Turning the Mind Inward

Talks with Sri Ramana

Talk 213

30 June 1936

Mr. B.C. Das asked why the mind cannot be turned inward in spite of repeated attempts.

Maharshi:

It is done by practice and dispassion and  that succeeds only gradually. The mind, having been so long a cow accustomed to graze stealthily on others’ estates, is not easily confined to the stall. However much her keeper tempts her with luscious grass and fine fodder, she refuses the first time; then she  takes a bit; but her innate tendency to stray away asserts itself; and she slips away; on being repeatedly tempted by the owners, she accustoms herself to the stall; finally even if let loose she would not stray away. Similarly with the mind; If once it finds its inner happiness, it will not wander outward.

Interview with Sri Nannagaru

I recently discovered this gem of an interview conducted with Sri Nannagaru shortly before his Samadhi in December 2017. The interview is in English and is probably one of the last such interviews given by Sri Nannagaru.

Efficacy of Self Enquiry

Recently uploaded new material on the Arunachala Samudra website. So please check out these new postings. 

In particular you might enjoy looking through the section on Self Enquiry, at this link here. 

The section which is Ramana Maharshi-centric is filled with His advice and suggestions regarding Self Enquiry and how to perform it. This is invaluable information in these trying times. 

As to the efficacy of Self Enquiry, Sri Sathya Sai Baba said: 

"All agitations will cease the moment one enters, "Who Am I?". This was the sadhana that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all disciplines." 

[Sri Sathya Sai Baba] 

Just a little Self Enquiry helps still the mind. 

In this regard there is an interesting quote by Frank H. Humphreys, an Englishman who came to India in 1911 to serve as assistant superintendent of police in Madras. He was the first Western devotee of Ramana Maharshi. 

Later in his life, he turned away from worldly things, entered a monastery and became a monk. 

“The phenomena we see are curious and surprising—but the most marvellous thing of all we do not realize, and that is that one and only one illimitable force that is responsible for all the phenomena we see and the act of seeing them. Do not fix your attention on all these changing things of life, death and phenomena. Do not think of even the actual act of seeing them or perceiving them, but only of that which sees all these things, that which is responsible for it all. This will seem nearly impossible at first, but by degrees the result will be felt. It takes years of study and daily practice, but that is how a master is made. 

Give yourself a quarter of an hour a day. Try to keep the mind unshakably fixed on that which sees. It is inside you. Do not expect to find that ‘That’ is something definite on which the mind can be fixed easily—it will not be so. Though it takes years to find that ‘That’, the results of this concentration will soon show themselves in four or five months time—in all sorts of unconscious clairvoyance, in peace of mind, in the power to deal with troubles, in the power all around, always unconscious power. 

I have given you these teachings in the same words that the master gives to his intimate disciples. From now on, let your whole thought in meditation be not on the act of seeing, nor on what you see, but immovably on that which sees.” 

“The Holy Town of Tiruvannamalai”

Dear Friends and Followers, sorry for my long absence posting on Arunachala Grace, my website Arunachala Samudra and its connected Blogs. 

I have lots of wonderful material to post over the coming weeks, so thank you for keeping in touch. 

In the current issue of the excellent “Hinduism Today” magazine, Mr. Rajiv Malik has written a fact-filled, fascinating narrative on “The Holy Town of Tiruvannamalai.” 

To download the PDF of the current issue of this magazine please go to this link here: 

"Who is Shiva?"

I expect Sri Sathya Sai Baba has always been present for me as Sadguru, but it was only in the early 1980s, that I first became actually aware of him in this lifetime. He loved Arunachala and spoke about it many times in his speeches. But his first words glorifying this sthalam was in his very first spiritual discourse when he was a young lad of 14 years of age. 

Subsequently he gave many inspirational discourses on the Self, the Nature of the Mind and below an extract from a speech on ‘Shiva, the Divine Consciousness.” 

For additional speeches by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the mind and self enquiry, go to this link here.

“Who is Shiva?” 

The following is a speech made by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Shiva, the Divine Consciousness: 

“Who is Shiva?” Divine Consciousness which pervades all living beings is none other than Shiva. This Divine Consciousness permeates not only human beings, but all other creatures. Shiva-consciousness is all-pervading. “With hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire Universe.” 

All that we witness is Shiva Consciousness; nothing else. Shiva does not mean a particular form with matted hair and tiger skin. Wherever we look and whichever form we come across – whether a child or an elderly person, whether a woman or a man, in every form Shiva Consciousness is resplendent. 

