Sri Ramana Teachings

What we are to investigate is ourself, the one and only ‘I’

In a Zoom meeting with the San Diego Ramana Satsang (ramana-satsang-sd@googlegroups.com) on 5th November 2023, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings.

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham verse 9

In a Zoom meeting with Sri Ramana Center, Houston, on 4th November 2023, Michael James discusses Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham, verse 9.

The following is Michael's translation of this verse:

அகக்கம லத்தே யமல வசல

வகமுருவ மாகு மறிவே — தகத்தை

யகற்றிடுவ தாலவ் வகமா மறிவே

யகவீ டளிப்ப தறி.

 

ahakkama lattē yamala vacala

vahamuruva māhu maṟivē — dahattai

yahaṯṟiḍuva dālav vahamā maṟivē

yahavī ḍaḷippa daṟi.

 

பதச்சேதம்: அக கமலத்தே அமல அசல அகம் உருவம் ஆகும் அறிவு ஏது, அகத்தை அகற்றிடுவதால் அவ் அகம் ஆம் அறிவே, அக வீடு அளிப்பது. அறி.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aha-kamalattē amala acala aham-uruvam āhum aṟivu ēdu, ahattai ahaṯṟiḍuvadāl a-vv-aham ām aṟivē aha-vīḍu aḷippadu. aṟi.

அன்வயம்: அறிவு ஏது அக கமலத்தே அமல அசல அகம் உருவம் ஆகும், அவ் அகம் ஆம் அறிவே அகத்தை அகற்றிடுவதால் அக வீடு அளிப்பது. அறி.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): aṟivu ēdu aha-kamalattē amala acala aham-uruvam āhum, a-vv-aham ām aṟivē ahattai ahaṯṟiḍuvadāl aha-vīḍu aḷippadu. aṟi.

English translation: What awareness is the blemishless, motionless ‘I’-form in the heart-lotus, only that awareness, which is ‘I’, will give inner liberation by removing ‘I’. Know.

Explanatory paraphrase: What awareness exists [and shines] in the heart-lotus as the blemishless [immaculate or pure] and motionless [hence immutable] ‘I’-form [the svarūpa or real nature of ‘I’, meaning ‘I’ as it actually is], only that awareness, which is ‘I’ [namely ātma-svarūpa, the real nature of oneself], will give inner liberation [or liberation, which is ‘I’] by removing [expelling or banishing] ‘I’ [namely ego, the spurious ‘I’ that rises and subsides]. Know [this by investigating this pure and motionless awareness that shines eternally as ‘I’ without ever rising or subsiding].

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

Understanding solipsism as taught by Bhagavan Ramana

In a Zoom meeting with the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 28th October 2023, Michael talks about solipsism as taught by Bhagavan, and answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. 

The analytical argument he gave at the beginning is:

1. We are the experiencer of all that we experience.
2. As the experiencer, we always experience ourself as a person.
3. As the experiencer, we perceive a world that is full of other people, who are just like the person we seem to be.
4. Since we, the experiencer, always experience ourself as a person, ever other person seems to us to be an experiencer, just like us.
5. All the other people and their experiences are no less real than the person we seem to be.
6. So long as we seem to be a person, we experience suffering, and every other person seems to us to experience suffering in the same way.
7. So long as we are firmly convinced that this person whom we seem to be is what we actually are, then our suffering and the suffering of all other people will inevitably seemto us to be real.
8. But are we this person? In other words, is this person what we actually are?
9. If this person is not what we actually are, our experience of ourself as ‘I am this person’ is an illusion, and hence unreal.
10. Everything that we (as the experiencer) experience is based upon our experience of ourself as a person, because we experience things other than ourself only when we experience ourself as a person (namely in waking and in dream).
11. Therefore if our experience of ourself as ‘I am this person’ is an illusion, our experience of everything else must be equally illusory.
12. If our experience of everything else is illusory, the person we seem to be and all the other people are a part of that illusion, and hence unreal.
13. If the person we seem to be and all the other people are unreal, their suffering and everything else that they seem to experience must also be unreal.
14. Therefore, since the appearance of multiple experiencers exists in the view of ourself as an experiencer who experiences itself as a person, if we are not this person, then the entire appearance of multiple experiencers is an illusion, and hence unreal.
15. Since there can be no appearance without an experiencer of it, the root cause of the entire appearance of multiple experiencers is the experiencer of it, namely ourself.
16. Therefore, before we can reliably judge the reality of the appearance of multiple experiencers, we first need to investigate and find out the reality of ourself, in whose view all those multiple experiencers seem to exist.

