Ramana Maharshi Self Inquiry Meditation Method

I welcome all of you, who love the god most  and who hate the god most !

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

Question : You say one can realize the Self by a search for it. What is the character of this search?
Ramana Maharshi : You are the mind or think that you are the mind. The mind is nothing but thoughts. Now behind every particular thought there is a general thought, which is the `I', that is yourself. Let us call this `I' the first thought. Stick to this `I'-thought and Question it to find out what it is. When this Question takes strong hold on you, you cannot think of other thoughts.

Question : When I do this and cling to my self, that is, the `I'-thought, other thoughts come and go, but I say to myself `Who am I ?' and there is no answer forthcoming. To be in this condition is the practice. Is it so?
Ramana Maharshi : This is a mistake that people often make. What happens when you make a serious quest for the Self is that the `I'-thought disappears and something else from the depths takes hold of you and that is not the `I' which commenced the quest.

Question : What is this something else?
Ramana Maharshi : That is the real Self, the import of `I'. It is not the ego. It is the Supreme Being itself.

Question : But you have often said that one must reject other thoughts when one begins the quest but the thoughts are endless. If one thought is rejected, another comes and there seems to be no end at all.
Ramana Maharshi : I do not say that you must go on rejecting thoughts. Cling to yourself, that is, to the `I'-thought. When your interest keeps you to that single idea, other thoughts will automatically get rejected and they will vanish.

Question : And so rejection of thoughts is not necessary?
Ramana Maharshi : No. It may be necessary for a time or for some. You fancy that there is no end if one goes on rejecting every thought when it rises. It is not true, there is an end. If you are vigilant and make a stern effort to reject every thought when it rises you will soon find that you are going deeper and deeper into your own inner self. At that level it is not necessary to make an effort to reject thoughts.

Question : Then it is possible to be without effort, without strain.
Ramana Maharshi : Not only that, it is impossible for you to make an effort beyond a certain extent.

Question : I want to be further enlightened. Should I try to make no effort at all?
Ramana Maharshi : Here it is impossible for you to be without effort. When you go deeper, it is impossible for you to make any effort. If the mind becomes introverted through enquiry into the source of aham-vritti, the vasanas become extinct. The light of the Self falls on the vasanas and produces the phenomenon of reflection we call the mind. Thus, when the vasanas become extinct the mind also disappears, being absorbed into the light of the one reality, the Heart. This is the sum and substance of all that an aspirant needs to know. What is imperatively required of him is an earnest and onepointed enquiry into the source of the aham-vritti.

Question : How should a beginner start this practice?
Ramana Maharshi : The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry `Who am I?' The thought 'Who am I?', destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre. If other thoughts rise one should, without attempting to complete them, enquire `To whom did they rise?' What does it matter however many thoughts rise? At the very moment that each thought rises, if one vigilantly enquires `To whom did this rise?', it will be known `To me'. If one then enquires `Who am I?', the mind will turn back to its source [the Self] and the thought which had risen will also subside. By repeatedly practising thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source increases.

Although tendencies towards sense-objects [vishaya vasanas], which have been recurring down the ages, rise in countless numbers like the waves of the ocean, they will all perish as meditation on one's nature becomes more and more intense. Without giving room even to the doubting thought, `Is it possible to destroy all these tendencies [vasanas] and to remain as Self alone?', one should persistently cling fast to self-attention.

As long as there are tendencies towards sense-objects in the mind, the enquiry `Who am I ?' is necessary. As and when thoughts rise, one should annihilate all of them through enquiry then and there in their very place of origin. Not attending to what-is-other [anya] is non-attachment [vairagya] or desirelessness [nirasa]. Not leaving Self is knowledge [jnana]. In truth, these two [desirelessness and knowledge] are one and the same. Just as a pearl-diver, tying a stone to his waist, dives into the sea and takes the pearl lying at the bottom, so everyone, diving deep within himself with non-attachment, can attain the pearl of Self. If one resorts uninterruptedly to remembrance of one's real nature [swarupasmarana] until one attains Self, that alone will be sufficient.

Enquiring `Who am I that is in bondage?' and knowing one's real nature [swarupa] alone is liberation. Always keeping the mind fixed in Self alone is called 'self-enquiry', whereas meditation [dhyana] is thinking oneself to be the absolute [Brahman], which is existence-consciousness-bliss [sat-chit-ananda].

