Taittiriya Upanishad Bhramananda Valli

Readers are requested to listen to Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami Gari Pravachanam in telugu.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TattriyaUpanishad+BhramanandaValli+Volume14&aq=f

There are totally 14 Volumes and each volume contains 10 videos.

Homage to Guru:

Before we start any vedic or mantra chanting, it is necessary that we pay homage to our Guru and secure His blessings to start and successfully complete the chanting / Japam etc.,

Those who have not yet identified a Guru can chant the following sloka instead and think of the Supreme Almighty as the very Guru:

"Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwarah
Gurus sakshat para Brahma thasmai sri Gurave Namah"


Introduction to the Shanti Mantra:

Devas place obstacles in men's way to Brahmavidya - the mantra for removal of such obstacles is the Shanti Mantra. Devas are put to much pain when men realise the identity of the self and Brahman and it is quite contrary to the wishes of the Devas that men should acquire Brahmavidya, so Devas put obstacles in the way of men who wish to acquire Brahmavidya. The great sage Pathanjali has defined a few of the Obstacles: "disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, sloth, worldly-mindedness, misconception, missing the point and unsteadiness are the causes of the mind's distraction and they are the obstacles".

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says If happiness can be retrieved by earning lot of money really then we can quote many humans examples where we they are not happy irrespective of having lots of money.

Similarly if there is no happiness for poor people who are not having money then we can quote many humans examples where we they are happy irrespective of not having lots of money.

Humans not knowing themselves properly(Who Am I?) is the only Problem and happiness is our nature and not existing in external objects.

He says "Undi badha pettedi dukham poyi badha pettedi sukham".

He says Our sankalpas will not make us feel happy.Our thoughts are like crow as there is proverb in telugu "kaki pilla kakiki muddu" so generally we like our thoughts.

But our thoughts are like crow.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says "sramistu srama telikanda vundatam antee ashramam" means though we work and keep effort but still we donot know the pain.

He says not to be lazy and be always enagage in good devotional activities like writing songs on god,doing good activities etc.

Treat mother,father as god but our mother,father are not god as they are also unable to give us moksha and infact in their old age they are dependent on us.

But as they have given life to us we should be greatful to them.

He says Feeling incompleteness is a symtom and it is very bad to think we are not happy etc.In sastras it is called Ninjatvam.

Shanti Mantra:

(First verse of Anandavalli)

Hari OM!

May Brahman protect us (the Guru and Sishya) both!

May he give us both to enjoy!

Efficiency may we both attain!

Effective may our study prove!

Hate may we not (each other) at all!

OM Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!

The above shanti mantra is recited for removal of all obstacles in the way of or path to Brahma Vidya.


Introduction to Anandavalli:

Brahma Vidya is expounded in fullest detail in this lesson - Anandavalli. The lesson analyses the constitution of a man into his inner parts and finally concludes as to what is real in the constitution of a man and what is not stable of him. It starts with defining his constitution as completely made of food, (annamaya kosa); then goes on to the next kosa - filled with air (pranamaya kosa); then goes further to the next level - manomaya kosa - formation of manas and finally concludes with the deepest level - namely - the vijnanamaya kosa - comprised of Knowledge. Here, knowledge shall not be construed as bookish or subject or material knowledge but as "Knowledge of the Self".

The lesson further explains the kind of bliss or ananda (which is unknown to us) that a knowledgeable soul attains and quantifies the bliss by comparing to other kinds of bliss known to us. (Thus, this gets the name - Anandavalli - as it explains the ananda or bliss that a Knowledgeable Soul will attain and enjoy.)

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says Karma are dependent on kartha who will be doing karma.

Humans have the ability to do/stop/do it other way his/her karmas but river,clouds etc donot have that possibility as they have no other choice like clouds cannot stop making water coming down to earth and rivers cannot stop water not to flow and stop.

Moksha cannot be achieved by doing karma.By karma we get karma phalam i.e may be get svargam.

Moksha can be achieved by only jnana.

Antakarana Naishalyam is not the only prerequiste for brahma jnana.

Examples: Ravana,Hiranya kashyapa have amazing concentration levels but they have done wrong deeds. Moreover people involved in September 11 attack have amazing concentration of mind but they have used for wrong deeds. So these people have Antakarana Naishalyam but they have no Antakarana suddhi.

So ideally both are required.

Brahma jnana is not related to lord brahma who is creator of our universe.

As we see our face in the mirror just because we love ourselves and want to see ourselves in the mirror and we really donot have love for mirror similarly We read upanishads because it tells us our experience.

Sri Sundara chaitanya Swami says If only by mouna only jnana can be attained why all the sastras are there?

Constitution of Pancha Budhas and Purusha:

(Anuvaga 1 of Anandavalli)

The knower of Brahman reaches the Supreme. On that, this has been chanted: 'Real consciousness, Infinite is Brahman; who so know the one hid in the cave in the highest heaven attains all desires together as Brahman as the wise. (In the heaven of heart, there is the cave of buddhi or understanding and in the cave is Brahman hidden). From that verily (from this self), is akasa born; from akasa - the air; from the air - fire; from fire - water; from water - earth; from earth - plants; from plants - food; from food - man. He, verily, is this man formed of food essence. This itself (the self) is his head; this is the right wing; this is the left wing; this is the self; this is the tail, the support.' On that, too, there is this verse. (thatabyesha sloko bhavathi - On that, too, there is this verse)

Note: The explanation of a man's wings, tail etc, is to be construed as likening of a man's creature to any other creature such as a Bird etc., In other words, all living creatures are created out of food essence and so is the creature of a man.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says here in this verse they compared human with Pakshi(bird) as there are many similarities.

He says World is an affect of Brahman(God).World is brahman but brahman is not world.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says functional aspect of the brain is called mind.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says By atma-gnana we will not get moksha because by atma-gnana karyam we get karma palitam.

In sankara Basyam it is written that Only by guru's grace we can get moksha.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says having doubt is very dangerous in devotional field.

Anubhavam loo priyatvam lopistu untundi. Anubhavaniki adaramayina swarupamloo priyatvam lopinchadu.

Example: eating 2nd laddu will not get same happiness like eating 1st laddu as our experience of eating food as already started.

Humans get real happiness 2 times

a) In deep sleep
b) Suppose we desire to eat laddu then real happiness comes only when we have completed eating laddu because after eating laddu our desire got fulfilled and which means now we have no more desire to eat laddu at that moment.

So happiness comes only when we have no desires.We donot get real complete happiness while eating laddu because we may feel that laddu we are eating is getting over as we already started eating.So only little happiness will be gained while eating but not complete happiness.

Ideally any one upanishad is sufficient to study and contemplate so that is the reason there is no order to read upanishads.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says Upanishads Generally donot have interest in creation and puna-janma related stuff.

Annamaya Kosa & Pranamaya Kosa:

(Anuvaga 2 of Anandavalli)

From food (anna) indeed are all creatures born - whatever creatures dwell on earth; by food again, surely they live; then again to the food, they go at the end. Food, surely, is of beings the eldest; thence it is called the medicament (medicament - aushada - the medicine) of all. All food verily, they obtain who food as Brahman regard; for food is the eldest of beings, and thence it is called the medicament of all. From food, beings are born. When born by food, they grow. It is fed upon and it feeds on beings; thence it is called the medicament of all.

Pranamayakosa described: Than that verily, than this one formed of food essence - there is another self within, formed of prana; by him this one is filled. He verily- this one - is quite of man's shape. After his human shape, this one is of man's shape. Of him prana itself is the head; vyana is the right wing; apana is the left wing; akasa is the self; the earth is the tail, the support. On that, too, there is this verse.

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says If pranam is there body will be there and if prana is not there then there is no body.So as of now we will agree that we are prana and not body.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says Prana is the link between the body and the mind.As when we fell down and our body gets hurt immediately our mind will come to know about this.

But still we are not prana as prana is jada i.e insentient.

we are the knower of prana and not prana. Example: Sometimes when people are in trouble they say "amma naa pranam potundi" means here he is knowing that his life is about to get lost and which means we are the knower.

Likes and deslikes i.e raga/dvesha are not there for air,prana.

So in Manomaya Kosam it is said that we are not body,prana but mind as likes and deslikes are known to the mind only.

Prana - the Universal life & Manomaya Kosa:

(Anuvaga 3 of Anandavalli)

After Prana, do devas live, as also men and beasts. Prana is the life duration of beings; then it is called the life duration of all. The whole life duration do they reach, who prana as Brahman regard. Prana is of beings the life duration; then it is called the life duration of all. Thus ends the verse. There of - of the former- this one is the self-embodied than this one formed of prana, there is another self within formed of Manas (Thought stuff). By him this one is filled. He, verily, this one is quite of man's shape.After his human shape, this one is of man's shape.

Of him, the Yajur Veda itself is the head; the Rig Veda is the right wing; the Sama Veda is the left wing; the Ordinance(heart) is the self; the Atharvana Veda, Angirasa Maharshi are the tail, the support. On that as well there is this verse.

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says In deep sleep even though prana is there for us but we are unable to stop theives stealing in our house.

So prana is insentient.

