Sri Ramakrishna (was Re: The dvaita...)

[Giri]

On Sat, 29 Jun 1996, Sankar Jayanarayanan wrote:

> I do remember a posting in the SRH (by Ken) which said how RamaNa also
> recommended surrendering to the Guru. ("Either enquire into the self, or admit
> your own inability and surrender to God or to the Guru. God or the Guru never
> forsakes the devotee who comes for refuge".)

Talks with Ramana, page 343 (3rd edition)

Maharshi : Why do you want to know of Brahman apart from yourself ? The
scripture says "You are that" The Self is intimate to you and you can not
indeed be without the Self. Realise it. That is the Realisation of
Brahman also.

Disciple : But I am unable to do it. I am too weak to realise my Self.

Maharshi : In that case surrender yourself unreservedly and the Higher
power will reveal Itself.

Disciple : What is unconditional surrender ?

Maharshi : If one surrenders oneself there will be no one to ask
questions or to be thought of. Either the thoughts are eliminated by
holding on to the root thought 'I' or one surrenders oneself
unconditionally to the Higher power. These are the only two ways for
Realisation.

**

Page 446

Disciple : What is self-surrender ?

Maharshi : It is the same as self-control; control is effected by removal
of samskaras which imply the functioning of the ego. The ego submits only
when it recognises the Higher Power. Such recognition is surrender, or
submission is self-control. Otherwise the ego remains stuck up like the
image carved on a tower, making a pretence by its strained look and
posture that is supporting the tower on its shoulders. The ego cannot
exist without the Power but thinks it acts of its own accord.

D : How can the rebellious mind be brought under control ?

M : Either seek its source so that it may disappear or surrender that it
may be struck down.

D: But the mind always slips away from our control.

M : Be it so. Do not think of it. When you recollect yourself bring it
back and turn it inward. That is enough.
        No one succeeds without effort. Mind control is not one's
birthright. The successful few owe their success to their perseverance.
        A passenger in a train keeps his load on the head by his own
folly. Let him put it down : he will find the load reaches the
destination all the same. Similarly, let us not pose as the doers, but
resign ourselves to the guiding power

**

Page 515.

Surrender to Him and abide by His will whether he appears or vanishes;
await His pleasure. If you ask Him to do as YOU please, it is not
surrender but command to Him. You can not have Him obey you and yet think
you have surrendered. He knows what is best and when to do it. Leave
everything entirely to Him. His is the burden; you have no longer any
cares. All your cares are His. Such is surrender. This is BHAKTI.

Or, enquire to whom these questions arise. Dive deep in the Heart and
remain as the Self. One of these two ways is open to the aspirant.

**end

        My thoughts are that the complete surrender is different from
surrender. For example, you do a job to the best of your ability. If you
fail to get the desired results, what is the *immediate* thought that
follows ? Calling it all the will of God after some contemplation is not
true surrender. Even the question of failure should have never arise
if the job was done with true dedication and surrender to the Will of God.
In fact, no questions should arise at all.

        Regarding teachings, most of the teachings are disciple-specific.
The teacher looks into the heart of the disciple, and teaches him what he
is most suited for. Even that occur in steps. From my experience, I was
taught yoga, asanas, meditation, pranayama, sense-control BEFORE even the
method of 'self-enquiry' was revealed. Of course, this could be just a
mode of teaching in a particular school but I feel that self-enquiry is
not for everyone initially.

        Regarding God never forsaking a disciple, my guru used to recite
the story from the thiruvilaiyadal in which Lord Shiva incarnates as a
pig to feed a few pigs.

Namaste.