Question : The yogis say that one must renounce this world and go off into secluded jungles if one wishes to find the truth.
Ramana Maharshi : The life of action need not be renounced. If you meditate for an hour or two every day you can then carry on with your duties. If you meditate in the right manner then the current of mind induced will continue to flow even in the midst of your work. It is as though there were two ways of expressing the same idea; the same line which you take in meditation will be expressed in your activities.

Question : What will be the result of doing that?
Ramana Maharshi : As you go on you will find that your attitude towards people, events and objects gradually changes. Your actions will tend to follow your meditations of their own accord.

Question : Then you do not agree with the yogis?
Ramana Maharshi : A man should surrender the personal selfishness which binds him to this world. Giving up the false self is the true renunciation.

Question : How is it possible to become selfless while leading a life of worldly activity?
Ramana Maharshi : There is no conflict between work and wisdom.

Question : Do you mean that one can continue all the old activities in one's profession, for instance, and at the same time get enlightenment ?
Ramana Maharshi : Why not ? But in that case one will not think that it is the old personality which is doing the work, because one's consciousness will gradually become transferred until it is centered in that which is beyond the little self.

Question : If a person is engaged in work, there will be little time left for him to meditate.
Ramana Maharshi : Setting apart time for meditation is only for the merest spiritual novices. A man who is advancing will begin to enjoy the deeper beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude.

Question : Then you do not teach the way of yoga?
Ramana Maharshi : The yogi tries to drive his mind to the goal, as a cowherd drives a bull with a stick, but on this path the seeker coaxes the bull by holding out a handful of grass.

Question : How is that done?
Ramana Maharshi : You have to ask yourself the Question `Who am I ?' This investigation will lead in the end to the discovery of something within you which is behind the mind. Solve that great problem and you will solve all other problems.

Question : Why is concentration ineffective?
Ramana Maharshi : To ask the mind to kill the mind is like making the thief the policeman. He will go with you and pretend to catch the thief, but nothing will be gained. So you must turn inward and see from where the mind rises and then it will cease to exist.

Question : In turning the mind inwards, are we not still employing the mind?
Ramana Maharshi : Of course we are employing the mind. It is well known and admitted that only with the help of the mind can the mind be killed. But instead of setting about saying there is a mind, and I want to kill it, you begin to seek the source of the mind, and you find the mind does not exist at all. The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self.

Question : How can I tell if I am making progress with my enquiry?
Ramana Maharshi : The degree of the absence of thoughts is the measure of your progress towards Self-realization. But Self-realization itself does not admit of progress, it is ever the same. The Self remains always in realization. The obstacles are thoughts. Progress is measured by the degree of removal of the obstacles to understanding that the Self is always realized. So thoughts must be checked by seeking to whom they arise. So you go to their source, where they do not arise.

Question : Doubts are always arising. Hence my Question.
Ramana Maharshi : A doubt arises and is cleared. Another arises and that is cleared, making way for yet another; and so it goes on. So there is no possibility of clearing away all doubts. See to whom the doubts arise. Go to their source and abide in it. Then they cease to arise. That is how doubts are to be cleared.

God always with us, in us and bless us!
Aravindam

What is Yoga?

  

          

Yoga means 'Oneness' and constitutes the essence of every possible religion, the gist of every creed and the core of every spiritual path.

           The word yoga has its roots in the Sanskrit language and means to merge, join or unite. Yoga is a form of exercise based on the belief that the body and breath are intimately connected with the mind. By controlling the breath and holding the body in steady poses, or asanas, yoga creates harmony. Yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions and is a tool that allows us to withdraw from the chaos of the world and find a quiet space within. To achieve this, yoga uses movement, breath, posture, relaxation and meditation in order to establish a healthy, vibrant and balanced approach to living.

Eight Stages of Yoga:

  
The following are the eight stages in Yoga, known as 'Ashtanga Yoga'. One needs to practice and master each of these eight stages in order to reunite with the divine energy in the universe.

Yama: These are eternal, universal moral commandments. Perpetual Yama curbs the tendency toward violence and possessiveness. It inspires truthfulness, purity, conscience, trustworthiness, goodness and honesty.