Brahman beyond speech & thought:

(Anuvaga 4 of Anandavalli)

When all words turn back as well as Manas, without reaching; he who knows Brahman's bliss fears not at any time. There of -of the former- this one verily is the self-embodied. Than that verily, than this one formed of Manas - there is another self within; formed of Vijnana. By him this one is filled. (The inner self of Manomaya is Vijnanamaya). He verily this one, is quite of man's shape. After his human shape, this one is of man's shape.

Of him, faith surely is the head, righteousness is the right wing, truth is the left wing, yoga is the self and Mahah is the tail, the support. On that as well there is this verse.

Note: Even though we get pains in our body it is not body that feels pain but it is mind that feels pain.That is the reason why doctors give anestisa to escape from pain.


Contemplation of Vijnana as the Hiranyagaryabha:

(Anuvaga 5 of Anandavalli)

Intelligence accomplishes sacrifice and deeds as well does it accomplish. Intelligence do all Gods worship as Brahman, the eldest . If intelligence as Brahman, one knows if from that he swerves not, in body sins forsaking, he all desires achieves. There of - of all the former, this one is the self-embodied. Than that verily, than this one formed of Vijnana- there is another self within; formed of bliss. By him this one is filled. He verily this one, is quite of man's shape. After his human shape, this one is of man's shape. Of him, love itself is the head, joy is the right wing, delight is the left wing, bliss is the self and Brahman is the tail, the support. On that, too, there is this verse.

Note: Sri Sundara chaitanya Swami says sankalpas/vikalpas are done by mind but decided by buddi i.e intelligence vignanamaya kosam.

Decision was done by Intelligence i.e vignanamaya kosam.

So karta is intellect and not mind as we thought in previous verse.

So here we naturally think we are intellect.

Mind,body are instruments only.

Suppose we go into a hotel then mind will show all its fav choices to eat before intellect like idly,vada etc.Then finally intellect will take decision and will select one tiffen to eat.

So decision is taken by vignanamaya kosam.But body decision is also important as suppose our body donot have teeth then intellect should change the decision of eating breakfast as few items cannot be taken without teeth.

So aham vritti(EGO) is vignanamaya kosam and other thoughts are dependent on this aham vritti.

Sraddha is important for disciple to succeed in devotion.

Brahman - the One being:

(Anuvaga 6 of Anandavalli)

Non- being, verily, does one become if he as non-being knows Brahman. If one knows that Brahman is, then they regard him as being. Thus reads the verse. There of - of the former, this one is the self-embodied. Hence, then, the questions that follow: whether does any one who knows nor, departing, goes to that region? Or does any one who knows, departing attain that region. He desired: many may I be, may I be born; He made Tapas; Having made Tapas. He sent forth all this and that of this more. This having sent forthwith, into that very thing, He then entered. That having entered, both the being and the beyond, He became the definite and the indefinite, the abode and the non-abode, the conscious and the unconscious, both the real and the false, did the Real become, and whatever else is here. That they say, is the Real.

Note: Sri Sundara chaitanya Swami says In Deep sleep we are infact happy as told by Ramana Maharshi.

Because there is happiness every living being likes to sleep and even prepares his bed so carefully to sleep.

And also there is no need to tell anyone to sleep as automatically we will sleep if required.But no one really wants to getup from sleep as we donot want to lose happiness.

He said One god in world first created few things in the world and then started thinking what to do next in next consecutive days which is funny.


Brahman - as external objects:

(Anuvaga 7 of Anandavalli)

Non being verily, this was in the beginning. Then indeed, the being was born; that created itself by itself. Then that the Self cause is called. That one called the Self cause, He is the flavour. Flavour indeed, this one having got, blessed becomes he. Who indeed could live, who breathe, should not this bliss be in akasa; this it is that bestows bliss. When in truth this (soul) gains fearless support in Him who is invisible, selfless, undefined, non-abode then has he the fearless reached. When indeed this (soul) makes in this one even the smallest break, then for him, there is fear. That verily, is fear to the knower who does not reflect. On that, too, there is this verse.

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says happiness is our nature and it cannot be found in external objects.If really happiness is found outside in then it will become jadam i.e insentient.

He says yoga school is ok till some extent to get concentration of mind and also for body maintenence but cannot be useful to reach our goal.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says without effort we will get happiness in deep sleep.So happiness is not dependent on outside external objects.

Who attains Brahman?

(Anuvaga 8 of Anandavalli)

From fear of Him does Wind blow, from fear of Him does Sun rise, from fear of Him, Agni and Indra (act) and death the fifth does run. Now, this is the enquiry concerning bliss.

Suppose a youth, a good youth, learned in the sacred love, promptest in action, steadiest in heart, strongest in body - suppose his is all this earth, full of wealth. This is one human bliss.

What is a hundred times the human bliss, that is one bliss of the human fairies, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of the human fairies, that is one bliss of the celestial fairies, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of the celestial fairies, that is one bliss of the Pitris, who dwell in the long-enduring world, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of the Pitris, who dwell in the long-enduring world, that is one bliss of the Devas born in the Ajana, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of the Devas born in the Ajana, that is one bliss of the Devas (known as) Karma-Devas, those who have reached Devas by work, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of the Karma - Devas, that is one bliss of the Devas, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion. (Note: Here, "Devas" connotes the 33 Devas [8 vasus; 11 rudras; 12 adityas; Indra and Prajapathi]- who have a right to partake the oblations offered in the sacrificial rites)

What is a hundred times the bliss of the Devas, that is one bliss of Indra, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion. (Note: Indra is the Lord of Devas)

What is a hundred times the bliss of Indra, that is one bliss of Brihaspathi (Indra's teacher), as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of Brihaspathi, that is one bliss of Prajapathi (the Lord of creatures, is the viraj, who has the three worlds for his body), as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

What is a hundred times the bliss of Prajapathi, that is one bliss of Brahma, as also of the man versed in the Vedas, not smitten by passion.

Note: Sri Sundara chaitanya Swami says In anandamaya kosam there is no karta and only bhokta hence there is absolute happiness.

In deep sleep happiness which we gain has no reason where as happiness we gain in dreams and waking states have some reason for our happiness.

Example: we get happiness if we eat gulab jam etc but in deep sleep there is no reason as it is our natural state.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says god and creation is not different as he himself thought of becoming many and hence came creation.

So as adi sankara said world is false and brahman is true and world is brahman.

Sri Sundara chaitanya Swami says man is not born due to papam but only due to previous janma punyam only.In one religion it is told that man is born with a sin. He says if that is the case then everywork he does will also become sin as it is sinner who is doing the karma.

He says when ramana maharshi comes even lord indra shoukd even stand and respect him.Such is the power of ramana maharshi.

Anandamaya Kosa described:

Brahma means - Hiranyagarbha, who is manifested as the universal being as well as the individual beings who pervades all the universe of Samsara in whom all bliss unite into one, who possess Dharma which causes that bliss, the knowledge concerning Dharma and its results, as also the utmost freedom from desire.

And this one, who is in the man, and that one who is in the Sun, He is one. He who knows departing from this world, attains this Annamaya self; this Pranamaya self does he attain; this Manomaya self he attains; this Vijnanamaya self he attains; he attains this Anandamaya Self. On that, too, there is this verse.

Note: Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami says in one religion it says that god created the sun on 5th day and he criticised and said that how can we know 4 days have passed when sun itself is created on 5th day.

He said it is shame on humanity to write those kind of holy texts.

Sri Sundara Chaitanya swami says happiness cannot be retrieved by even mixture of combination of sense object + mind + indriyas combination.

He said there is one school who believes that the above combination gives perfect happiness.

That particular school gives example of killi in which the leaf is in green colour and sunnam is in white colour and vokkapodi is in brown colour.But finally when we mix those we will get red colour.So that school similarly we get perfect happiness in a mixture of combination of sense object + mind + indriyas combination.

However sri sundara chaitanya swami does not agree with above argument and says darkness(sense objects) + darkness(mind) + darkness(indriyas) cannot bring light.


Brahman is beyond speech and thought:

(Anuvaga 9 of Anandavalli)

He who knows the bliss of Brahman when all words recede, as well as mind, without reaching, he is not afraid of any one whatsoever. Him, verily, the thought not burns, why I have not done the right? Why have I done sin? Who so knows thus, these two as the self does he cherish. Both these, verily as the self does he cherish who thus knows. Such is the sacred wisdom.

Peace Chants:

May Brahman protect us (the Guru and Sishya) both!

May he give us both to enjoy!

Efficiency may we both attain!

Effective may our study prove!

Hate may we not (each other) at all!

Sources:

1) http://www.vedarahasya.net/siksha.htm
2) http://www.advaita.info/Taittiriya-Upanishad.html

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Dr Surya Narayana Raju About Role Of Thoughts In Our Daily Life

Our nature is thought-free,actionless,non-dual Self consciousness "I am".It is the basic form of Self consciousness.It is adjunct free.This essential Self consciousness "I am" when mixed with adjuncts like body and mind,a compound consciousness results which is devoid of Self knowledge i.e this compound consciousness has only object knowing capacity without the knowledge of the nature of basic form of consciousness.

This compound consciousness is mind centered around the imaginary experience of ourselves as a body.To function in the phenomenal reality thought is required for this compond consciousness.But the problem arises when we use thought where it has no role to play.

