[Advaita-l] nididhyaasana

[Durga Prasad Janaswamy]

Sri Gurubhyonamah,

Hari Om,

Namaste.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi teaches Vedanta only.  This is never in doubt.

A. The following is summary of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teaching in
'Who am I?'.

When the world which is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be
realization of the Self which is the seer.  There will not be realization
of the Self while the world is there (taken as real).

What is called ‘mind’ is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes
all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind.
Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In
deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of
waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is a world also.  When the
mind comes out of the Self, the world appears. Therefore, when the world
appears (to be real), the Self does not appear; and when the Self appears
(shines) the world does not appear.


The ‘I’ thought is the first to arise in the mind. As each thought arises,
one should inquire with diligence, “To whom has this thought arisen?”. The
answer that would emerge would be “To me”. Thereupon if one inquires “Who
am I?”, the mind will go back to its source; and the thought that arose
will become quiescent. Then, there will arise Self-realization.


What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world, the individual soul, and
God are appearances in it. The Self is that where there is absolutely no
“I” thought. That is called “Silence”. The Self itself is the world; the
Self itself is “I”; the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self.


All the texts say that in order to gain release one should render the mind
quiescent; therefore their conclusive teaching is that the mind should be
rendered quiescent; once this has been understood there is no need for
endless reading. In order to quieten the mind one has only to inquire
within oneself what one’s Self is; how could this search be done in books?


B. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teaching 'Who am I?' can be traced to
Mandukya karikas as under:

Mandukya kariak 3.31
मनोदृश्यमिदं द्वैतं यत्किञ्चित्सचराचरम् ।
मनसो ह्यमनीभावे द्वैतं नैवोपलभ्यते ॥ ३१ ॥
All these dual objects, comprising everything that is movable and
immovable, perceived by the mind (are mind alone). For, duality is never
experienced when the mind ceases to act.

Mandukya kariak 3.46
यदा न लीयते चित्तं न च विक्षिप्यते पुनः ।
अनिङ्गनमनाभासं निष्पन्नं ब्रह्म तत्तदा ॥ ४६ ॥
When the mind does not merge in the inactivity of oblivion, or become
distracted by desires, that is to say, when the mind becomes quiescent and
does not give rise to appearances, it verily becomes Brahman.

Mandukya kariak 3.32
आत्मसत्यानुबोधेन न सङ्कल्पयते यदा ।
अमनस्तां तदा याति ग्राह्याभावे तदग्रहम् ॥ ३२ ॥
When the mind does not imagine on account of the knowledge of the Truth
which is Atman, then it ceases to be mind and becomes free from all idea of
cognition, for want of objects to be cognised.

C. Notes:
1. I suggest all sadhakas to study 'Who am I?' (booklet containing 28
question and answers) carefully.
2. Thought / mind is needed for shravaNa,  manana, nididhyaasana. Without
Thought / mind,  shravaNa,  manana, nididhyaasana cannot be carried on.
3. 'Who am I?' inqury is an excellent tool which clearly demonstrates that
the mind is mithya.
4. 'Who am I?' inqury is to quiescent the mind to go back to its source.
Hence does not facilitate shravaNa and manana.
5. 'Who am I?' inqury may be treated as nididhyaasana.
   Nididhyaasana is a mental operation helping to fix the mind on the Self
by withdrawing it from objects, when it is drawn towards them by latent
evil impressions that have no beginning. (Vedanta Paribhasha).



On Mon, Aug 7, 2017 at 4:46 AM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> praNAms
> Hare Krishna
>
> Vedanta teachers say :  do shravaNa,  manana, nididhyaasana
>
> Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi says:  do self inquiry by way of "Who am I?"
>
> >  First of all differentiating ramaNa from vedAnta teacher is untenable
> IMO.  What ramaNa teaches is vedAnta only not an entirely new method.
> However, there are some reservations from traditionalists with regard to
> this.
>
>
> Both appear to be telling different things. Is it possible to reconcile
> them? Is it nididhyaasana that Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi referring to?
>
> >  if the nididhyAsana (or self-enquiry)  what bhagavaan recommended  is
> the subsequent step after shravaNaM and mananaM of shAstra vAkya then yes,
> it is in line with vedAnta orthodox tradition.  If the bhagavaan
> recommended nidhidhyAsana without the need of shravaNaM and mananaM of
> shAstra then it is not strictly in line of Advaita vedAnta tradition.
> However, argument goes ramaNa's direct path is good for those who have
> already completed their dues i.e. shravaNa and manana is their previous
> janma..hence his nidhidhyAsana without shAstra shravaNa and manana is
> acceptable in traditional circle.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
>
>