Niyama: This is the restraint of the mind by means of its own rules and regulations. It is self-purification through discipline, self-contentment, self-study and above all, the surrender of the self to God. It is also the study of scripts and holy texts.

Asanas: These are body postures, which develop inner awareness and aid in calming the mind.

Pranayama: This is the rhythmic control, prolongation and restraint of the breath. Its aim is to discover a subtle psychic force or a subtle cosmic element.

Pratyahara : This entails control of the senses of the human body. It is important to give up all emotions, sentiments and pleasures. The mind must be completely withdrawn from external attractions and objects.

Dharana: This is the Sanskrit word for "to hold". It is an intense, deep concentration which enhances the selected mental state.

Dhyana: This is meditation, contemplation and poised awareness.

Samadhi: Profound Meditation leads to a state of superconsciousness. This state is called Samadhi. It is the union of the individual aspirant (Sadhaka) with the object of his meditation Paramatma or the Supreme Universal Spirit - the all pervasive truth.

God always with us, in us and bless us!

Aravindam

10 Detox foods

Welcome all of you, who love the God most and who hate the God most

            Present days many people have anxiety, depression, stress due to so many reasons. if they starts to do regular exercise, yoga and meditation.  They'll free from depression and stress. In addition foods also most important to keep the healthy body and mind. so, here check out 10 best foods to cleanse your body and boost your health.

Lemon:

                                      
             Lemons are a staple of many detox diets, and there is good reason for this. Firstly, lemons are packed with antioxidant vitamin C, which is great for the skin and for fighting disease-forming free-radicals. Furthermore, the citrus fruit has an alkaline effect on the body, meaning that it can help to restore the body's pH balance, befitting the immune system. Try staring your day with hot water and a slice of lemon to help flush out toxins and cleanse your system.

Ginger:

 

             

             If too much fatty food or alcohol has caused problems foe your digestive system, it may be worthwhile adding some ginger to your diet. Ginger is not only great for reducing feelings of nausea, but it can help improve digestion, beat bloating and reduce gas. In addition to this, ginger is high in antioxidants and is good for boosting the immune system. To give your digestion a helping hand, try sipping on ginger tea or adding some freshly grated ginger to fruit or vegetable juice.

Garlic:

              Garlic has long been known for its heart benefits, however the pungent food is also good at detoxifying the body. Garlic is not only antiviral, antibacterial and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins. Garlic is best eaten raw, so add some crushed garlic to a salad dressing to boost its flavour and your health at the same time.

Artichoke:

 

            If you have recently been overindulging in fatty foods and alcohol, adding some steamed globe artichoke leaves to yours meals is a great way to help get your body back on track. Globe artichokes are packed with antioxidants and fibre and can also help the body digest fatty foods. On top if this, globe artichoke is renowned for its ability to stimulate and improve the functions of the liver - the body;s main toxin-fighting tool.

Beetroot:

            For those needing a quick health-boosting shot of nutrients, you can't do much better than beetroot. Packed with magnesium, iron, and vitamin C, the vegetables has recently been hailed as a super food due to its many reported health benefits. Not only is beetroot great for skin, hair and cholesterol levels, but it can also help support liver detoxification, making it an ultimate detox food. To enjoy its benefits, try adding raw beetroot to salads or sipping on some beetroot juice.

Green Tea:

            While it's not technically a food, no detox plan would be complete without regular consumption essential liquids. Fluids are essential for keeping our organs healthy and helping to flush toxins from the body, and drinking green tea is a great way of boosting your intake. Green tea is not only a good weight-loss drink, but it is extremely high in antioxidants. Research has also suggested that drinking green tea can protect the liver from diseases including fatty liver disease. 

Cabbage: 

                          

            Cabbage soup diet to help lose wight and get in shape of the body quickly. However cabbage is not only good for weight loss- it is also an excellent detoxifing food. Cabbage contain a chemical called sulforaphane, wnhich helps the body fight against toxins. Cabbage also supplies the body with glutathione; an antioxidant that helps improve the detoxifying function of the liver.

Fresh fruit:

             Fresh fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre and are also low in calories, making them an important part of a detox diet. If you're after brighter eyes and skin, shinier hair and improved digestion, try boosting your intake of fruit and eating from a wide variety of different kinds. The good news is fruit is easy to add to your diet, so try starting your day with a fresh fruit salad or smoothie and snacking on pieces of fruit throughout the day.