For example the state of anger,fear etc are result of thought activity.So they
cannot be corrected by thought.But thought tries to manipulate anger or fear etc by suppressing it or justifying it.This type of effort is a struggle to transform the anger or fear into their opposite states.Here thought has no role to play.Just the
perception of anger or fear etc is enough.

In perception we don't do anything psychologically in form of thought activity.
It is simple looking into the state of anger or fear etc without the interference of thought and the burden of psychological past.Here what is required is stilling of thought which is brought about by perception.Stilling of thought is not an action of will.When anger happens,it happens.You cannot do anything about it.

By being aware of this inward insufficiency "be with the anger" with awareness.When we are aware we don't give energy to the anger but rather we will be aware of the factors which are resulting in a state of anger.In that very awareness of network of anger we go beyond anger.Any effort by thought to correct the anger is a distraction from being "aware" of the anger.So effort in the psychological arena is a struggle to transform the "what is" like anger and fear,violence etc to what should be.In this struggle definitely there is unhappiness and misery.When saints say thought brings misery and unhappiness all this is implied.

They do not mean to say thought has no role to play in the outside phenomenal reality,if we want to go back to our house from office thought is required,to draft a message like this thought is required.Thought and body are the tools in the hands of consciousness but thought and body are not our essential nature.

We continue to exist in our basic form of consciousness without them.Till you experience your basic form of consciousness for yourself you continue to doubt whether such a state exist at all.Self-inquiry is meant to make you experience your basic form of consciousness and to function from that center instead of functioning from the ego which is to function from the burden of psychological past which is essentially limited.

When we function from a limited entity our action is limited and never complete and such an action however sincere results in incomplete action which results in duality,conflict and perennial strife.So thought should be used where it has a role to play in physical dimension like technology,fulfilling the basic needs of the body but it should not be used as an instrument to solve the psychological problems born out of relating with others with a separative feelings.If one tries to manipulate there with thoughts misery is certain.

About the Author

Sri Suryanarayana Raju is interested in Self-Enquiry in the light of Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.He wrote two books on "Self-Enquiry" and "Commented on Upadesa Saram and Akshara Mana Malai". available for download at http://www.esnips.com/ web/ramana-maharshi

http://www.facebook.com/Arunachalasiva

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=424600896864

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Ramana Maharshi Says Bad Habits And Bad Conduct Are Like A Wound In The Body

Q: Sankara says we are all free, not bound, and that we shall all go back to God from whom we have come as sparks from a fire. Then why should we not commit all sorts of sins?

A: It is true we are not bound and that the real Self has no bondage. It is true that you will eventually go back to your source. But meanwhile, if you commit sins, as you call them, you will have to face the consequences of such sins. You cannot escape them. If a man beats you, then, can you say, `I am free, I am not bound by these beatings and I don't feel any pain. Let him beat on'? If you can feel like that, you can go on doing what you like. What is the use of merely saying with your lips 'I am free'?

Q: It is said that the whole universe is God's play of consciousness and that everything is full of Brahman. Then why should we say that bad habits and bad practices should be discarded?

A: Suppose there is some wound inside the human body. If you neglect it, on the assumption that it is only a small part of the body, it causes pain to the whole body. If it is not cured by ordinary treatment, the doctor must come, cut off the affected portion with a knife and remove the impurities. If the diseased part is not cut off it will fester. If you do not bandage it after operating, pus will form. It is the same thing with regard to conduct. Bad habits and bad conduct are like a wound in the body. Every disease must be given appropriate treatment.

Source: Be as you are – The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi By David Godman

My Friend Subramanian.R wants to add few more information

Yes. Bad habits and bad conducts are like wound. But sometimes even good acts can create sins very indirectly. Bhagavan Ramana has also said about this in some conversation.

Once there was a Siva bhakta chanting Namasivaya always. One day, during his puja, some beggar came and asked for some money. Since the meal was not ready, he came out and gave him a measure of rice, for he had no money either to give.

This beggar went and sold the rice and bought a fishing gadget. With that he caught fish in large numbers. Then he with the additional earnings, brought a net also. More money came since he had huge haul of fish every day. Then he bought a boat and thus started catching tons of fish every day. He became an exporter of fish in cold storage containers and became a millioner.After some years he died. The Siva bhakta also died. Siva bhakti surprisingly was taken to hell. He wondered and ask Yama what sins he had committed. Yama asked Chitragupta to bring the accounts book of merits and demerits. There it was written that he had killed one billion fish! Then Yama explained: You gave a measure of rice to the beggar. The beggar did all these. But your rice is the capital for the whole trade. So you get capital punishment! This bhakta then finished his period in hell and came back and pursued his Siva
puja. In this birth, he used to give only cooked rice and made the beggars to eat it then and there and then leave his house!

When Ravana's hands were caught under Kailas when he tried to lift it, and when Siva stamped his toe on him. He cried for 1000 years.No retribution. Then there came the Sage Vageesa and he said: Even if you weep for 10000 years, you will have no relief. Best thing is you sing Sama Veda and Siva will be pleased. Ravana cut one of his ten heads and sang the Sama Veda and Siva was pleased. Siva then gave him half a million years of lifetime! But Ravana misused this longeivity of life and started doing all sorts of atrocities, the major thing being taking away the women from their households.

The householders beat their stomach and cried. Their stomach was burning with anger and misery. This Sage Vageesa, because of his indirect help, did not get Siva padam. He was born again as Saint Tirunavukkarasar and cried due to colic pain for long years, [when he was a Jain follower] before he came back to Saivism and with the vibhuti given by his sister Tilakavadi, his colic pain was cured! He started singing Siva nama and he became Saint Tirunavukkarasar.He composed Tevaram book 4,5 and 6.

Saint Avvaiyar has therefore said: Please give alms after knowing the vessel [that is the nature of the recipient.].

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Ramana Maharshi Says Unless The Realization Is Eternal It Cannot Be Much Helpful

Q: Many visitors here tell me that they get visions or thought-currents from you. I have been here for the last month and a half and still I have not the slightest experience of any kind. Is it because I am unworthy of your grace?

A: Visions and thought-currents are had according to the state of mind. It depends on the individuals and not upon the universal presence. Moreover, they are immaterial. What matters is peace of mind.What is realization? Is it to see God with four hands, bearing a conch, a wheel and a club? Even if God should appear in that form, how is the disciple's ignorance wiped out ? The truth must eternal realization. The direct perception is ever-present experience.

God himself is known when he is directly perceived. It does not mean that he appears before the devotee in some particular form. Unless the realization is eternal it cannot serve any useful purpose. Can the appearance of God with four hands be eternal realization? It is phenomenal and illusory.

There must be a seer. The seer alone is real and eternal.Let God appear as the light of a million suns. Is it pratyaksha [direct experience]? To see a vision of God the eyes and the mind are necessary. It is indirect knowledge, whereas the seer is direct experience. The seer alone is pratyaksha.

Source: Be as you are – The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi By David Godman

My Friend Subramanian.R wants to add few more points

Some devotee asked Bhagavan: "Bhagavan! What will you do if Arunachaleswara comes before you? What will you ask Him or say?"

Bhagavan smiled and said: "I would say, O Arunachala! Do not keep this business of coming and going before me. Please stay put in my Heart."

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Ramana Maharshi Disciple About Self-inquiry---Witnessing consciousness--Pure Awareness

The body-mind complex of human being is a product of evolution.During the process of that evolution that entity gathers so many habits and tendencies that survive the physical death.

Mind will not be free of those tendencies and the consciousness of mind is limited and apparently imprisoned by those tendencies unless they are spent up by the mental and physical activity.So the tendencies are the source of mental activity and so physical activity as well.

So every human being is born with innate tendencies and he is getting identified with those tendencies and with the body which is the vehicle to execute the work for spending up of tendencies.So human is born to act.Tendencies direct our action.

We can do those acts unconsciously,habitually,mechanically or consciously,non-mechanically,non-habitually.We can practice doing things consciously.Vipassana is a method which helps us to do things consciously,first we try to be conscious of gross things like actions of the body,its breath etc,which later endows us the capacity to be conscious of subtle things like thoughts,emotions,feeling even as they arise.

In Self-inquiry we try to be conscious of subtle things directly which is possible for those with already having subtle intellect.Bhagawan clearly pointed out that Self-inquiry is not for everybody in general population.

In Self-inquiry we don't indulge in suppression of thoughts but we try to be conscious of thoughts,emotions,feelings.Consciousness(Spruha) is a quality of the mind.So we can practice such mental consciousness by being conscious of what we are doing physically,mentally,emotionally.Our ordinary activity is an unconscious
activity,mechanical,robot like.Once a retired military man is carrying a basket full of eggs for selling in the market.

One naughty child said "attention".Immediately the military man made a military salute and the basket fell down and eggs are destroyed.Majority of us so used to act mechanically from the past memory like that.

If we can bring such acts to the conscious level by cultivating mental consciousness,then such act becomes witnessing.Bhagawan says mind has a conscious aspect and a dynamic aspect.

The conscious aspect is the witnessor and the dynamic aspect are represented by breath(Prana) and thought.That is why breath and thought are interrelated because they arise from the same source.

