[Chaturamnaya] Enquiry and Sadhana - 2

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 

 
https://ramanafiles.s3.amazonaws.com/mountainpath/1969%20IV%20Oct.pdf
 
D: Should I alternate my questions
Koham etc. with the replies given by Sri
Sankara, such as mano buddhyahankar
chiitani naham etc.? Or should I repeat the
formula Shivoham after each question
Koham?
 
M: Suggestive replies such as Shivoham
etc. to the enquiry, are not to be given to
the mind during the meditation. The true
answer will come by itself. Any answer the
ego may give cannot be correct. These affirmations
or auto-suggestions may be of help
to those who follow other methods, but not in
this method of enquiry. If you go on asking,
the reply will come. The method of enquiry
is dhyana, and the effortless state is Jnana.
 
D: I have been practising saguna meditation
with japa of Guru-mantra in accordance
with the teachings and writings of my
Gurudev. Can I practise meditation according
to the method of enquiry "Who am I"
now? Am I fitted to take up this method,
if I feel inclined to do so?
 
M: 'I' is also a Guru-mantra. The first
name of God is 'I' (Tasya aham nama,
Br. Up.). Even OM comes later. Atma or
the real Self is always I-I. There is no
mantra without the person who does the
Japa, i.e. Aham. The japa of aham is always
going on within.
 
Japa leads to dhyana and dhyana leads to
Jnana. You may practise saguna meditation
or the method of enquiry, according to your
inclination. Only that method will appeal to
a person which is most suitable for him.
 
D: I have been practising other forms of
sadhana also, apart from the Saguna meditation
mentioned above, such as japa,
mantra-writing, keertan, bhajana, swadhyaya,
spiritual propaganda, lectures, free
distribution of religious publications, etc.
Should I continue these in addition to the
enquiry of "Who am I" if I get spare time,
or should I curtail some or all of these and
spend more time in the enquiry only?
Will the above practices be helpful in
quickening my progress in the enquiry?
 
M: Without losing hold of the knowledge
of "Who you are", you may continue to
perform all activities as prompted by the
inner controller. They will go on even without
your efforts. What you are destined to
do, you cannot avoid. They will come your
way of their own accord. You should also
understand what Japa, Kirtana etc. are
meant for. Become and stay what you are.
Thm real Japa is always going on. Japa and
God are one and the same. See the philosophy
of Name as given by Saint Namdev.
 
 
(To be Continued)
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: </archives/chaturamnaya/attachments/20170320/c826d898/attachment.html>