Brown rice:

 
            If you want to cleanse your system and boost your health, it is a good idea to cut down on processed foods. Instead, try supplementing your diet with healthier whole grains such as brown rice, which is rich in many key detoxifying nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous. Brown rice is also high in fibre, which is good for cleansing the colon, and rich in selenium, which can help to protect the liver as well as improving the complexion.

Watercress: 

 
            Like most green herbs and vegetables, watercress is an excellent health-booster and detox food. Firstly, watercress leaves are packed with many vital detoxifying nutrients, including several B vitamins, zinc, potassium, vitamin E and vitamin C. Secondly, watercress has natural diuretic properties, which can help to flush toxins out the body. To reap the benefits of this nutritious food, try adding a handful of watercress to salads, soups and sandwiches.

i hope you all like it!

God always with us, in us and bless us!

aravindam

Why do we need spirituality?

I welcome all of you, who love the god most and who hate the god most

             
 The basic fact is that human beings want to be happy and do not want any pain or suffering. We all have different needs and desires, which if unfulfilled, can lead to a stressful situation. As we try to achieve these goals, many a times we find ourselves frustrated and helpless. This hampers the accomplishment of happiness and creates anxiety and constant nervous tension. It is then, that the people invoke a higher intelligence or a higher force like spirituality to help them cope with their inabilities and accept reality.

 Spirituality is working Smart not working Hard:  

                 Spirituality is all about working smart, not working hard. With a spiritual approach one can attain everything that one ever wanted with minimum efforts.  This is how universal intelligence works. Instead of toiling and struggling, one needs to flow effortlessly. It's like walking with the wind assisting you from behind. All one has to do, is to align oneself with spiritual laws and laws of nature and let these forces glide you to happiness.

Expanding your unlimited potential :  

                 Spirituality helps to create new ideas, new visions, creativity, and intuitive abilities to reach our aspirations.  It helps to build a magnetic aura around you that attracts the people towards you. It creates an energy that gives a sense of security, power and fearlessness.

Better emotional intelligence : 

                 Handling emotions is perhaps the most difficult of all human abilities. We spend almost 75 per cent of our time trying to sort out the varied and complex emotions, while the other 25 per cent is spent in emotional reactions to the situation and the people around us. Negative emotions, literally drain our energy and affect the quality of our lives.
Since it is difficult to manage these reactions with a logical mind, one needs to resort to a process that helps us to rise above all that is depressing. This is where the spiritual approach helps us as it has the power to alter the negativity of the mind to a positive pattern.
I have personally used this approach to spread the laughter mission worldwide.  Without many resources and any great assets, I managed to set up more than 5000 laughter clubs in 55 countries. It was spirituality that helped me cope with any obstacles that came my way. It is indeed a powerful tool that helps in realization and fulfillment of one's dreams and aspirations.
In the forthcoming articles on spirituality and inner spirit of laughter, I will share with you some amazing stories of mysterious coincidences that occurred in my life.  Stay tuned.

Thanks to  Dr.K


God always in us, with us and bless us!
aravindam

20 Important Spiritual Instructions

I welcome all of you, who love the god most ,who hate the god most.

                    Here is a systematized presentation of the well-known "20 Important Spiritual Instructions" of Swami Sivananda, and it enlarges upon the prerequisites required for the all-round discipline that should act as the forerunner to direct meditation, arranged in their sequential order. 

1. Get up at 4. a.m. daily. This is Brahmamuhurta, which is extremely favorable for meditation on God.

2. Asana: Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa and meditation for half an hour, facing the east or the north. Increase the period gradually to three hours. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana for keeping up Brahmacharya and health. Take light physical exercises as walking, etc., regularly. Do twenty Pranayamas.

3. Japa: Repeat any Mantra as pure Om or Om Name Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya, Om Name Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, according to your taste or inclination, from 108 to 21,600 times daily.

4. Dietetic Discipline: Take Sattvic food, Suddha Ahara. Give up chillies, tamarind, garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mustard, asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not overload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eat simple food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life going. Eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a month. You must be able to live on rice, Dhal and bread without any chutni. Do not ask for extra salt for Dhal and sugar for tea, coffee or milk.