In his death experience Bhagawan witnessed the dynamic aspect of mind in form of thought of death fear.Then dynamic aspect came to a standstill and both breath and thought are stopped.

From that witnessing state which is dual he immediately jumped into awareness which is non-dual state in a timeless dimension.This immediate jumping into pure consciousness which is adjunct-less from a dual state of witnessing is a rare event in spiritual history.Usually it takes very long time to gather courage to make a jump into the unknowable entity of pure conscious being.

When we cultivate conscious aspect of mind it becomes a witnessor to the dynamic aspect of the mind.So witnessing is an act,you are doing it,the ego is there.So the phenomenon of witnessing is divided between the subject and the object.It is a relationship between the subject and the object.

Today during my morning walk i observed dark monsoon clouds passing southwards,it is raining with beautiful smell of earth,a very pleasant atmosphere with different types of birds flying playfully and sparkling in the background of dark clouds.

I heard beautiful singing of birds,their exchange of sounds between them, greenery
of the trees,a human praying with a mike in his hand,a school bus passing through the road.All this seeing,hearing of birds,smelling of earth,feeling the cool air are all part of witnessing.

So mind and senses are channels for flow of consciousness with its intrinsic quality of witnessing.When i perceive all these i don't have any other thoughts but i am very much there as the center of perception of all these and so i am the subject and the things perceived are the objects.In a way i am witnessing without any judgement just seeing the facts as they are.

When i am lost in thoughts for few moments that witnessing,that perception is lost for the time being even though the object is there before us obviously.Again i am conscious and started witnessing again.

This is possible when we cultivate mental consciousness.That cultivation of mental consciousness is in our hands and we have that much freedom.In Self-inquiry also in the initial stages there is a subject,a center from which we observe the thoughts which are objects of the perception of the witnessor.

Sometimes during Self-inquiry we are lost in jungle of thoughts and we no longer witness the thought because we become one with the thoughts.Again we comeback to senses and start witnessing the thoughts.There is no need to make it a problem for going astray like this and getting frustrated.

This is part of Self-inquiry.We cannot be in a state of witnessing all the time uninterruptedly in the early stages of Self-inquiry.Witnessing is also an activity but it is a higher activity when compared to ordinary activity.In this ordinary activity is done consciously.

Mind as such is a medium of duality.It is always conscious(Spruha) of something and there is always someone who is conscious.Mind as such is a source of all duality,all divisions whether they are between the subject and the object,activity or inactivity,consciousness or unconsciousness.Every type of duality is mental.

Consciousness(Spruha) is a means towards witnessing.(Sakshi tattwa).If we begin to be conscious of the activities of body-mind complex we achieve witnessing.Witnessing comes as a consequence,a by product of consciousness.

The more we become conscious,the more we go into witnessing,the more we come to be a witness.Witnessing will become a method to land in our natural state non-dual pure awareness.If we become conscious of our own consciousness,it goes on increasing and the unconsciousness goes on decreasing.

This is exactly what happens in Self-inquiry.If we become 100% conscious,we become a witness.Once we come to a stage of witnessor jumping into pure awareness(Aeruka) is easy and witnessing is a means to achieve pure awareness and in this there is no limitation to consciousness because the limiting factors become extinct.

So we lose the "doer",we lose the subjectivity,we lose the egocentricity.The pure awareness is a consciousness without any center,without any source,without any motivation.So in pure awareness mind dissolves in it and becomes a part of that and there is no entity to be conscious about it.

Some Ramana devotees say that we must be aware of awareness.Do they know the import of such statement?So in Self-inquiry ordinary doing is brought to conscious level and is witnessed by witnessing consciosnes which is dual in nature but that higher doing witnessing through which we can transcend the mind and land in pure awareness of Self which is there waiting for you and draws you towards itself which is your source
of being.

Then you are in a state of non-doing,Summa iru.Sitting silently and doing nothing and bliss overflows without any center and flows undirected.This is our natural state of being.

About the Author

Sri Suryanarayana Raju is interested in Self-Enquiry in the light of Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.He wrote two books on "Self-Enquiry" and "Commented on Upadesa Saram and Akshara Mana Malai". available for download at http://www.esnips.com/ web/ramana-maharshi

http://www.facebook.com/Arunachalasiva

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=422538236864

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Ramana Maharshi Disciple About Destruction of the mind (Manonasa).

If the mind is cleared of tendencies there is no obstruction to the reflection of effulgence of self and in vedantic jargon it is called manonasa(destruction of the mind),it should not be understood as a literal destruction. Mind will be there but ego is annihilated. It is the tendencies that cause spurious growth of the ego which interferes with the reflection of self effulgence.

Destruction of tendencies amounts to destruction of the ego. In English it is termed as no mind state(Amanaska state in vedantic jargon).In this state all physiological functions continue through mind but only the anomaly of volition(sankalpa) and doubt(vikalpa) is destroyed forever.

Source: The Book On Self Enquiry By Sri Surya Narayana Raju

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Ramana Maharshi Disciple About Brahman And Jiva

The drop in the ocean is never separate from the ocean even when drop thinks that it is separate from ocean. All spiritual practices are aimed at removing the false notion that you are separate from your ocean of self.

There is no need to unite drop and the ocean, because in the first place they are never separate and cannot be separated. The notion that drop is separate from the ocean is just imaginary and all disciplines which aim at uniting the drop with the ocean are also imaginary.

You are a wave in the ocean and the wave is never separate from the ocean even though it has a name and form unlike the sea. Waves appear and disappear in the ocean only, there is no need to unite the wave to the sea. All that is required is to nullify the false notion that wave is separate from the sea which is not possible because it is
because of the sea, wave has it's existence.

Source: The Book On Self Enquiry By Sri Surya Narayana Raju

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Swami Sivananda Tells To Shave The Mind

The mind is the all in all. Its mastery leads to the renunciation of all. True renunciation is in the abnegation of the mind. It consists in renouncing all desires and egoism, not world existence. Through such mental abnegation you will be able to free yourself from pain. Then will come immortality in life - the enjoyment of the infinite delight of existence free from ego, founded on the oneness of all in Brahman.

Sanyasa (renunciation) is a mental state only. It is gerua (or colouring) of the heart and not of the cloth alone. He is a sanyasi who is free from passion and egoism, who possesses all the satvic qualities, even though he lives with the family and in the world. If you have a stainless mind you are a sanyasi (a renunciate), whether you live in a forest or in a city, whether you wear white cloth or an orange coloured robe, whether you shave your head or keep a long tuft of hair.

Shave the mind. This consists of getting rid of all attachment, passion, egoism, infatuation, lust, greed, anger, etc. Vedanta does not want you to renounce the world; it wants you to change your mental attitude. It wants you to give up this illusory feeling of `I- ness' and `mine-ness'.

Mind is a mass of objectified desires. Desire in the mind to eat has manifested as the tongue, the teeth and the stomach. Desire in the mind to walk has manifested as legs and feet. Control the mind and you control the desires. Eyes can only see. Ears can only hear.

Tongue can only taste. Nose can only smell. Skin can only touch. The five senses are blended in the mind and the mind directly sees, hears, smells, tastes and feels. It does this quite independent of the senses.

Understand clearly the aim of your life. Chalk out the line of work that is congenial to your aim. Then you should work hard to realise that ideal. Have your ideal ever before you and try, every second, to live up to it.

Develop a strong desire to remove carelessness and forgetfulness from your character. Have confidence in your own powers and faculties. Keep your mental poise in the world, without consideration of failure, without consideration of gain or loss, pleasure or pain.

Have the mind always rooted in God, amidst all the activities of life.

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Suryanarayana Raju: To stop running after thoughts and to sit in the source of being is the Art of Self-inquiry

Psychologically we all know how to run after thoughts uninterruptedly 24/7 and we go on cultivating the thoughts.Thinking is a functioning of the mind.

Mind is not a thing.It is a process of minding,thinking.Its basic nature is to fragment the consciousness.Mind is a crowd with many,many self contradictory openings.Man is poly psychic,a parliament of minds.

So we cannot be total with the mind.The crowd in it is not a fixed crowd but a changing crowd.Every moment something is added and something is lost.We can never go
beyond the mind if we go on using it.

With mind everything is partial including its observation which results in residue of non-understanding and so there is always perennial conflict if we want to solve a problem with the mind with its partial observation.

Observation cannot be total if we use the instrument of mind.So for observing a problem in totality one requires a unitary entity with awareness.

Thought is an acquired process,it is not our innate nature,that is why there are
no thoughts in deep sleep state.Thoughts of belonging to a family,race,nationality,
religion,profession,caste,creed,cult etc are just utilitarian in nature.So mind means
whatsoever has been put into and superimposed on our inner consciousness.

Mind is a byproduct of upbringing,conditioning,education,culture.Basically mind
is an acquisition of habits and identifying with them and then think we are that stuff.

If mind is in a state of thinking,consciousness in it becomes opaque, non-transparent,just like a clouded sky – you cannot see the sky. When the clouds are not,you can see the sky.

If we carefully observe the thought we will come to know when one thought passes and before another thought is yet to come there is an interval.In that interval,in that gap you can feel the natural state of our witnessing consciousness.