How can you describe the all-pervading Shiva-consciousness or limit it to a particular time and place? God is described by different people in diverse ways depending on their imagination and understanding. But the nameless, formless God is omnipresent and all-pervading 

Who can describe such Divinity? There is only one sign for Divinity, that is, Consciousness. In whichever form this Divine Consciousness permeates, it will assume that form – it may be the form of a dog, a crow, a crane or a human being. 

All that you witness in this objective world is a manifestation of Shiva. It pervades the three worlds; earth, space and nether world and exists in the three periods of time; past, present and future. It is indescribable. 

Man today searches for God everywhere, not understanding that he himself is an Embodiment of Divine Atma. 

One has to realise Divinity by cultivating love for God. It is only love that can bind God. Through such Divine Love, the oneness of God has to be realised. If the attributeless God has to be described, the description would be “One without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness to all functions of the intellect, beyond one’s imagination and beyond the three conditions (gunas).” 

The best sadhana is to realise unity in Divinity and worship God as such. “To see the One in all you see.”

Words by Sri Sathya Sai Baba

[Shiva Image]

Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Discourse on the Mind

Sri Sathya Sai Baba loved Arunachala and sent many devotees to this sacred place. In fact it was because of Swamiji's precise instructions telling me to come and stay at Arunachala that I ended up living here -- previously I had scarcely heard of this place. 

In an earlier posting I mentioned that Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave his first spiritual teaching to devotees when he was 14 years old when he sang the bhajan -- 'Mansare Bhajore Guru Charanam' which states that the feet of the Guru is no different to the 'Om' that pervades the Universe or to Lord Shiva and the great Arunachala.

Throughout his life Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave illuminating discourses on the mind and consciousness, and below is an excellent and extremely helpful dissertation on the nature of the mind.

Discourse on the Mind

The entire world is based on the concept of I. So long as this I-principle exists in you, you will be involved with the outside world. And as long as the world exists in your experience, you will not be able to free yourself from sorrow and misery. During deep sleep you do not have the thought of I and mine. Once the I-thought disappears there is no longer any world for you, and when there is no world there will be no sorrow. Therefore, eradicate the cause of sorrow. Relinquish the feeling of I and mine. Then you will be in Ananda, You will be in unending bliss.

What does being in Ananda mean? Is it related to the possession of health or wealth or power? Aren't there many people in the world who have lots of wealth? And aren't there many also who are blessed with health? And aren't there many others who wield power? But are any of these enjoying real happiness? No. What is the reason for this? The reason is that so long as anyone still has the thought of I and all the desires and attachments that go with it, he will be unable to manifest true joy.

When thirsty animals see a mirage they run to it to quench their thirst; but they cannot find water there, and so they get exhausted and perish. In the same way, man seeks happiness in the objects of the senses and runs after them. But he cannot find the inexhaustible springs of Ananda there, and so he gets exhausted and dies in a most futile and pitiful way.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The moment you free yourself from the thought of I, you become God Itself. It has been said 'Brahma Sathyam Jagath Mithyam', that God is real and the world is unreal. But more correctly, the world is both real and unreal. It is an illusion which is unreal, superimposed on God who is real. If you want to understand the nature of the world you must first make an effort to find out who you are and whether you are real or not. The moment you find out your own truth, you will be able to understand the world.

One of the great sayings of the Vedanta which you are enjoined to repeat and meditate on is, 'Aham Brahmasmi', which means 'I am Brahman', 'I am God'. In this saying you use the word I before the word God. Where did this word I come from? What is its meaning? Is it the same I that you use many times every day to refer to your individual self? No, that personal I is not what is meant in the statement, 'I am God'. Beyond the personal I, which is the I-thought, there is another I which stands behind it. That is the true I. That I is your own true nature. That is the true I meant in the statement, 'I am God'.

This true I is not just there when you repeat Vedic sayings. It is there behind every I you use. Suppose you say, 'I am a man'. Here also, standing behind the subjective I, there is the true I which is your natural state, your unchanging truth. The word 'man' is the feeling of limitation you impose on that truth. The true I is always full in itself; it is complete and unlimited. But, the word 'man' is partial, incomplete and limited. When the word 'man' with its limitations and boundaries joins the true I which has no limitations or boundaries, then the limited I-thought arises.