5. Have a separate meditation room under lock and key.

6. Charity: Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily according to your means, say six paisa per rupee.

7. Svadhyaya: Study systematically the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata, Vishnu-Sahasranama, Lalita-Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads or Yoga Vasishtha, the Bible, Zend Avesta, the Koran, the Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to one hour daily and have Suddha Vichara.

8. Brahmacharya: Preserve the vital force (Veerya) very, very carefully. Veerya is God in motion or manifestation—Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya is all money. Veerya is the essence of life, thought and intelligence.

9. Prayer Slokas: Get by heart some prayer-Slokas, Stotras and repeat them as soon as you sit in the Asana before starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind quickly.

10. Satsanga: Have Satsanga. Give up bad company, smoking, meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop any evil habits.

11. Fast on Ekadasi: Fast on Ekadasi or live on milk and fruits only.

12. Japa Mala: Have Japa Mala (rosary) round your neck or in your pocket or underneath your pillow at night.

13. Mouna: Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a couple of hours daily.

14. Speak the Truth: Speak the truth at all cost. Speak a little. Speak sweetly.

15. Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy, contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have plain living and high thinking.

16. Never hurt anybody: Never hurt anybody (Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah). Control anger by love, Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion).

17. Do not depend upon servants: Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.

18. Self-analysis: Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day, just before retiring to bed (self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction register. Do not brood over past mistakes.

19. Fulfil duties: Remember that death is awaiting you at every moment. Never fail to fulfil your duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara).

20. Surrender to God: Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go to sleep. Surrender yourself completely to God (Saranagati).

Swami Chidananda writes, “Swami Sivananda gave us one aspect of His teachings in the form of the 20 Important Spiritual Instructions. These instructions comprise a harmonizing of the outer and the inner, the emphasizing of the inner and practicing of the teachings of the ancient sages and seers of the Upanishads, practicing of the teachings of all the saints who through the centuries have graced and blessed Bharatavarsha (India) by their ideal life and teachings. This practice, together with the normal life is Gurudev’s special teaching to the world, and summing up, the practical 20 Important Spiritual Instructions give us the key to Blessedness even while living in the world and through the world itself. 

god always with us, in us and bless us!
aravindam

Love of God, basis of spiritual life

I welcome all of you, who love the god most and who hate the god most

Once a devotee asked Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to teach him an easy and sure way to realise God when the saint replied that it was love of God and constant prayer to Him that would enable a person to realise Him. The devotee insisted that he should be given only one prescription as it will be difficult for him to follow both simultaneously. The saint then told him that love of God was the basis of spiritual life and started singing spontaneously comparing God to a mother who will come running to her child the moment it calls out to her. Then he remarked that He was always there though we did not pay heed to Him.

How does one develop love for God? It is by constant singing of the divine names and His glory that one's heart becomes purified enough to love Him. Initially the spiritual aspirant sings His glory so that love blossoms in the heart but as love and devotion to God take root, he revels in singing His praise. What was adopted as a means to an end becomes the end in itself. Though this enables a person to progress spiritually, one may wonder what relevance it has to worldly life. The benefit was peace of mind when discrimination and dispassion resulted as a consequence of love of God, said Swami Gautamananda in his discourse.

The human mind is the source of all the problems man faces. The mind by nature will not engage in spiritual pursuits. It is swayed by thoughts which arise due to desires. So spiritual practices are advocated with the object of realising peace of mind. Mental discrimination enables a person to understand the transient nature of worldly life which will prod him to seek that which will give him eternal joy. Dispassion is the corollary of discrimination of mind when the devotee eschews worldly desires after understanding their fleeting nature.

It is not as if human beings are unaware of the limitations of worldly life. Problems, suffering, old age and death are facts of life which stare us in the face everyday if we look around us. But it suits us not to face the reality with the misconception that they will not afflict us. This paradox has been pointed out in the famous Yakshaprasna section of the Mahabharata when Yudishtra was asked the question, ``What is the greatest wonder in the world?'' to which he replied that man entertained the misconception that he was immortal even though he confronted death all the time. Spiritual life is thus the preparation man engages in throughout his worldly life to realise God so that he is not caught unawares when it is time to leave the world.

God always with us, in us and bless us!
aravindam