hi cit cittayā hyaham

For knowing That (Tat) which is there is no other knower. Hence Being is Awareness; and we all are Awareness.

24. ईशजीवयोर्वेषधीभिदा ।  सत्स्वभावतो वस्तु केवलम् ॥ २४॥

īśa-jīvayor veṣa-dhī-bhidā sat-svabhāvato vastu kevalam

In the nature of their being creature and creator are in substance one. They differ only in adjuncts and awareness.

25. वेषहानतः स्वात्मदर्शनम् ।  ईशदर्शनं स्वात्मरूपतः ॥ २५॥

veṣa-hānataḥ svātma-darśanam īśa-darśanaṃ svātma-rūpataḥ

Seeing oneself free of all attributes is to see the Lord--for He shines ever as the pure Self.

26. आत्मसंस्थितिः स्वात्मदर्शनम् । आत्मनिर्द्वयादात्मनिष्ठता ॥ २६॥

ātma-saṃsthitiḥ svātma-darśanam ātma-nirdvayād ātma-niṣṭhatā

To know the Self is but to be the Self, for it is non-dual. In such knowledge one abides as that.

27. ज्ञानवर्जिताऽज्ञानहीनचित् ।  ज्ञानमस्ति किं ज्ञातुमन्तरम् ॥ २७॥

jñāna-varjitā-jñana-hina cit jñānam-asti kiṃ jñātum-antaram

That is true knowledge which transcends both knowledge and ignorance. For in pure knowledge is no object to be known.

28. kiṃ svarūpamit-yātma darśane avyayābhavā” pūrṇa-cit sukham

Having known one's nature one abides as being with no beginning and no end in unbroken consciousness and bliss.

29. बन्धमुक्त्यतीतं परं सुखम् ।  विन्दतीह जीवस्तु दैविकः ॥ २९॥

Bandha  muktyatītaṃ paraṃ sukham vindatīhajī vastu daivikaḥ

Beyond bondage and release, is steadfastness in service of the Lord.

30. अहमपेतकं निजविभानकम् ।  महदिदंतपो रमनवागियम् ॥ ३०॥

aham-apetakaṃ nija-vibhānakam mahadidaṃ tapo ramaṇa vāgiyam

All ego gone, living as That alone is penance good for growth, Sings Ramana, the Self.