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

 

Bernardo Kastrup and Michael James - Analytic Idealism and Ramana Maharshi’s Advaita

In a Zoom meeting between Bernardo Kastrup and Michael James, on 26th October 2023, they discussed Analytic Idealism and Ramana Maharshi's Advaita.

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

Āṉma-Viddai verse 3 (continued)

In a Zoom meeting with Ramana Kendra, Delhi, on 15th October 2023, Michael James continues the discussion of the meaning and implications of verse  3 of Āṉ𝘮𝘢 𝘝𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘪.

Verse 3: https://happinessofbeing.blogspot.com/2023/07/anma-viddai-verse-3-knowledge-of-all.html

தன்னை யறிதலின்றிப் பின்னை யெதறிகிலென்
றன்னை யறிந்திடிற்பின் னென்னை யுளதறிய
பின்ன வுயிர்களில பின்ன விளக்கெனுமத்
தன்னைத் தனிலுணர மின்னுந் தனுளான்ம —
   ப்ரகாசமே; அருள் விலாசமே; அக விநாசமே;
      இன்ப விகாசமே.      (ஐயே)

taṉṉai yaṟidaliṉḏṟip piṉṉai yedaṟihileṉ
ḏṟaṉṉai yaṟindiḍiṟpiṉ ṉeṉṉai yuḷadaṟiya
bhiṉṉa vuyirgaḷila bhiṉṉa viḷakkeṉumat
taṉṉait taṉiluṇara miṉṉun taṉuḷāṉma —
   prakāśamē; aruḷ vilāsamē; aha vināśamē;
      iṉba vikāsamē.      (aiyē)

பதச்சேதம்: தன்னை அறிதல் இன்றி, பின்னை எது அறிகில் என்? தன்னை அறிந்திடில், பின் என்னை உளது அறிய? பின்ன உயிர்களில் அபின்ன விளக்கு எனும் அத் தன்னை தனில் உணர, மின்னும் தன் உள் ஆன்ம ப்ரகாசமே. அருள் விலாசமே, அக விநாசமே, இன்ப விகாசமே. (ஐயே, அதி சலபம், ...)

Padacchēdam (word-separation): taṉṉai aṟidal iṉḏṟi, piṉṉai edu aṟihil eṉ? taṉṉai aṟindiḍil, piṉ eṉṉai uḷadu aṟiya? bhiṉṉa uyirgaḷil abhiṉṉa viḷakku eṉum a-t-taṉṉai taṉil uṇara, miṉṉum taṉ uḷ āṉma-prakāśamē. aruḷ vilāsamē, aha vināśamē, iṉba vikāsamē. (aiyē, ati sulabham, ...)

அன்வயம்: தன்னை அறிதல் இன்றி, பின்னை எது அறிகில் என்? தன்னை அறிந்திடில், பின் அறிய என்னை உளது? பின்ன உயிர்களில் அபின்ன விளக்கு எனும் அத் தன்னை தனில் உணர, தன் உள் ஆன்ம ப்ரகாசமே மின்னும். அருள் விலாசமே, அக விநாசமே, இன்ப விகாசமே. (ஐயே, அதி சலபம், ...)

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): taṉṉai aṟidal iṉḏṟi, piṉṉai edu aṟihil eṉ? taṉṉai aṟindiḍil, piṉ aṟiya eṉṉai uḷadu? bhiṉṉa uyirgaḷil abhiṉṉa viḷakku eṉum a-t-taṉṉai taṉil uṇara, taṉ uḷ āṉma-prakāśamē miṉṉum. aruḷ vilāsamē, aha vināśamē, iṉba vikāsamē. (aiyē, ati sulabham, ...)

English translation: Without knowing oneself, if one knows whatever else, what? If one has known oneself, then what exists to know? When one knows in oneself that self, which is the light without separation in separate sentient beings, within oneself the shining of oneself alone will flash forth. The shining forth of grace; the annihilation of ego; the blossoming of happiness. (Ah, extremely easy, ...)

