Silence the Mind So the Eternal “I” can shine through”
The following teaching was taught by Ramona Maharshi, a much loved saint in India. I’ve included a short biography of who he was as well as some excerpts of his teachings from various sources so you can better understand where this technique originated.
Who is Ramona Maharshi (December 30, 1879 – April 14, 1950),
After having attained liberation at the age of 16, Ramona Maharshi left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for the rest of his life. Arunachala is located in Tamil Nadu, South India. Although born a Brahmin, after having attained moksha he declared himself an "Atiasrami", a Sastraic state of unattachment to anything in life and beyond all caste restrictions.
Sri Ramana maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence and quieted the minds of those attuned to it. He gave verbal teachings only for the benefit of those who could not understand his silence. His verbal teachings were said to flow from his direct experience of Consciousness as the only existing reality. When asked for advice, he recommended self-enquiry as the fastest path to moksha. Though his primary teaching is associated with Non-dualism, Advaita Vedanta, and Jnana yoga, he highly recommended Bhakti, and gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices.
What Did Ramona Mararshi Teach?
Ramana was a silent Teacher, if there was one. It would be more appropriate to call him The Silent One, for teaching denotes duality, the teacher and taught, while Ramana was, as a devotee wrote, “the Pure Non-dual Essence.” His most direct and profound teaching was transmitted in silence.
However, how many were there that could immediately hear or experience the unspoken, the unwritten word? Devotees and visitors asked questions and out of his boundless compassion Bhagavan answered them in his own inimitable way, as the following excerpts will show. I’ve include these to give you some insight into his teachings.
Happiness
All beings desire happiness always, happiness without a tinge of sorrow. At the same time everybody loves himself best. The cause for this love is only happiness. So, that happiness must lay in one self. Further, that happiness is daily experienced by everyone in sleep, when there is no mind. To attain that natural happiness one must know oneself. For that, Self-Enquiry 'Who am I?' is the chief means.
Consciousness
Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real; the pictures are mere shadows on it.
Mind
Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind. When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart, names and forms disappear. If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self.
Surrender
There are two ways of achieving surrender. One is looking into the source of the 'I' and merging into that source. The other is feeling 'I am helpless myself, God alone is all powerful, and except by throwing myself completely on Him, there is no other means of safety for me', and thus gradually developing the conviction that God alone exists and the ego does not count. Both methods lead to the same goal. Complete surrender is another name for jnana or liberation.
One of the most beautiful teachings and practices Ramona Maharshi taught (if you haven’t already guess from the excerpts above) was the “Who Am I? Enquiry “
All thoughts the source is the 'I' thought. The mind will merge only by Self-enquiry 'Who am I?' The thought 'Who am l?' will destroy all other thoughts and finally kill itself also. If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, one must enquire to whom did this thought arise. What does it matter how many thoughts arise? As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask to whom is this thought occurring. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from). The thought which arose will also submerge. As you practice like this more and more, the power of the mind to remain as its source is increased.
Practicing the “Who Am I” Enquiry as related by Ram Dass
Ram Dass related Ramona Maharshi verbal teaching of simple method for “Vyavahaara Atma” (Va~Char~Ah At~Ma) or “Self Inquiry” in one of his lectures years ago. I’ve adapted the following from my notes on this lecture…
This method is simply explained, but in practice takes much longer. We will go through the process step by step, but you will need to bring this into your practice. It may be advisable to write down each step in point form so you can go through them until they become habit.
Habit also is one of the great Gurus or teachers that trains both sides of our being, the conscious and conscious – habits that help to evolve us, as well as the unconscious tendencies that keep us from realization. The Bhagavad Gita beautifully conveys this in it’s story of how Drona (habit) teach both armies in the war between the higher and low self in the battle for realization.