The I-thought can be compared to a river bounded by name and form. Once it merges into the limitless ocean it loses its name and form and all its limitations. Before that it had a separate identity as a river. But once it merges it becomes the ocean. In that way, when you remove the I-thought, you as a limited man merge with the unlimited ocean of Divinity and become one with It. Then you as a separate entity called 'man' disappear.

What is the origin of the I-thought? The I-thought takes its origin from the Atma, the true I, the one eternal Self. From the one Self arises the thought of I. And out of this I-thought all the rest of the mind takes form. In truth, the I-thought and the mind belong to the Self; they are both just aspects of the Self. The relationship can best be visualized as the Self being the grandfather, the I-thought, the personal self, being the father, and the mind being the grandson.

Consider a cloth which has been made into a handkerchief. Its basis is cotton, which does not have any specific form. It may be considered as pure and unlimited. From this cotton has come the threads. By joining the threads together a cloth has emerged. In the same way, from the pure and unlimited Atma the I-thought has emerged. From this, in turn, has come the mind. Therefore, your mind and the I have both originated from the pure, unlimited Divinity, the One Reality which is your true Self.

You should be clear about the distinction between the I-thought and the impersonal, immortal Self. The I-thought takes birth and grows; for a time it comes in and is associated with a body; then it disappears. But for the Self there is no birth, there is no growth, no death, no coming, no going. Once you recognize the truth that from the one unlimited Self has emerged the limited I, and from that I the mind has taken birth, then you will realize your true Self and understand the origin of the world and everything in it.

Chaitanya or consciousness is all-pervasive. This consciousness is also the substratum of the mind, but when it becomes associated with the mind it is no longer pure. Mind takes birth, blossoms forth and shines in man. With this mind man tries to analyze and understand the external world. But, unknown to him, that world is only a reflection of the inner thoughts that shape the mind. All knowledge is inside you. All the beauty you see outside is but an image of the beauty already there in your heart. All the research and experiments that you perform in the world are merely reflections of the inner thoughts that are already within you. If you learn to carefully concentrate your mind and go to its very root you will be able to understand the basic truth of everything.

Make an effort to know who you are and what the deeper meaning of this word I is. When you conduct this investigation you will unlock all the secrets of existence. When you examine your own truth, you will discover the very basis of the whole creation, and you will find the source of life itself. Then the Divine Flame inside you will blaze forth and you will realize the truth that the Divinity is your very core. In this you can be your own guru. If you develop a high level of patience and calmness, and remain free from selfishness, the basic truths that are always within you will naturally manifest and shine forth in your awareness.

First you must free yourself from the defects in your vision. Do not try to find fault with the creation. The entire creation is saturated with Divinity. Today, man uses all his capacity and power of vision to see the outside world, but he does not use his abilities to discover his true Self. It is because of the petrified ignorance in his heart that man goes on thinking and worrying about worldly objects and situations. And by diverting his attention only to the manifested world he suffers disappointment and despair.

If you think you can free your mind from worldly thoughts by repeating mantras or engaging in various spiritual exercises you are mistaken. It is only when you recognize your own real nature that you will be able to become free of all worries and misery. Once you know yourself, nothing that can happen in the world will be able to touch you or cause you any anxiety. And once you understand yourself you will be able to understand the world in all its fullness.

No matter how long you go on experimenting to find out what this manifested world is, you will always come back to the realization that the world of name and form consists only of the five basic elements, space, air, fire, water and earth. The body, the mind and the senses are also made up of these same five elements. So, the senses composed of the five elements are enjoying the things of the world made up of the five elements. Of what avail is that? These limited enjoyments are not real; one day or another they must come to an end.  Names and forms made up of the five elements can only give rise to other names and forms which go on changing and finally disintegrate.

Aspire for the eternal joy that has no end. The Vedanta declares, 'Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati', 'Know God and you become God.' Once you know the Divinity you realize you are the Divinity Itself. Then there is lasting joy and fulfillment. That is why it is said, it is not enough to merely hear the Rama story. You must become Rama Himself. You must realize your truth as Absolute Bliss itself.

Therefore, endeavor to understand the principle of Atma. Strive to discover the relationship between the I and the Self and banish the I-thought completely out of your being. So long as that I-thought continues you will not be able to free yourself from attachment and the anxiety and misery that go with it. As was mentioned before, in the deep sleep state you do not have the thought of I. When there is no I there is no world for you. The moment you get up from sleep the I-thought catches hold of you and the experience of world rushes back into your awareness. Once the world reappears sorrow automatically follows.