Explanatory paraphrase: Without knowing oneself, if one knows whatever else, [so] what? [That is, how can such knowledge be reliable, so how can it have any real value?] If one has known oneself, then what [else] exists to know? When one knows in oneself that self [one’s real nature], which is the light [that shines] abhinna [without bhinna: separation, division, difference or distinction] in separate sentient beings [or souls], within oneself ātma-prakāśa [the shining, clarity or light of oneself] alone will flash forth [like lightening]. [This is] aruḷ-vilāsa [the shining forth, amorous play or beauty of grace], aha-vināśa [the annihilation of ego], iṉba-vikāsa [the blossoming of happiness]. ([Therefore] ah, extremely easy, ātma-vidyā, ah, extremely easy!)

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

 

What is pure awareness?

In a Zoom meeting with the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 14th October 2023, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. He started with:

Question #1: In deep sleep only awareness remains. You said awareness knows awareness only. My question is why I don't know myself in deep sleep? Kindly Reply.

Question #2: What is pure awareness? If it is aware of anything, it is impure. So, if awareness is aware even of itself, being aware, that is already impure, since awareness has an object (itself). So, pure awareness is awareness of... what?

And, anyway, as soon as you notice it, it would not be pure awareness any longer, since now there is a duality: awareness (apparently of nothing) and the awareness of awareness. My point then is, what good is pure awareness, since it is aware of nothing, and cannot even know itself without disturbing its pure awareness?

If you are it, you cannot know it, and if you know it, you no longer are it. I do not see a way out of this. Has anyone ever recognized pure awareness? If so, they are separate from it. But, it also cannot be aware of itself, or for that matter anything at all. And this is supposed to be the highest knowledge no less? Knowledge of what, exactly?

Question #3: Philosophy, Sartre in particular, would deny that there is anything such as intransitive awareness. Awareness must be of something, or what is it awareness of? As soon as you are aware of even just being aware, now awareness is the object, and you are observing awareness. I do not think we are aware of our sleep. I think we infer it. We can recall our dreams, and we might say we did not dream all night, so there must have been a period of sleep, but that does not mean we were aware of our awareness. Also, the fact that we are not aware of the world while asleep is particularly unconvincing when it is argued that therefore the objective world arises when our ego arises. That is far too solipsistic for my tastes. We blink and the sun disappears, for us. No one believes the sun disappears; similarly, we sleep and the world does not disappear. Where is the evidence one can see pure awareness, or failing that, that awareness of nothing exists. And so what if we can have pure awareness of nothing at all; what does that prove, exactly?

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

Is ego the false identification ‘I am this body’?

Michael answers the following question in this video: At what point are we ego? Is ego false identification as being the body. So is it a sense that we are the body, and that ‘sense’ we call ‘I’ and this ‘I sense as the body’ is called ego?

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.  

Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham verse 8

In a Zoom meeting with Sri Ramana Center, Houston, on 7th October 2023, Michael James discusses Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham, verse 8

The following is Michael's translation of this verse:

இதயமாங் குகையி னாப்ப ணேகமாம் பிரம்ம மாத்ர
மதுவக மகமா நேரே யவிர்ந்திடு மான்மா வாக
விதயமே சார்வாய் தன்னை யெண்ணியா ழலது வாயு
வதனுட னாழ்ம னத்தா லான்மாவி னிட்ட னாவாய்.
 
idayamāṅ guhaiyi ṉāppa ṇēkamām biramma mātra
maduvaha mahamā nērē yavirndiḍu māṉmā vāha
vidayamē sārvāy taṉṉai yeṇṇiyā ṙaladu vāyu
vadaṉuḍa ṉāṙma ṉattā lāṉmāvi ṉiṭṭa ṉāvāy.
 
பதச்சேதம்: இதயம் ஆம் குகையின் நாப்பண் ஏகம் ஆம் பிரம்மம் மாத்ரம் அது ‘அகம் அகம்’ ஆ நேரே அவிர்ந்திடும் ஆன்மாவாக. இதயமே சார்வாய், தன்னை எண்ணி ஆழ் அலது வாயு அதன் உடன் ஆழ் மனத்தால்; ஆன்மாவில் நிட்டன் ஆவாய்.
 
Padacchēdam (word-separation): idayam ām guhaiyiṉ nāppaṇ ēkam ām birammam mātram adu ‘aham aham’ ā nērē avirndiḍum āṉmā-v-āha. idayamē sārvāy, taṉṉai eṇṇi āṙ aladu vāyu adaṉ uḍaṉ āṙ maṉattāl; āṉmāvil niṭṭaṉ āvāy.
 