“The divinely guided introspection of Arjuna, the devotee, continues: “O Learned One (Drona – Habit – common preceptor of both good and evil tendencies), having reviewed the commanding generals of the soldiers of wisdom, I, Duryodhana, King Material Desire, relate now for your information the names of the most distinguished and powerful defenders of my sense army, poised to annihilate the wisdom force. – Bhagavad Gita 1:7
In addition, before we start this practice, it is also important to consider an “assumption” that is very common in the western mind, and is continuously pointed out by many eastern teachers, gurus, saints – as well as in many other traditions: taught that thought were universal and not owned by a person or individual (that is to say the egoic self). “Thoughts are Things” or “Thought Forms”, which can be a difficult concept for the many of us conditioned by our western way of thinking.
Many of us who have sat as an observer of “our mind” have seen how a thought vibration, once we accept it (often unconsciously) often attracts other in a chain of similar thoughts! Those which we become especially identified or attached to become part of our own “mental body”.
Even modern psychology has observed that for most of us think (unconsciously) much of the same thoughts over and over again! In fact 98% are complete the same as they were the day before!
The entire point of the Who Am I Enquiry or Vvavaha Atma is to awaken and achieve freedom from being imprisoned in the mind.
Starting the Practice
First we take a comfortable position, and prepare ourselves for spiritual practice in whatever way we are accustom we may take a deep conscious breath, hold it, and then let it go.
Place your consciousness in the very centre of the head, of you are familiar with the Kriya Practice for drawing all energy up through the spine into the Medulla (back of the head brain stem and brain connection and opposite pole of Anja (Third Eye Chakra) bring your consciousness here. If you’re not familiar, simply bring your concentration to the centre of your head.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not this body
Experience: Body as “object” as if you are observing it from the eye in the middle of your head
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the 5 organs of motion,(in Yoga the organs of motion are arms, legs, tongue, anal sphincter, the Genitals)
Experience: the observation of Your Arms as objects (as above), Legs as objects (as above), The Tongue, Anal Sphincter (Ashwini Mudra), and Genitals… from the perspective of the eye in the centre of the head.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the 5 Senses, Sight, Hearing, taste, touch, smell
Experience: You become the observer of these senses… this is sort of like consciously observing that you eyes are seeing, your ears are hearing, your tongue is tasting (imagine taste, then observe that it is not you) , for touch notice the sensation of the ground or chair you are sitting on, and know that you are not the tactile experience, for smell, simply observe any smells … all from the perspective of the “eye in your head”. Note that they are function.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the five internal organs, heart beating, respiration, digestion, expression, perspiration.
Experience: Experience the function of as many process of the body as observed from the eye in the head.
By this time, you should be complete down to observing your entire self as “object” there is you; the observing consciousness, and object; everything else.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am NOT THIS THOUGHT
Experience: You become the observer of the thought, or I am not this “I”. The experience here is that any other thought is not possible, if other thought occurs you don’t identify with it, as then you will become associated with the thinking mind again. . If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, enquire “to whom did this thought arise”. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from).
When we start to realize that we are one consciousness, or as modern teachers such as Eckhart Tolle express it “Presence” or “Being” and are able to complete surrender to it, the mind becomes quite and the true eternal self begins to shine through! May this practice move you quickly to this realization.
- Chandler Stephon Armstrong
Who is Ramona Maharshi (December 30, 1879 – April 14, 1950),
After having attained liberation at the age of 16, Ramona Maharshi left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for the rest of his life. Arunachala is located in Tamil Nadu, South India. Although born a Brahmin, after having attained moksha he declared himself an "Atiasrami", a Sastraic state of unattachment to anything in life and beyond all caste restrictions.
Sri Ramana maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence and quieted the minds of those attuned to it. He gave verbal teachings only for the benefit of those who could not understand his silence. His verbal teachings were said to flow from his direct experience of Consciousness as the only existing reality. When asked for advice, he recommended self-enquiry as the fastest path to moksha. Though his primary teaching is associated with Non-dualism, Advaita Vedanta, and Jnana yoga, he highly recommended Bhakti, and gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices.
What Did Ramona Mararshi Teach?