But for many thoughts are so speedy that they cannot feel the gap between one thought and the another.In Self-inquiry thought process is slowed down and we begin to feel the gaps.So in Self-inquiry there is a fight for our innate nature of witnessing consciousness against our mental habits.Self-inquiry helps us to put aside the mental habits.

It helps us that which is natural to us,real "I'.Thinking belongs to the mind and witnessing is our innate nature.So we cannot do both simultaneously.Thinking must cease for the witnessing consciousness to be.Only through witnessing we reach the reality.

We can never go beyond the mind if we go on using it.Bliss happens only when we are total in something and we are never total in anything because of the mind.Whatever we do we attend to it partially which creates tension,anguish.

Our innate nature is unity but the mind has been collected by the way.Everything influences the mind,we go on collecting rubbish in multidimensional ways.Mental decision is majority decision of the contents of the mind but it not decision
born out of clarity.

In Self-inquiry we are dealing with a dynamic entity because every moment we are confronted with a new mind with some contents deleted and some added.So we have to inquire in a living and dynamic way.So Self-inquiry cannot have a fixed path for investigation.It is just like driving a car in a busy city during rush hour and we have to find the gaps to drive the car.

Similarly in Self-inquiry we have to be alert to find the gaps between thoughts and in the interval between when mind changes from one mode to another during transitional state.Only then "being" can happen through witnessing.

We cannot both sit and run with our legs at same time.Similarly we cannot think and witness at same time simultaneously.In Self-inquiry identity with what we are not is broken,then we don't run after the thoughts and we sit safely in our source of being which is our Self.

About the Author

Sri Suryanarayana Raju is interested in Self-Enquiry in the light of Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.He wrote two books on "Self-Enquiry" and "Commented on Upadesa Saram and Akshara Mana Malai". available for download at http://www.esnips.com/ web/ramana-maharshi

http://www.facebook.com/Arunachalasiva

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=420620981864

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Ramana Maharshi About Maya And Mind

D: It is stated that the existence of the world is false,an illusion, Maya, but we see the world day after day.How can it be false?

B: By false it is meant that the conception of the world is a superimposition on reality, as the idea of a snake is superimposed on the reality of a rope, in darkness (in ignorance). That is Maya, illusion.

D: What is Maya? Illusion?

B: Seeing ice without seeing that it is water is illusion,Maya. Therefore saying things like killing the mind or anything like that also has no meaning, for after all mind also is part and parcel of the Self.

Resting in the Self or inhering in the Self is mukti, getting rid of Maya.Maya is not a separate entity. Absence of light is called darkness,so also absence of Knowledge, Illumination etc., is called ignorance, illusion or Maya.

Source: CRUMBS FROM HIS TABLE By RAMANANANDA SWARNAGIRI

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Final Part - Tales Of Ramana Maharshi Recounted By Chalam

A devotee wanted to take a photo of Bhagavan together with Ganapati Muni. Bhagavan consented, and a carpet was spread near the well, on which a sofa was put for Bhagavan to sit on. Ganapati Muni sat down at his feet, but Bhagavan asked him to sit by his side. Ganapati Muni was reluctant, but Bhagavan lifted him up and made him sit on the sofa. The photo was taken, and some prints were made and distributed among
the devotees.

The Ashram authorities came to know about it when it was all over and, quite naturally, were indignant, for sitting on the same level with one’s Guru was a serious breach of custom, implying a claim for spiritual equality. The negative
and the prints had to be given up. But the man who had taken the photo refused to surrender his copy. It did not bring him any luck; shortly after he committed suicide. The question why Bhagavan forced Ganapati Muni to sit on the sofa was never answered. Maybe it was his way of bringing the deeply hidden weaknesses of everybody to the surface.

Bose and Yogi Ramaiah were accompanying Bhagavan up the hill. While they were waiting for him to return, Yogi Ramaiah told Bose that a cement platform would be useful
for Bhagavan to rest on. On his return Bhagavan was told of the idea and he said, “Don’t. If you construct a platform,somebody will erect a temple”.

Once a devotee asked Bhagavan, “Have you seen Shiva,Nandi and Kailas?” Bhagavan replied, “No, never. But the Self I see every moment”.

Source : RAMANA SMRTI Sri Ramana Maharshi Birth Centenary Offering 1980

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Part 2 - Tales Of Ramana Maharshi Recounted By Chalam

In front of the temple dedicated to Bhagavan’s mother a magnificent hall was built and a gorgeous sofa carved from a single block of black granite was placed in the hall for Bhagavan to sit on. When all was ready he was requested to move from the old hall to the new one. Bhagavan refused.

A stone statue of him was being carved and he said, “The stone swami will sit on the stone sofa”. And it came true. Bhagavan used the stone sofa very little and only for the sake of the large gatherings which were brought by the news of his fatal
illness. When he was no more in the body, the statue was enthroned in the new hall and there it is now.

An old Telugu man with a long beard, an iron pot and chopper for cutting wood made his abode in the Draupadi temple. He would beg some food in the town, boil something or other in his iron pot on a small fire of wood cut with his chopper and eat it during the day. For hours together he could be seen standing and looking at Bhagavan.

He would spend the night in the temple, which was dilapidated and abandoned and surrounded by jungle.Once Chalam found him standing all alone in front of the temple and gazing at Arunachala. “I sleep here”, he said when Chalam asked him what he was doing in the forsaken temple. “What, sleeping here all alone? Are you not afraid”? exclaimed Chalam.

The old man seemed indignant. “Afraid of what? Bhagavan throws his light upon
me. All through the night I am surrounded by a blue radiance.As long as his light is with me, how can I be afraid”? The incident made Chalam deeply humble. Bhagavan’s love and light was given in full measure to a poor old beggar, while those who pride themselves on being his chosen disciples are left high and dry because they have themselves to attend to.

Source : RAMANA SMRTI Sri Ramana Maharshi Birth Centenary Offering 1980

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Part 1 - Tales Of Ramana Maharshi Recounted By Chalam

This happened about two years before Bhagavan’s Maha Nirvana. One morning Bhagavan was in the hall surrounded by devotees from many lands. It was time for lunch and
everybody was hungry. Some were already in the dining hall,waiting for Bhagavan to come.

At that time Bhagavan was suffering from severe rheumatism in his knees, which were
swollen and gave him severe pain; to get up he had to rub them first to remove the stiffness and it would take some time.At last he got up slowly from the sofa, and leaning on his walking stick, was about to go through the doorway when he
noticed a village milkman, wrapped in a cotton shawl, with a mudpot hanging on a strap from his shoulder.

Bhagavan stopped, looked at him and exclaimed, “Look, is it not Chinnappaya”? “Yes, it is me, Swami,” the villager replied with devotion and respect. Bhagavan asked him, “How are you? Are you well? You have come to see me? Very well. But what is in your pot? Have you brought some koolu (gruel)”? “Yes Swami, I have brought some koolu”, replied the milkman shyly. “Then come on, let me have it”.

Bhagavan put away his stick, cupped his two hands together and bent forward
holding his hands near his lips. The milkman started pouring the porridge from his pot in a thin stream into Bhagavan’s hands, as he sipped it with his chin between his wrists. The poor man’s face was beaming with joy and Bhagavan was drinking steadily, as if the grey porridge was nectar to him.

The dining hall was full of hungry and somewhat angry people. One of them came out to see what could be the cause of the delay in Bhagavan’s coming, and when he saw what kind of lunch Bhagavan was taking, he exclaimed, “How unfair, Bhagavan.We are all waiting for you and you are late for the sake of this peasant”!

Bhagavan grew indignant. “What,do you all think that I am here for your sakes only? Do I belong to you? Did you care for me when I was on the hill? Nobody wanted me then, only the shepherds, who would share their koolu with me.” And he went into the dining hall followed by the milkman and his pot.

Source : RAMANA SMRTI Sri Ramana Maharshi Birth Centenary Offering 1980

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Glimpses Of Sri Ramana Maharshi By Raja Iyer

IN 1911 when I was in the high school in Tiruvannamalai,Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi was living in Virupaksha Cave.At that time we boys would climb the Arunachala hill in small parties to visit Bhagavan. He was usually found sitting on the elevated place outside the cave. He would smile at us as a sign of recognition and would allow us to sit at his feet and sing devotional songs to our hearts’ content. When the singing was over, we would share with him the food we had brought and wash it down with the cool water from a spring just above the cave. We would then return home in high spirits.

Though I was married I was not interested in family life.My wife also passed away sometime after marriage and I was free to roam about and live as I wished to.

I am not by nature a willing worker but for the sake of staying at the Ashram I was ready to work. Bhagavan had come down from the hill after his mother’s samadhi and an Ashram grew around him. I did odd jobs like collecting flowers for worship, drawing water from the well, grinding sandalwood paste etc. For sometime I was performing the puja at Bhagavan’s mother’s shrine.

One day Chinnaswami asked me to take up the preparation of the morning iddlies, the steamed rice and pulse cakes common to South India. This gave me a chance to become a permanent resident of the Ashram. In preparing iddlies I achieved such excellence that visitors commented that nowhere had they tasted iddlies comparable to those of the Ashram.