Your distance from the Divinity is the same as your distance from yourself, your true Self. It is the I-thought that has emerged from the Divinity which separates you from the Divinity. Who is it that declares this I? Is it the body? The body is inert. It cannot have the power to declare its ‘I’ness. Then is it the Self? The one eternal Self does not recognize any second entity at all. If you examine this question carefully you will find that the word I emerges by itself the moment the Self and the body come together. As soon as this I-thought emerges the mind manifests itself and the world appears. At the same time, the impersonal Self, the Atma, disappears from view.

The mind has 50 million different ways of manifesting itself in the thinking process. Behind all these myriad thoughts there is the seed-thought which is the source of all thoughts. This is the I-thought which emerges from the One Self. Everyone, be he a theist or an atheist, says 'I' and believes that he himself exists. Eventually everyone will have to realize the truth of his existence by tracing back to the very root of that original I-thought and discover there his true Self. Spirituality is nothing more than that. It is recognizing your true nature. It is abiding in the very heart of the Reality and enjoying it.

I bless you that you will steadily inquire into the Divine Principle and realize the Ananda which is your own natural state.

Kodaikanal Interview on the Mind

The first spiritual teaching Sri Sathya Sai Baba is reputed to have given to the world was at the age of 14 years when he left his home and took a seat on a boulder outside his Puttaparthi village. It was at that boulder (which would later mark one of the boundaries of his vast desert Ashram), that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai sang: 

Manasa Bhajorey Guru Charanam 

Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam 

Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai 

Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai 

Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, 

Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah 

Om Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva, 

Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiv Om 

Omkaram Baba, Omkaram Baba, 

Omkaram Baba Om Namo Baba 

"O mind, worship the Lotus Feet of your God and Supreme Teacher that will take you safely across the ocean of life and death. Victory to our Lord and supreme Teacher, Sai Nath! 

Mind, also chant and worship; the Divine name of Lord Shiva and Arunachala mountain (which is no different to Shiva) and Baba whose form is OM." 

In this bhajan Bhagavan exhorts devotees to worship the feet of the spiritual preceptor and explains that there is no difference between the Pranava Om (which pervades the Universe), Arunachala and the Lord. Bowing to one is as bowing to all. 

Since that early age of 14 years and his first teaching, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often encouraged, suggested and even ordered devotees to come to Arunachala. As well as his love of this Holy Place, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often guided people (as did Ramana Maharshi) in the method of Self Enquiry. 

 "All agitation will cease the moment one enters on the enquiry. 'Who am I?' This was the sadhana that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all disciplines." [Sri Sathya Sai Baba] 

The following is the transcript of an interview given by Sri Sathya Sai Baba to Western Devotees at Kodaikanal on April 1st, 1985. The interview is particularly relevant to devotees of Arunachala, as it explores the nature of consciousness and exhorts sadhakas to practice self enquiry. 

Interview given by Sathya Sai Baba at Kodaikanal April 1, 1985 

Devotee: Swami, what is the best way to relate to the world?

Baba: Do not spend your time thinking about the world or your relationships to individuals. These are all impermanent. They have only to do with the body. The body is just a water bubble. The mind is like a mad monkey. Do not follow either the body or the mind. Follow the Self, the Atma. It is beyond the mind. It is permanent. It is the unchanging truth within you. 

Most important, do not ever think that you and God are separate. Think always, "God is with me; He is inside me; He is around me. All there is is God. I myself am God. I am the Infinite, the Eternal. I am not two; I am one, only one. There is no one else besides me. I and God are one and the same." 

To realize this Unity, the first step is to develop self-confidence. It comes when you realize that God is not outside of you. Self-confidence means thinking all the time, "God is in me... God is doing everything... without God I cannot be... all this is God... I only want to think of God." When there is self-confidence then there will be love, there will be peace, there will be truth, there will be God. Without self-confidence there cannot be God. So, first there must be self-confidence and love of God. 

Devotee: Swami, how to do we rise up to that highest level?

Baba: Through love. Only through love. Develop divine love. Divine love is completely selfless. Human love is mostly selfishness; all the time it thinks only of the little 'i'. That 'i' is the ego. The ego is a very bad quality. Ego sees everything as separate; it sees everything as dual. You must remove this ego and see only the Unity. Think only of Unity; think only of the Atma. Atma is the one unchanging Truth, the one Reality that is the basis of everything. 

Devotee: Swami, is everything predetermined? 