Ramana was a silent Teacher, if there was one. It would be more appropriate to call him The Silent One, for teaching denotes duality, the teacher and taught, while Ramana was, as a devotee wrote, “the Pure Non-dual Essence.” His most direct and profound teaching was transmitted in silence.
However, how many were there that could immediately hear or experience the unspoken, the unwritten word? Devotees and visitors asked questions and out of his boundless compassion Bhagavan answered them in his own inimitable way, as the following excerpts will show. I’ve include these to give you some insight into his teachings.
Happiness
All beings desire happiness always, happiness without a tinge of sorrow. At the same time everybody loves himself best. The cause for this love is only happiness. So, that happiness must lay in one self. Further, that happiness is daily experienced by everyone in sleep, when there is no mind. To attain that natural happiness one must know oneself. For that, Self-Enquiry 'Who am I?' is the chief means.
Consciousness
Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real; the pictures are mere shadows on it.
Mind
Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind. When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart, names and forms disappear. If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self.
Surrender
There are two ways of achieving surrender. One is looking into the source of the 'I' and merging into that source. The other is feeling 'I am helpless myself, God alone is all powerful, and except by throwing myself completely on Him, there is no other means of safety for me', and thus gradually developing the conviction that God alone exists and the ego does not count. Both methods lead to the same goal. Complete surrender is another name for jnana or liberation.
One of the most beautiful teachings and practices Ramona Maharshi taught (if you haven’t already guess from the excerpts above) was the “Who Am I? Enquiry “
All thoughts the source is the 'I' thought. The mind will merge only by Self-enquiry 'Who am I?' The thought 'Who am l?' will destroy all other thoughts and finally kill itself also. If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, one must enquire to whom did this thought arise. What does it matter how many thoughts arise? As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask to whom is this thought occurring. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from). The thought which arose will also submerge. As you practice like this more and more, the power of the mind to remain as its source is increased.
Practicing the “Who Am I” Enquiry as related by Ram Dass
Ram Dass related Ramona Maharshi verbal teaching of simple method for “Vyavahaara Atma” (Va~Char~Ah At~Ma) or “Self Inquiry” in one of his lectures years ago. I’ve adapted the following from my notes on this lecture…
This method is simply explained, but in practice takes much longer. We will go through the process step by step, but you will need to bring this into your practice. It may be advisable to write down each step in point form so you can go through them until they become habit.
Habit also is one of the great Gurus or teachers that trains both sides of our being, the conscious and conscious – habits that help to evolve us, as well as the unconscious tendencies that keep us from realization. The Bhagavad Gita beautifully conveys this in it’s story of how Drona (habit) teach both armies in the war between the higher and low self in the battle for realization.
“The divinely guided introspection of Arjuna, the devotee, continues: “O Learned One (Drona – Habit – common preceptor of both good and evil tendencies), having reviewed the commanding generals of the soldiers of wisdom, I, Duryodhana, King Material Desire, relate now for your information the names of the most distinguished and powerful defenders of my sense army, poised to annihilate the wisdom force. – Bhagavad Gita 1:7
In addition, before we start this practice, it is also important to consider an “assumption” that is very common in the western mind, and is continuously pointed out by many eastern teachers, gurus, saints – as well as in many other traditions: taught that thought were universal and not owned by a person or individual (that is to say the egoic self). “Thoughts are Things” or “Thought Forms”, which can be a difficult concept for the many of us conditioned by our western way of thinking.
Many of us who have sat as an observer of “our mind” have seen how a thought vibration, once we accept it (often unconsciously) often attracts other in a chain of similar thoughts! Those which we become especially identified or attached to become part of our own “mental body”.
Even modern psychology has observed that for most of us think (unconsciously) much of the same thoughts over and over again! In fact 98% are complete the same as they were the day before!
The entire point of the Who Am I Enquiry or Vvavaha Atma is to awaken and achieve freedom from being imprisoned in the mind.
Starting the Practice
First we take a comfortable position, and prepare ourselves for spiritual practice in whatever way we are accustom we may take a deep conscious breath, hold it, and then let it go.