He was very particular about avoiding waste. He showed me how to use a ladle so that not even a drop of food would fall on the ground, how to avoid spilling while pouring and how to start a fire with just a few drops of kerosene. If all this were not a part of my spiritual discipline, why should he have bothered?

When we prepared iddlies we would send him two, steaming hot. He would eat one and give the other to the people present. At breakfast everybody would get two iddlies and a cup of coffee, But Bhagavan would take only one iddlie, counting as his first, the one he took earlier.

In 1937 a post office was opened in the Ashram and I was made the Postmaster. On the first two days Bhagavan came to the post office and did all the stamping. Prior to that I used to bring the mail from the town post office to the Ashram.

“Oh, the postman has been made the Postmaster”, remarked Bhagavan. I thus had the opportunity of serving Bhagavan and the Ashram for several years.

Source : RAMANA SMRTI Sri Ramana Maharshi Birth Centenary Offering 1980

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Which one to erase? By Ramana Maharshi Disciple Viswanathan

The inner instruments consisting of mind(thoughts),Buddhi(intellect),chittam(memory) and ahamkara(I notion) known in sanskrit as antharkarna and collectively known as mind.Now the question arises which of the four affects jnani and ajnani and which one has to be erased.

- With regards to manas(thoughts), a person cannot recognize objects without the thought of that object.When we see an object,unless the thought of object is recognized by the mind, the eye cannot recognize the object.For example if my concentration is else where and at that moment if somebody passes in front of me and later if i am asked whether i have noticed a person passing in front of me , i will say that I have not noticed anybody passing me since my thoughts were elsewhere even though my eyes were wide open.Hence manas(thoughts) need not be erased.

-With regard to buddhi(intellect), both jnani and ajnani have to have buddhi, other wise one cannot differentiate between right & wrong, good and bad,dharma & adharma.Hence, buddhi also need not be erased.

-With regard to Chittam(memory) also,both jnani and ajnani should have memory otherwise one cannot recollect the events.Hence, chittam also need not be erased.

- With regard to ahamkara or the I notion also known as individuality or Ego,the jnani does not have Ego or I notion whereas agnani has very strong ego. This ego or individualitry also known as I notion is the one which identifies with self and claims itself to be the self(I notion) and also identifies with objects including the body and claims everything as mine.Bhagavan wants us to erase this ego only and not other three components of antharkarna.

- Now,unless one knows what is ego, he cannot erase it.Then how to recognize the ego?It can be easily identified.For example,if we sit for meditation,for some time the mind will be in a state free from thoughts.Suddenly an entity will pop up (rise) within and if we are not vigilant, that entity will immediately identify with objects and we will go along with the thought of objects.

That entity, the subject is the ego also known as ahamkara or I notion & is the root cause of all misery in life and Bhagavan wants this ego only to be erased.The rise of this ego is due to inherent tendencies also known as vasanas or imprints.As long as vasanas are there, ego cannot be erased.

- However,we should not lose hope since our savior, Bhagavan has given an unique method to erase the ego.Here, Bhagavan says that whenever thought appears, instead of going along with thought, he wants us to obsere to whom the thought comes and when we get the answer I, Bhagavan wants us to observe from where the I notion has come up.Then,the mind(ego or ahamkara or I notion) will merge in its source.

For some time there will be a complete silence for some time and again, due to vasanas, the mind will project thought and again we have to repeat the method given by Bhagavan.

By this repeated practice,Bhagavan says that mind (ego or I notion)will get its power to remain in its source( Self).This is Self enquiry as per Bhagavan.Bhagavan wants us not to obsere the thought and instead wants us to observe the thinker.

- Once the EGO is gone for ever then man becomes god.An easy definition for God is : MAN MINUS EGO IS GOD.

Source: http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=5935.msg0#new

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Its really Strange and mysterious world

It is no wonder sri ramakrishna says inscrutable are the ways of god.

We really cannot know him with our small intellect.

Few Examples

1)
Noble Winner C.V Raman believes in God while Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar who had a Nobel laureate in physics and who was the nephew of Indian Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman does not believe in god

2)
P.Chindambaram who graduated from harvard and who is our home minister does not believe in god while Abdul Kalam believes in god!!!!!!!

There is a also book written on those athiests :-)

Tamil Atheists: Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, M. Karunanidhi, P. Chidambaram, P. Jeevanandham, E. V. K. Sampath

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamil-Atheists-Subrahmanyan-Chandrasekhar-Jeevanandham/dp/1155287177

3)
Great Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan believes in god and He often said, "An equation for me has no meaning, unless it represents a thought of God."

Ramanujan credited his acumen to his family Goddess, Namagiri of Namakkal, and looked to her for inspiration in his work.

While Bhagat Singh, one of the most well-known figures in the Indian independence movement, was an atheist.

4)
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973), the leader of self-respect movement was a vocal critic of rituals, supersition and the concept of God.

His words

“ There is no god, there is no god, there is no god at all. He who invented god is a fool. He who propagates god is a scoundrel. He who worships god is a barbarian ”

are written on his statues in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

But Saint Annamayya sings 32,000 songs in praise of Lord Venkateswara when periyar is busy scolding people who believe in god :-)

5)
While Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India is an atheist and Kamal Haasan, filmmaker and actor is known for making films having themes of both Atheism and Brahminical Hinduism but mahatma gandhiji believes in god and he follows our dharma very well.


Conclusion: Inscrutable are the ways of god!! inscrutable are the ways of god.!!!!!! What can we understand with our little intellects.Wonder of wonder is how are the subtle body(sukshma sarira) so different for every gross body.

Just unimaginable and wonder!!!!!!

My Friend Subramanian Garu wants to add few more points

Both proclamations of theism and atheism are the products of the ego.

Bhagavan Ramana used to say that even atheist should have a guru if not a god. Because he acts as per someone who has told him about atheism.So he is the Guru for atheist.

Brahmasri Nochur Venkataraman says:One theist and another atheist [in the olden days] were arguing their points to the point of fist fight.But,after food and rest, they slept together keeping one man's hand on another.The sleep or absence of ego, keep them together!

My Friend Viswanathan Garu wants to add few more points

If an atheist says that there is no god, it is absurd because unless there is a power within him which makes him to say that statement , he will not be able to say anything and that power is called by various names such as consciousness,atma, allah, rama, krishna etc..If the same athesist is dead , can he still say that there is no god?Where is that power which made him to say while he was alive now(after death)?

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Swami Sivananda About MENTAL FACTORY

Now I will take you to the most wonderful mental factory. It is very close to you; it is a wonder of wonders. Even a rank materialist, if he is very sincere, will be turned into a perfect theist, instantly, if he closes his eyes for a moment and seriously reflects on the working of this marvellous factory. The Kena Upanishad opens with the following lines: "Who is the Director of this mind? Who gives Light and Power to this mind?" It goes on "Brahman is the Mind of minds, the Prana (life) of pranas, the Eye of eyes, the Ear of ears."

What a bold philosophy. At once it raises man to an unerring solution for all the different problems of life. The four mahavakyas (great utterances): "Prajnanam brahma" (consciousness is the Absolute); "aham brahma asmi" (I am the Absolute); "tat twam asi" (that thou art); "ayam atma brahma" (the Self is the Absolute), infuse power and joy into the hearts of all hearers. They produce drastic changes in your life. Then you will laugh at the vain pomp, the empty glory and the artificial and miserable life of a rich man.

The eyes and the ears are the gate-keepers of this mental factory - they are the `way in' and mouth is the `way out'. Eyes and ears bring inside the mental factory matters for manufacture. Light and sound vibrations are brought inside through these two avenues.

First of all they are made into `percepts' by the mind. They are then presented to the intellect. The intellect converts these `percepts' into `concepts' or ideas. These ideas are expressed by the outside gatekeeper, the organ of speech.

The external physical eyes and ears are mere instruments. But the real visual and auditory centres are in the brain and in the astral body - these are the real senses. Understand this point well. The intellect receives these materials from the mind and presents them to the purusa or Atman (the Self), who is behind the screen.

The mind is the head clerk of this mental factory. He has ten clerks, the five jnana indriyas (senses) to bring news from the facts outside. The facts are placed by the mind before the intellect, who places them before the purusa (inner self). A message comes back from the purusa to the buddhi (intellect). Buddhi decides and determines, and then gives the answer back to the mind, for execution. The five karma indriyas (organs of speech, hands, feet, genitals and anus) execute the order of the mind who is their master.

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Ramana Maharshi Devotee Venkateswara Sarma Shares His Experiences

A. Venkateswara Sarma and Smt. Sala SRI VENKATESWARA SARMA, a native of Keelapasalai Village, Ramnad Dt., is an old devotee of Sri Bhagavan,who along with his wife, Smt. Sala, equally devoted to Sri Bhagavan, lived in Sri Ramana Nagar. Both are closely related to Sri Bhagavan.

For over a decade he studied the Kavya (poetical literature in Sanskrit) gaining mastery in the same and also became an adept in the science of astrology by training he had for years at Vidyalaya in Kerala. In his early days while staying at Kandanur,
he had a remarkable experience.

He saw the portrait of Sri Bhagavan in his majestic standing posture with a penetrating look which not merely seemed but was really felt as directed only to him and which thrilled his whole being. This experience provoked a great urge to have Sri Bhagavan’s darshan immediately.