Baba: For the Atma there is no time and there is no form. It is beyond time and beyond form. In the Atma all are one. Remember that Unity. Live in that Unity. Make that your goal. All are one... be alike to everyone. 

Devotee: Baba, what is the relationship between the Atma and the individual? 

Baba: The Atma is everywhere. But, do you know that? No, you do not know. What you say now all comes from your imagination. You have no experience. Do some Sadhana. Realize the Atma! Always think like that... "I am the Atma. I am all." The individual exists only in your imagination. It is just an illusion. When the Atma is one without a second, when the Atma is everywhere, where is the individual? Only in your imagination. The Atma alone is real. Realize it through meditation. 

Devotee: Then there is really no higher being related to this body, judging me and guiding me? 

Baba: You see, you are still in 100% body consciousness. Do not stay with this body consciousness. Remove that. What will remain will be Atma-consciousness. Then there will be no anger, no hatred, no envy, no jealousy, no hunger, no desire... only complete Ananda... only bliss, bliss, bliss! 

Devotee: But then, Swami, what is reborn in reincarnation? 

Baba: The body is born. Birth and death only have to do with the body. Ego also relates only to the body. Similarly, reincarnation relates only to the body. Do not think of the body. Think of the Atma. The Atma is one; it is unchanging. For Atma there is no incarnation, there is no reincarnation. 

Devotee: Swami, do I exist at all as an individual? 

Baba: When you realize the Atma then there is no individual. You can think of individuals as different light bulbs. There will be a differences in wattage and in color. There will be differences in shape, but everywhere the current is the same. That current is who you are. You are not the individual bulb. You are the one current in all. 

Devotee: Is there any difference between I and God? 

Baba: You are God. You are not the ego. You are God! Devotee: I am God? 

Baba: Yes. You are the Atma. You are permanent. The physical is not permanent. The physical is not the Atma. You are the Atma, not the physical. You are God. Think like this always. Do not think about the body. The body comes and goes; for it there is birth and there is death. But you are not the body. Body is just rust and dust. Think only of God. Love God. 

Devotee: Swami, how can we love something we don't understand? 

Baba: Develop self-confidence, then love will follow; it will come naturally from within. And that way the love will be pure. First comes self-confidence, that is the foundation. Then comes self-satisfaction. It is like the wall. Next comes self-sacrifice, it is like the roof. Finally the house is complete and the Indweller is installed inside; that is self-realization. It starts with self-confidence and it ends with realizing the Self. That Self is you. It is everything. It is God. That is who you really are. 

Devotee: Does self-confidence mean confidence in the Self? 

Baba: Yes, self-confidence is confidence in the Atma; it is an unwavering love for the Divinity within you. That is very important. What will help you to develop that confidence? Be equalminded, be satisfied with what you have. Be happy. The secret of happiness is not in doing what you like but in liking what you have to do. That is a great truth. Always have complete faith in the indwelling God who takes care of everything. True greatness can only come from faith. 

Devotee: Lord, I want to arrive very early to You. What do I have to do? 

Baba: Through love, only through love. Love is everything. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love, spend the day with love, fill the day with love and end the day with love. That is the way to God. 

Devotee: How do we develop this selfless love? 

Baba: It all comes through God's Grace. Without Grace you cannot do anything. First do your duty and think about God all day from morning to evening. See everything as God. Be happy. Think, "O Lord, You are my everything. You are my goal. You are my breath." Do not think, "This is mine, that is mine." Instead think, "All is You. All is Yours." Think, "I am beyond the body. This body is just a water bubble. I am beyond the mind. This mind is just a mad monkey. I am the Atma. I and God are one. Before this body was formed I was there. After this body leaves I am there. Without this body I am still there. I am omnipresent. I am all." 

To reach this truth you have to do some spiritual practice. You have to inquire, "What is God? Who is God? Who am I?" Jesus spent twelve years in the desert; then he realized. You must also do some Sadhana. The first step in realization is to always think of God. Then after some years you will realize that you are one with God. In the beginning you can think, "The world is like a stage. I am only an actor. God is the director. All are His instruments, all are just actors. He is directing everything." But do not always remain at that level. Move on. Think, "I am the unchanging Atma, not this changing personality and body." 

Devotee: Shall we tell these things to others, Swami? 