அன்வயம்: இதயம் ஆம் குகையின் நாப்பண் ஏகம் ஆம் பிரம்மம் மாத்ரம் அது ‘அகம் அகம்’ ஆ ஆன்மாவாக நேரே அவிர்ந்திடும். தன்னை எண்ணி ஆழ் அலது வாயு அதன் உடன் ஆழ் மனத்தால் இதயமே சார்வாய்; ஆன்மாவில் நிட்டன் ஆவாய்.
 
Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): idayam ām guhaiyiṉ nāppaṇ ēkam ām birammam mātram adu ‘aham aham’ ā āṉmā-v-āha nērē avirndiḍum. taṉṉai eṇṇi āṙ aladu vāyu adaṉ uḍaṉ āṙ maṉattāl idayamē sārvāy; āṉmāvil niṭṭaṉ āvāy.
 
English translation: In the centre of the cave that is the heart brahman, which is the one, alone shines directly as oneself as ‘I am I’. May you reach the heart by the mind that sinks investigating itself or that sinks with the breath; may you be one fixed in yourself.
 
 Explanatory paraphrase: In the centre of the cave that is the heart brahman, which is the one [the only one that actually exists, and hence the one without a second], alone shines directly as oneself as ‘I am I’ [that is, as awareness of oneself as oneself alone]. May you reach [take refuge in, unite with or merge in] the heart by the mind that sinks [or subsides] [deep within] investigating itself or that sinks with the [sinking] breath; [and] may you [thereby] be one fixed in yourself.

And the Sanskrit original is:

हृदय कुहर मध्ये केवलं ब्रह्म मात्रं
ह्यहमह मिति साक्षा दात्मरू पेण भाति।
हृदि विश मनसास्वं चिन्वता मज्जता वा
पवन चलन रोधा दात्मनिष्ठो भव त्वम्॥
 
hṛdaya kuhara madhyē kēvalaṁ brahma mātraṁ
hyahamaha miti sākṣā dātmarū pēṇa bhāti
hṛdi viśa manasāsvaṁ cinvatā majja tāvā
pavana calana rōdhā dātmaniṣṭhō bhava tvam.
 
पदच्छेद: हृदय कुहर मध्ये केवलम् ब्रह्म मात्रम् हि ‘अहम् अहम्’ इति साक्षात् आत्म रूपेण भाति. हृदि विश मनसा स्वम् चिन्वता मज्जता वा पवन चलन रोधात्, आत्म निष्ठः भव त्वम्.
 
Padacchēda (word-separation): hṛdaya kuhara madhyē kēvalam brahma mātram hi ‘aham aham’ iti sākṣāt ātma rūpēṇa bhāti. hṛdi viśa manasā svam cinvatā majjatā vā pavana calana rōdhāt, ātma niṣṭhaḥ bhava tvam.
 
English translation: In the centre of the heart-cave solitarily brahman alone shines clearly in the form of oneself as ‘I am I’. Entering the heart by the mind sinking investigating itself or by restraining the movement of the breath, may you be fixed in yourself.
 
Explanatory paraphrase: In the centre of the heart-cave solitarily brahman alone shines clearly [directly or immediately] in the form of oneself as ‘I am I’ [that is, as awareness of oneself as oneself alone]. Entering the heart by the mind sinking [deep within] investigating itself or by restraining the movement of the breath, may you be fixed in yourself.

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here. 

Self-enquiry is just keeping our mind fixed firmly on ourself

In a Zoom meeting with the San Diego Ramana Satsang (ramana-satsang-sd@googlegroups.com) on 1st October 2023, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings.

Devotee #1: When doing self-enquiry, when asking in whom is this thought occurring, the answer is, in me. And when asking, who am I, you understand this is not a question to be answered but to be explored or investigated. But if I were to answer, would it be correct to say that I am the observer of the illusory mind/body Susan? To explain, I, Susan am walking down the street, I follow Ramana’s teachings and so I say to myself, I, the I, as in I am is observing Susan walking down the street, and I am now observing Susan stopping to by a cup of coffee.

Devotee #2: No matter how much I try, I am unable to pursue the path of athma vichara with dedication. Firstly, it is very hard to practice self inquiry. Secondly, on those very few occasions when I actually sit and try and focus, I don’t know what to expect when I close my eyes and observe my thoughts because I am not sure how “self” even feels. Is the thoughtless state the actual self, because I am unable to go beyond that? How do I not fall into the trap of frustration and keep persevering?

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

What is manōnāśa (annihilation of mind)?

In a Zoom meeting with the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 30th September 2023, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings.

This episode can also be watched as a video here and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.