He started the very next day and arrived at Tiruvannamalai,his luggage consisting of a panchangam (almanac) in one hand and an umbrella in the other. That was in 1920. He climbed up the hill to Skandashram, and recognising Sri Bhagavan who was seated then under a nelli tree he hastened to prostrate at his feet, spontaneously reciting in a state of ecstatic inspiration the first sloka of Sri Dakshinamurthi Ashtakam.

“Look, look at the visitor who has come — Subbu’s son, is it not?” So exclaimed
Sri Bhagavan, turning to his mother who was there.

The mother gave him a hearty welcome and made him feel at home.Delighted by the stay with Sri Bhagavan that night, he was guided to perform giripradakshina (circumambulation of Holy Arunachala) next day.

He expressed an ardent desire to stay with Sri Bhagavan for good and pleaded that he did not want to marry but wished to remain with him and serve him and do pujas. The mother would have none of it, he had duties to perform, she reminded him and an uncle’s daughter awaited marriage with him.

He was then 22 years old.Sri Bhagavan consoled him, “What does it matter if you do puja or get married or whether you are here or elsewhere?” And so he left! Since then Sri Sarma was coming to Sri Bhagavan from time to time, often staying for a month or two and benefitting by Sri Bhagavan’s utterances and his silent influence with devotion and piety.

Though a successful astrologer by profession, especially in the branch of prasna (astrological forecasting on the basis of the exact time of the client’s question), Sri Venkateswara Sarma felt the futility of leading a bread-earning life and hence came to Sri Ramanasramam in 1939, along with his wife, and lived with Sri Bhagavan’s sister’s family.

In 1946 they took up abode at Adi Annamalai, four miles away from the Ashram on the circumambulation path, after duly informing Sri Bhagavan.They went round the hill daily and sometimes twice a day and thus had darshan of Sri Bhagavan on the way.

Sri Sarma compiled a short history of Sri Bhagavan’s life consisting of 120 slokas in Sanskrit, known as Ramana Charitamrutasaram, which Sri Bhagavan graciously perused and corrected.

He also composed songs in Tamil and presented them to Sri Bhagavan, who used to correct them only sparingly. Such corrections were not only grammatical in content but also vitally enriched them with spiritual depth.

For instance, in the following verse: “Those who are caught in the mouth of a great tiger are certain to die in this world;but all those, caught in the glance (drishti) of the great tiger adorning the slopes of Arunachala, known as great Ramana,get merged with natural ease in the eternal happiness,discarding fear of even the Lord of Death,” Sri Bhagavan put in the word with natural ease ‘(iyal) in the place of daily’
(nidham) of Sri Sarma’s!

Since 1948, he settled with his wife and only son in Tiruvannamalai town. The son passed away four years later.Both parents feel they survived that shock only by Bhagavan’s Grace.

They continued to render service at the Shrines of Sri Bhagavan and the Mother, assisting in the daily routine — perhaps as a fulfilment of his former sankalpa (desire) to do puja to Sri Bhagavan! He felt: “Sri Bhagavan is ever present in my mind and heart, in jagrat and swapna and his manifest Grace only is sustaining us in
all circumstances and at all times!”

Source: The Silent Power Selections from The Mountain Path and The Call Divine

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Major A.W. Chadwick Says Ramana Maharshi Was Deeply Interested In Construction His Mother's Samadhi

BHAGAVAN WAS DEEPLY interested in the construction of the shrine built over his mother’s samadhi. He attended every function in connection with it, placing his hands in blessing on the various objects that were to be enclosed in the walls. At night, when no one was about, he would walk round and round the construction consecrating it.

That he should take such a demonstrative part in anything has a very deep significance. It was extremely rare and has been doubted by many, but I myself was an eye-witness to these things and can vouch for their truth.

He took a personal interest in the cutting of the Sri Chakra Meru in granite (pyramidal form), which was installed in the completed temple and is regularly worshipped. This is about one and a half feet square and proportionately high.

At the time of the kumbabhishekam on the penultimate night before the sacred water was poured over the images, he personally supervised the installation in the inner shrine.

It was an extremely hot night and with three charcoal retorts for melting the cement
adding to the heat. It must have been intolerable inside the airless cave of the inner shrine. Yet for approximately one and a half hours Bhagavan sat there telling the workmen what to do.

On the last night of the function he went in procession,opening the doors of the new hall and temple and passing straight up into the inner shrine, where he stood for some five minutes with both hands laid on the Sri Chakra in blessing. I happened that night to be at his side the whole time. This was unusual, as I deliberately avoided taking a prominent part in such things, preferring to watch from the back.

Strangely, something made me keep by him on this occasion and on account of this I was able to understand his deep interest in the temple and especially in the Sri Chakra. It was because of this knowledge that I was instrumental, after Bhagavan’s passing, in persuading the Ashram authorities to institute the Sri Chakra pujas six times a month.

The explanation for this unusual action on Bhagavan’s part may be found in the necessity of Siva always to be accompanied by Shakti. The world would stop otherwise.

On the only occasion when such a puja was performed, shortly after the dedication of the temple during the life of Bhagavan, he refused to go for his evening meal, but insisted on remaining a witness of it until the end.

Someone remarked how magnificent it had been and that it would be a good thing if such pujas could be performed regularly, “Yes, but who will take the trouble?” asked Bhagavan.Trouble is being taken now and it undoubtedly has the blessings of Bhagavan.

Source: The Silent Power Selections from The Mountain Path and The Call Divine

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Swami Sivananda says Change Your Habits

Mind is a bundle of habits. Bad habits and prejudices, hidden in one's nature, will be brought to the surface of the mind when the opportunity comes. If you change the habits you can also change your character. You sow a habit and reap a character. You sow a character and reap a destiny.

Habits originate in the conscious mind but when they become established, by constant repetition, they sink into the unconscious mind and become our `second nature'. Habit can however be changed by a new, healthy, agreeable habit, of a stronger nature. At present you are thinking, "I am the body". Think, "I am Brahman". In the course of time you will be established in Brahmic consciousness.

Do not be a slave to one idea. Whenever you get new, healthy ideas, the old ones must be given up. In the mind there is an internal fight ever going on between `nature' and `will', between the old, worldly habits and the new, spiritual habits.

In the case of aspirants, the fight is between the old samskaras of the sensual world and new, spiritual samskaras. It is a fight between the good impressions of the past and bad impressions of the past. It is a fight between viveka (wisdom) and instinctive mind and indriyas (senses).

Eventually - will, which is pure, strong and irresistible, is bound to succeed. There is no doubt about this. As your reason grows and you become wiser and wiser - by study, by contact with the wise and by meditation - your mind must be well prepared to take up new, healthy, rational ideas and eschew the old, morbid ones.

Mind is your tool. When emotions arise, separate them, study them, analyse them but do not identify yourself with them. Master your impulses, emotions and moods. Rise from the position of slave to that of a spiritual king.

Just as the repetition of a thought or action leads to perfection, so also does the recurrence of the same process, or the same idea, lead to the perfection of abstraction, concentration and meditation.

Give your full mind to God. Only then will you have realisation. Even if one ray of the mind runs outside, it is impossible to attain God- consciousness. You cannot enjoy peace of mind, you cannot practise meditation, if there is tossing of the mind. Destroy mundane desires through dispassion and surrender to the Lord.

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Ramana Maharshi Suggests Let Each One Deal With Their Problems

A TALK WITH SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI By Pryns Hopkins

I asked whether, quite apart from whatever I thought, it wasn’t useful to have pointed out a way to those who were ripe for a new outlook. He countered with “Who thinks they are ready?’’

The Maharshi went on to say that the essential thing is to divorce our sense of self from what our ego and our body are feeling or doing. We should think “Feelings are going on, this body is acting in such and such a manner”, but never “I feel, I
act.” What the body craves or does is not our affair.

I then asked, “Have we then no responsibility at all for the behaviour of our ego?”

He replied, “None at all. Let it go its own way like an automaton.”

“But”, I objected, “you have told us that all the animal propensities are attributes of the ego. If when a man attains jivanmukti he ceases to feel responsibility for the behaviour of his ego and body, won’t they run amok completely?” I illustrated my point with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Maharshi replied, “When you have attained jivanmukti,you will know the answer to those questions. Your task now is not to worry about them but to know the Self.”

But I am forced to doubt the whole theory unless it explains away this discrepancy. “Here before us is the Maharshi who has attained jivanmukti, and so withdrawn from all responsibility for the conduct of his ego and the body we see before us.

But though he declares them to be the seat of all evil propensities,his ego and body continue to behave quite decorously instead of running wild. This forces me to suspect that something in the hypothesis is incorrect.”

He answered, “Let the Maharshi deal with that problem if it arises and let Mr. Hopkins deal with who is Mr. Hopkins.”

Source: The Silent Power Selections from The Mountain Path and The Call Divine

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Ramana Maharshi Says Not To Fear To Lose Individuality

Dr. Hand asked, “Is there not individuality? I fear to lose my individual being.”

Sri Maharshi, “Why fear to lose individuality? What is your state in dreamless sleep? Are you conscious of your individuality then?”