Baba: Do not talk too much. First do some Sadhana. First do. Then be. Then you can talk. Do good, be good and see good. Do everything with love. After you develop your self-confidence and love for God then you can share your experiences with others. But it is a good rule to talk very little, even about God. In Sadhana there will be internal talk with God. You will give up all attachments and attach only to God. For this, purity of the heart is very important. Where there is no purity, there is no Unity. Without Unity you cannot attain Divinity. Then your life is just a waste. First purity, next Unity, then you realize your Divinity. 

Devotee: And purity comes from service? 

Baba: Yes. Purity comes from Seva... it comes from selfless love. All are one family, serve all... not just the Sai family, but the whole world family. All are brothers and sisters. All are one, be alike to everyone. That is Unity... the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. 

Arunachala Retreat January-February, 2012

This posting is about a Retreat to be held by Torsten Brugge and Padma Wolff at Arunachala from January 28th to February 12, 2012 The venue for the fully catered Retreat is Sri Nannagaru Ashram. Language is not an impediment as most members of the group are multi-lingual.

For more information go to this link here:

“Torsten and Padma offer self-enquiry in the tradition of Sri Ramana Maharshi and in the lineage of Sri Poonjaji, Gangaji and Eli Jaxon-Bear. The focus of the retreat will be to make Sri Ramana Maharshi’s profound self-enquiry and the silent power of Arunachala accessible to participants. Torsten and Padma offer daily Satsang-meetings on the roof-terrace of Sri Nannagaru Ashram. The group will also visit different abodes of Sri Ramana Maharshi on the mountain for silent meditation.

In their dialogues with participants Torsten and Padma support spiritual seekers through traditional as well as modern approaches of self-enquiry to awaken to the inner freedom of our true nature and ground ourselves in that. To that end they also make their experience in Enneagram-work, Buddhist meditation, transpersonal psychology and other approaches available.

The main transmission, however, consists in the message of Sri Ramana Maharshi:

‘We already are the formless, silent Awareness before, during and after all transient appearances. When we rediscover that, our limited sense of I dissolves and the natural bliss of our true nature shines forth.’”







To hear Torsten and Padma’s response to the question, “Sri Ramana Maharshi said that Self-Enquiry is the most direct route in realising the Self. What do you say about Self-Enquiry? How to conduct Self-Enquiry?” Go to this video link here.

Here are some reports from participants of earlier Arunachala-Retreats with Torsten and Padma:

Andreas: “Just sitting at the roof top of the Ashram, looking at the Arunachala day or night is such a grace. In addition it was such a gift to be in a group with Padma and Torsten. The Sri Nannagaru Ashram is a perfect place for a Retreat as it is located a bit aside but just a short walk or rickshaw-drive to Ramana Maharshi Ashram.“

Volker: “This whole journey with Torsten and Padma has been a great gift for me and I am very grateful. These special places and all these possibilities that they have experienced and selected beforehand – and this ground of Satsang carrying through this whole journey and group – wonderful! The best way to get to know India. To experience this country and these people in this way has touched me very much. Thank you – thank you – thank you – also for this intensive inner journey. I am very happy with it.”

Self Enquiry

Sri Nannagaru, a living Master who regularly visits Arunachala, and attributes his realisation to the Grace of Arunachala/Sri Ramana has stated that the core of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings are set out in the slim booklet ‘Who am I?” And that an earnest seeker will receive incalculable benefit by daily reading a small part of that booklet.

The history of the booklet entitled “Who am I?” is thus. Around 1902 a visitor to Arunachala, Sivaprakasam Pillai, visited Ramana Maharshi who was then living in silence at Virupaksha Cave on the slopes of Arunachala. On his visit the seeker posed a series of spiritual questions starting with ‘Who Am I?’ The questions posed were answered by the silent Saint in writing and constitute, what is believed to be, one of his first sets of spiritual instructions.

To download a free PDF booklet of “Who am I?” go to this link here:

Answers specifically addressing Self-enquiry can be found in another booklet entitled “Self-Enquiry”. The book was compiled from answers to questions asked by Gambhiram Seshayya, a devotee of Lord Rama and yoga practitioner. In the same way as “Who am I?”, the questions raised by Gambhiram Seshayya were answered by the then silent Ramana living in the Virupaksha Cave in the 1900s.

To download a free PDF booklet of Self Enquiry go to this link here:

To find more free downloads of the books and works of Sri Ramana visit the ashram’s website book section for a list of Ramana’s book. Free PDF downloads are typed on the list in bold face.