Place your consciousness in the very centre of the head, of you are familiar with the Kriya Practice for drawing all energy up through the spine into the Medulla (back of the head brain stem and brain connection and opposite pole of Anja (Third Eye Chakra) bring your consciousness here. If you’re not familiar, simply bring your concentration to the centre of your head.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not this body
Experience: Body as “object” as if you are observing it from the eye in the middle of your head
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the 5 organs of motion,(in Yoga the organs of motion are arms, legs, tongue, anal sphincter, the Genitals)
Experience: the observation of Your Arms as objects (as above), Legs as objects (as above), The Tongue, Anal Sphincter (Ashwini Mudra), and Genitals… from the perspective of the eye in the centre of the head.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the 5 Senses, Sight, Hearing, taste, touch, smell
Experience: You become the observer of these senses… this is sort of like consciously observing that you eyes are seeing, your ears are hearing, your tongue is tasting (imagine taste, then observe that it is not you) , for touch notice the sensation of the ground or chair you are sitting on, and know that you are not the tactile experience, for smell, simply observe any smells … all from the perspective of the “eye in your head”. Note that they are function.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am not the five internal organs, heart beating, respiration, digestion, expression, perspiration.
Experience: Experience the function of as many process of the body as observed from the eye in the head.
By this time, you should be complete down to observing your entire self as “object” there is you; the observing consciousness, and object; everything else.
Ask: (audibly or in your head) Who am I?
Answer: I am NOT THIS THOUGHT
Experience: You become the observer of the thought, or I am not this “I”. The experience here is that any other thought is not possible, if other thought occurs you don’t identify with it, as then you will become associated with the thinking mind again. . If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, enquire “to whom did this thought arise”. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from).
When we start to realize that we are one consciousness, or as modern teachers such as Eckhart Tolle express it “Presence” or “Being” and are able to complete surrender to it, the mind becomes quite and the true eternal self begins to shine through! May this practice move you quickly to this realization.
- Chandler Stephon Armstrong
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Katie Davis on
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Hello Chandler ~
Thank you so much for this beautiful presentation of Beloved Ramana, the Silent One!
I would just like to add that this question, "who am I?", is considered the direct and immediate approach. When I first started sharing 11 years ago, I offered six week seminars in satsang on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and specifically Self-inquiry. While the awakening did not occur in this manner, there is understanding why it is direct and why it is successful. I was astounded and continue to be amazed at how this one simple question can reveal the radical essence of who we already are at the very core of being.
I had never read Beloved Ram Dass presentation (he lives here on Maui). It is beautiful and effective, since we first must realize all that we are NOT before the revelation and realization of the Pure I alone.
In the end however, the Totality of Pure I is also realized and there is full embodiment or we could say full integration. In this, we realize that while I am Pure I alone and the appearance of the universe is my body! :-)
Pure I (formless perfection) Being the Universe ... which of course includes ALL no matter how subtle or gross.
So while we surrender every thing that is "not Self" for enlightenment, Self-realization integrates virtually everything as the Divine. This is the utter transformation for the planet in peril and perfect peace for humanity. You are the virtual key for the transformation of the world! Nothing trivial about that one! :-)
Pure I is true Self ... the universe is my power.
Now ... Power of Now! :-)
Thank you, Beloved!
All Love ~ Katie
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Events
January 2010
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The Edmonton Body Soul & Spirit Expo
April 9, 2010 to April 11, 2010 – The Shaw Conference Centre
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The Calgary Body Soul & Spirit Expo
April 16, 2010 to April 18, 2010 – Stampede Park, Big Four Building
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"2012." "The Crossing Times with Lynn Andrews (Calgary Expo)
April 18, 2010 from 4pm to 7pm – The Body Soul & Spirit Expo, Stampede Park, Big Four Building
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The Grande Prairie Body Soul & Spirit Expo
April 23, 2010 to April 25, 2010 – Evergreen Park, TEC Centre (EXCITING NEW LOCATION)
© 2010 Created by Chandler Stephon Armstrong