Dr. Hand, “It is possible.”

Sri Maharshi, “But what is your experience? If the individuality be there would it be asleep?”

Dr. Hand, “That depends on the interpretation. What does Maharshi say?”

Sri Maharshi, “Maharshi does not speak for your experience. He does not force anything down your throat.”

Dr. Hand, “I know. That is what I like so much about the Maharshi and his teachings.”

Sri Maharshi, “Do you not really take great care to get sound sleep? Do you not prepare your bed carefully? And are you not anxious to lose your individuality in deep steep? Then why fear it?”

One visitor asked him, “How can one root out the sex idea?”

Sri Maharshi’s reply was, “By rooting out the false idea of the body being the Self. There is no sex in the Self.”

The visitor again asked, “How is one to realise it?”

Sri Maharshi said, “Because you think you are the body,you see another as the body. Difference in sex arises. But, you are not the body. Be the real Self and there is no sex.”

Source: The Silent Power Selections from The Mountain Path and The Call Divine

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Suryanarayana Raju: In the awareness of Self-inquiry there is transmutation in our way of life

At present our way of life is dictated by thought i.e mind and unfortunately it is behaving like our master now.

Thought which is the outcome of past has not changed man from the time immemorial because past is limited and the action done through it is always incomplete resulting in perennial conflict and so brings fresh problems.

The inner creates the outer and the outer shapes the inner and this ebb and flow of
action and reaction is the movement of thought.Thought has made the thinker and
the same thought divides the thinker and the thought,tries to shape and control
the thought.

Thought being limited tries to invent a limitless entity called God and such type of God is just a projection of thought.

Thought has its role to play in the physical phenomenal reality.If i want to go to
hospital from my home thought is necessary,if i want to drive a car thought is necessary,to diagnose a disease or do surgery thought is necessary,to write an article like this thought is necessary.But at present it is encroaching and functioning all the time in the psychological arena where it has created troubles and still trying to correct and manipulate those psychological problems created by itself.

How can the creator of problem solve the problems created by itself?How can darkness through away darkness.We have to bring in light to through away darkness.There is no other go.Einstein said a problem cannot be solved by the same level of awareness at which the problem is created.

Socrates said true wisdom comes when thought realizes how little it understands the life,about itself and the world around it.Its range of perception is very limited.When thought understands this it becomes still when it is confronted with psychological problems created by it.

Once there is stillness of thought born out of understanding,Self-inquiry progresses smoothly and easily.The passive awareness which happens during Self-inquiry perceives the problems created by the thought in the psyche particularly the problems born out of relating with the others with ego which leads to toxic relationship with separativeness.

Einstein feels that this separative feeling with each other is just an optical illusion but that illusion is causing havoc in human society.In the passive perception in Self-inquiry the problems created by thought flower and reveal their network to the passive awareness and in that very revelation there is the withering of problem.

In the psychological arena just perception is complete action.In Self-inquiry we just perceive the contents and problems of the mind,it is a complete action without any residue of non-understanding and so there is no conflict what so ever.

Carl Jung says that our vision becomes clear when we look with our heart.He says those who look outside dreams,those who look inside awakens.Thought takes us away from our source and land us in the dimension of dreams which happen in spacio-time.

Life is miserable if we are not aware.We think this object knowing awareness is real awareness but this is part of metaphysical sleep in which mind modifies itself continuously from one state to the another i.e deep sleep state,dream mode,waking mode.

Such a life is a bed of thorns of anger,violence,greed,hatred,ambition,possessiveness,arrogance,pomp,desire,jealousy and all these result in sorrow,misery,despair,hopelessness,anguish.

When we are aware whatever we do and demechanize what we call the routine things,we
develop skill to watch subtle things like thoughts,feelings,moods,emotions.This is possible in Self-inquiry.Man is not imprisoned by outer circumstances but by his unconscious instincts and his own biological past.

The awareness of Self-inquiry brings these to conscious level and in the very perception of them without judging or condemning or justifying is to be free from them.Then anger becomes compassion,hate becomes love,greed becomes sharing,darkness of life becomes light with the advent of awareness in Self-inquiry.Everything ugly in the mind is transmutated in the awareness of Self-inquiry.

When we reverse our gear from unconsciousness to consciousness,diverting our awareness from the objects to the perceiver(observer) of them this mutation happens.This is the Art of Self-inquiry.Then life of thorns becomes a bed of roses.

About the Author

Sri Suryanarayana Raju is interested in Self-Enquiry in the light of Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.He wrote two books on "Self-Enquiry" and "Commented on Upadesa Saram and Akshara Mana Malai". available for download at http://www.esnips.com/ web/ramana-maharshi

http://www.facebook.com/Arunachalasiva

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=417722306864

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Another Zen Story Regarding Mind

Hogen, a Chinese Zen Master, lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four travelling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves.

While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: " There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?"

One of the monks replied: "From the Buddhist view point, everything is an objectivity of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind."

Hogen then observed: "Your head must feel very heavy, if you are carrying round a stone like that in your mind!"

Source: Zen Flesh and Zen Bones. Paul Reps. Penguin. London.

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Suryanarayana Raju: Self-inquiry is the way to go beyond the concept of death

Body is a flux,continuously changing,moving.It has nothing of eternal in it.If you are identified with the body through 'I" thought ofcourse the fear of death will be constantly there.You can live but you can live only in fear.

In fact, the body is dying every moment.The body dies every day.Death is a process.Death is not an event; it is a long process.By and by, the body comes to a point where it cannot hold itself.

It disintegrates.How can one live? How can one celebrate? How can one dance and sing and be? Impossible.The death won’t allow it. The death is too much and too close.

So Bhagawan faced this fact of fear there and then when he had intense death fear at the age of 16 in Madurai.He has great Sankalpa bala.He felt now this body is dead,it will be taken for cremation to the burial ground.

With the death of the body am i dead ? His body is really dead and developed
Rigor mortis.But he observed that his awareness survived the death of the body.
So he existentially came to know that his essential nature is awareness but not
the body-mind complex with which we are identified with and feel that we are that
body-mind complex.

What Bhagawan did is real Self-inquiry.Death is a concept of "I" thought.In death of physical body "I" thought becomes fearful of losing identity with the body and feels "I am dying".So death is concept of "I" thought.

In Self-inquiry we witness everything consciously.That which is witnessed is not you.
You are the witnessor.So the world of objects,body,mind is not you.One who is capable of witnessing life is also capable of witnessing death.

In death your awareness don't die,the awareness that is imprisoned in body-mind complex is released.If you don't die rightly i.e if you don't achieve the total orgasm that death is,you will be born again you missed it and you have to be given another opportunity.

A life of awareness is a real life.A life of mind is a dead life.The one who identifies with the mind thinks continuously,brooding,playing with words.Life is an opportunity to be here and now but he always thinks of somewhere else.

This is utopia which means "that which never comes".Movement of mind is just an animation of the contents of the mind on the background of screen of awareness.We are identified with the animation and we completely forgot the screen of awareness.

To shift our attention from this animation to the screen of awareness Self-inquiry is the way.If we don't give energy to this animated movement by just being aware of it like a mirror,the movement of the mind stops.

In Self-inquiry which is done with awareness we no longer give energy to such outgoing mind and so the awareness is not directed and so there is no apparent movement of it through mind,awareness falls on itself and when this happens for the first time we taste the nature of life and we receive something unknown,unbelievable,unexpected,never even dreamed of and we don't feel like leaving that state like Bhagawan.

It is so blissful,tranquil,serene,without any pain,sorrow,limitation.This light of awareness is called Purusha by Hindus.The word Purusha means the dawn in the city(body-mind complex filled with the light of awareness),he who is filled with light,he who is filled with wisdom and eternal happiness,a citizen of heaven.

It can be also pronounced as Pu rhusha which means whose passions are purified
and who has become deathless.All these qualities are there in Bhagawan and he is
the Purusha mentioned in Bhagawad Gita.Our material nature is body-mind complex(Prakruti) in which light of Purusha is reflected and makes our material nature to get animated.

Our essential nature is Purusha which can be discovered through Self-inquiry like Bhagawan.We just forgot our nature of Purusha due to superimposition of our material nature on Purusha.This is due to the defect of superimposition(Adhyasa).To claim back our Purushahood which is our essential nature and which is birthless and deathless, Self-inquiry is the way.

There is death only to our material nature of body-mind complex when the energy of reflection of Purusha is withdrawn from it.Death can exist only in the ignorance of what life is and we taste life which is existence plus awareness i.e Pure awareness,
Purusha, in Self-inquiry.

So in Self-inquiry we go beyond the concept of death because we go beyond the the concept of "I" thought and we attain to the state of immortality.This is Asatoma Sadgamaya,Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya,Mrutyorma amrutangamaya.So let us practice Self-inquiry sincerely and attain to this eternal state of being.

About the Author

Sri Suryanarayana Raju is interested in Self-Enquiry in the light of Sri Ramana Maharshi,Osho,JK.He wrote two books on "Self-Enquiry" and "Commented on Upadesa Saram and Akshara Mana Malai". available for download at http://www.esnips.com/ web/ramana-maharshi

http://www.facebook.com/Arunachalasiva

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=416903911864

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