Mind and Self Enquiry

“It is the mind that is responsible for bondage or liberation. The negative mind takes you to negative actions. Negative actions bear negative results. The mind, when positive, will prompt you to take positive actions. And positive actions will give you positive results. Therefore, never entertain any negative thoughts.

Mind has no form. As is the thought, so is the mind. When the thoughts are good, there constitutes a good mind. When thoughts are bad, they make a bad mind. Mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts . . when the thoughts are negative; so you are suffering. Once you know the thoughts are negative and make you suffer, come on! Give them up - throw them away! Don't entertain such thoughts, as negative thoughts will make you suffer. Why should you suffer? Brush them aside.

Similarly, once you know that the negative thought is making you suffer, drop it immediately!

All agitation will cease the moment one enters on the enquiry, “Who Am I?” This was the sadhana that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all disciplines.”

[Sri Sathya Sai Baba]

The Pilgrim

Remember that with every step,
You are nearing God.
And when you take one step towards Him
God takes ten steps towards you.


There is no halting place in the pilgrimage!
It is one continuous journey,
Through day and night,
Through tears and smiles,
Through death and birth,
Through tomb and womb.
When the road ends and the goal is gained,

The pilgrim finds
That he has travelled
From himself to himself,
That was long and lonesome;
But God that led him unto,
Was all the while in him
Around him, with him and beside him.
He himself was always Divine.

[By Sri Sathya Sai Baba]

David Frawley on Self Enquiry

I have often mentioned Dr. David Frawley in issues of Arunachala Grace News, the free newsletter sent out direct to subscriber’s email inbox. Dr. Frawley is a regular visitor to Tiruvannamalai and many here have been fortunate to attend his talks and meetings.

Dr. Frawley is an author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda, and founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Sante Fe, New Mexico, which offers courses on Yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and Hindu astrology. He is Professor of Vedic Astrology and Ayurveda at the International Vedic Hindu University. He also a Vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), and Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer).

To find out more about David Frawley you can read a short biography at this link here.

I include below a concise, informative and helpful narrative by David Frawley briefly explaining the path of the Jnana Yoga discipline ‘Self-enquiry’.

Yoga of Knowledge

“The Yoga of Knowledge is not a matter of acquiring theoretical or practical information. It is not the practice of the thinking mind, though it may start out with deep pondering of the primary questions of life (such as “who am I,’ Or “what is God, Truth or Reality?”). It is the practice of meditation, which is the mind in the sate of non-judgmental observation. Hence, the classical Jnani, or man of spiritual knowledge, is quite different than the philosopher straining at subtle ideas. He is often silent, impersonal and inactive, like the natural sage of Lao-Tse. Yogic knowledge is the state of awareness itself, which has not object and seeks no end, which relies on no book but reads the message of life moment by moment.

Hence, there is little theory to the Yoga of knowledge. Its prime statement is simple – Know Thyself. It usually avoids all metaphysical theories and discussions, including how did the world begin or what is the order of creation. Some knowledge teachings do not even require belief in God, guru, or any religions faith and are outside of any formality or ceremony. They state that all explanations of things belong to the mind. The truth is something that cannot be put into words, which is beyond all theories, outside of all beliefs. It has to be experienced in the state of seeing, which can only be learned through choiceless observation. Hence, Jnana Yoga is very simple, though very hard to do, as it requires going beyond our very mind and habitual though process.

Self Enquiry

The most basic practise of the Yoga of Knowledge is Self-enquiry (Atma Vichara). It consists of tracing the self or “I” thought to its origin. If we observe our minds carefully, we see that all thoughts are based upon the “I-thought.” We cannot think about anything without first having an idea about ourselves. But if we look deeply, we see that the “I” itself is something unknown to us.

We are constantly projecting our identity on some external object or quality: “I am this, this is mind.” We are constantly mixing this unknown “I” with some known thing. “I am good or bad; I am wise or foolish; I am happy or sad; I am a Hindu, Buddhist or Christian; I am an American or Russian: I am black or white or yellow.” All of these are thoughts in which the “I” is referred to an object that is really different from it. What the “I” is in itself we do not know and cannot know as long as we are projecting it on to something.

Our most basic projection is our self-image, which is our “I am the body” idea. Yet, we can observe our body grow and decline. We can perceive it as an instrument or vehicle we use but as different from who we really are. If we are perceptive, we can discern that our basic consciousness or state of seeing is ever pure, beyond all external changes. Though our body may age and our thoughts may change, our seeing is external. As long as we are identified with the body, or through it with any external thing, we must suffer, because all external things are transient and we long for eternal and permanent happiness. Our very longing for this lasting happiness is proof of our nature in consciousness as blissful and pure.

This does not mean that the body is bad or sinful or to be denied. It is the best vehicle nature can provide. Yet is only a vehicle. It is no more who we are than our car is. In no longer identifying with the body, we come to treat it properly and no longer abuse it for personal gratification.”

Sri Nannagaru at Andhra Ashram

Sri Nannagaru arrived at Arunachala on March 15 for an eleven day visit. He generally visits Arunachala three to four times a year, staying from anywhere to one to two weeks a time. You can find out more about this Advaitic Master, at an earlier post here.

Swamiji's primary Arunachala Ashram (Sri Nannagaru Ashram) is about one kilometre west of Ramana Ashram, just off the Chengam Road. While staying there, Sri Nannagaru has been giving darshan in the early mornings and evenings, and as is his general routine, performed girivalam (hillround) one day, visited the homes of some devotees, and also visited Ramana Ashram. He also travelled to Pondicherry one afternoon and returned in the evening of the same day.

In this series of photographs taken this afternoon, Sri Nannagaru is giving darshan at Andhra Ashram (which is his original and smaller Ashram here at Arunachala).

In the above photograph Sri Nannagaru sitting in front of a picture of Sri Ramana Maharshi, who he considers as his Guru, and through whom he attributes his own self realisation.

To find out more about Sri Nannagaru, you can visit his site at this link.

Holy Company, Satsang
“If you do not see the company of holy men, and do not have darshan of great souls, your egoism gets bloated. When we feel thirsty, we can quench it by drinking water. When we feel hungry, we can eat and satisfy our hunger. Similarly, because of our ignorance, we do not have peace.

By satsang (holy company) we can know God and get peace. When the person who speaks does not have clarity, we can conclude that the person doesn’t know anything. When a person is asleep, to wake him up you call him by his name. You need not touch him. He or she wakes up and asks: “Who woke me up?” The sound of your words woke him up. In the same way, when a jnani teaches you, the very sound of his words, one day or the other, takes you to self-realization.

Even if you are not able to have darshan of a jnani, if you cultivate the company of those who have made some spiritual progress, you are bound to be benefited. In this case, you invest a small amount, but you gain a huge profit. If you are performing japa, meditation etc., that is artificial air. Getting the company of an enlightened one, or seekers is like a natural breeze.

Fasting and such things you should do according to your abilities. But in the company of holy people, always be alert, awake. If you cannot remain in the awareness of the Self, cultivate the company of holy people. As a result of the influence of their company, you will reap benefits in the future. Their habits, their words are cooling in their effect. You naturally protect your life extremely carefully, similarly, if you want to free yourself from innate negative tendencies, you should protect your friendship with holy people with the same alertness.”

[Sadhana For Taming The Mind
By Sadguru Sri Nannagaru]

Arunachala-Sai Baba

Sri Sathya Sai Baba's history and love of Arunachala is very well known amongst many that visit Him or study his works. In this respect the first spiritual teaching Sri Sathya Sai Baba is reputed to have given to the world was at the age of 14 years when he left his home and took a seat on a great boulder outside his Puttaparthi village. It was at the boulder (which would later mark one of the boundaries of Prashanti Nilayam; his vast desert Ashram), that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai sang:

Manasa Bhajorey Guru Charanam

Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam

Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai

Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai

Om Namah Shivaya, Om Nama Shivaya,

Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah

Om Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva,

Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiv

Om Omkaram Baba, Omkaram Baba,

Omkaram Baba,Om Namo Baba

'O mind, worship the Lotus Feet of your God and Supreme Teacher that will take you safely across the ocean of life and death. Victory to our Lord and supreme Teacher, Sai Nath!

Mind, also chant and worship; the Divine name of Lord Shiva and Arunachala mountain (which is no different to Shiva) and Baba whose form is OM.'

In the bhajan, Bhagavan exhorts devotees to worship the feet of the spiritual perceptor and explains that there is no difference between the Pranava Om (the sound which pervades the Universe), Arunachala and the Lord. Bowing to one is as bowing to all.

As well as his love of the Holy Place Arunachala, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often guides people (as did Ramana Maharshi) in the method of Self Enquiry. He has been reported to have said:-

"All agitation will cease the moment one enters on the enquiry. 'Who am I?' This was the sadhana that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all disciplines." [Sri Sathya Sai Baba]