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

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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

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Swami Sivananda About Vritti And Mind

The mind-stuff is citta. It is a mental substance.Vrtti or thought-wave is a modification of the mind stuff. It is a process. Just as waves and bubbles arise from the surface of the ocean, so also these vrttis arise on the surface of the mind-ocean.

Just as the sun's rays emanate from the sun, so also these mental rays (modifications of the vrtti), emanate from the mind-sun. Just as the sun merges itself into the horizon at sunset, by collecting all its rays, so also you have to merge in the sun of suns, absolute consciousness, eternal peace, by collecting all the dissipated mental rays and dissolving the mind itself.

The function of the vrtti in the mind is to cause the removal of the cause of ignorance covering objects. Gross ignorance is enveloping all objects. When it is removed, then perception of objects becomes possible.

Through its own effort the mind assumes the shape of any object, and concentrates upon itself. When the mind thinks of Brahman, the sole ultimate thought of Brahman is formed. Be vigilant. Watch the mind and its activities. The object does not bind you - it is the vrtti, the identification with the vrtti, that causes attachment and bondage.

If you become one with the mind, body and vrttis you get various sorts of miseries and sufferings. The whole universe is created by the vrttis alone.If these mental thought-waves subside you can attain the absolute state of highest peace and bliss. Just as soap cleanses the physical body, even so japa (repetition) of any mantra, dhyana (meditation) and kirtan (chanting), together with the practice of yama and niyama (discipline), cleanse the mind of all impurities. Just as you nourish the physical body with food, even so you will have to give food for the mind and spiritual food for the soul.

Only when the modifications cease do you enter the silence. Realise this. Close the eyes, draw in the senses, still the mind, silence the thoughts, sharpen the intellect, purify the citta, meditate on Om and chant it with feeling. Enter the silence. Silence is Atman, the centre - it is in the heart-cave. When the mind runs from one object to another, the state in the interval, wherein you become mindless, is Brahman.

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Importance of awareness and Self-inquiry in daily life

Many of us feel that we are the body.Intellectuals feel that their essential nature is mind.Truth seeker imagines that he is the Self but he has no first hand experience of it.

Self,mind,body are they separate entities or do they belong to a single integrated being? How to find it out whether they are separate or integrated whole.Daily we walk early in the morning.It is the body that walks.But we are superimposing that activity of the body on us and say "I am walking".

In vedantic jargon it called Adhyasa(defect of superimposition).Usually we walk mechanically and we usually go on thinking while walking.So we are not aware of walking.We are not aware of surroundings while walking.It is almost a somnambulism.

Are we aware of the birds,their songs,trees with their beauty,flowers,clouds,the beauty of crane flying in the background dark clouds of monsoon,are we sensitive to all these?

Majority of us are lost in our thoughts which takes us to an illusory territory.Why it is happening like that? It is because we are unaware to the present moment.If we start de-mechanizing the walking by being aware of walking thinking stops.Thinking is not needed while walking just as thinking is not needed while breathing.

When there is no thinking we are aware of the surroundings,we perceive the beauty of birds,the sounds that they make,one bird respond to the sound made by the other bird,the beauty of flowers,trees,the smell of air while raining,we become sensitive to all these without any thought.

In that thought-free state there is joy.But the mind of an average human being has such a momentum and rush of thoughts many times he is lost in thoughts missing the beauty of surroundings which is quite obvious.

Unless we are aware to these gross aspects we cannot develop the skill to be aware of subtle things like thoughts and mental activity.Whatever we do we must do it with awareness then only we become aware of subtle things.

If we develop the capacity to be aware of subtle things we develop the capacity to de-mechanize the thought process.At present we are thinking mechanically in unawareness.

We are superimposing that activity of thought and are saying "I am thinking".The thought process is going on even when it is not required and has no role to play.

It is just like while we are sitting if we move our hands incessantly and awkwardly
without any cause it looks mad,same is the situation with thinking,at present
its activity is out of our hands and thought is running amok.

Normal human being means he is a socially adjustable being with the mask of personality with this type of perverted and uncontrollable thinking.All this is due to lack of awareness resulting in a mechanistic thinking and Self-inquiry de-mechanizes this by bringing in awareness.

Awareness keeps the thought where it is expected to function and prevents anomalous
thinking.If one is aware many human problems are solved.Awareness is the panacea
for problems of humanity and Self-inquiry is the way for it.

To fulfill basic needs we require only few thoughts for action. But we are indulging in unnecessary thinking and action, which i feel should be curtailed in sadhana(Spiritual discipline) stage. This is very vital. Thought traffic is reduced when one is in uninterrupted awareness,(Sada Apramada) as told by Sanat kumara.

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

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Atma Vichara Patikam (Eleven Verses on Self-Enquiry) a Tamil work of Ramana Maharshi Disciple Sri Sadhu Om

1. Thinking is a mentation (vritti) ; being is not a mentation ! If enquired ‘Who thinks ?’, thinking will come to an end ! Even when thoughts do not exist, do not you exist? To remain thus in the source of thoughts is the state of Self- abidance (nishtha) ! Be thus!

2 He who thinks is the individual soul (jiva); he who is,is the Supreme (brahman) ! If the thinker thinks with great love of That which is still, this thought, the love
to be, will become the thought free thought which kills all thinking. When the thinker thus dies with all his thoughts, to remain surviving him is union with the
Supreme (siva-sayujyam) !

3. He who thinks ‘I (am so-and-so)’ is himself one among the thoughts. Of all thoughts, the thought ‘I (am so-andso)’ is the very first. The jiva who thinks ‘I (am so-and- -so)’ is only our reflection. For, we never think ‘I (am this or that)’ when we shine as That (the Supreme).

4. This thought, ‘I (am the body)’, does not exist in deep sleep. This thought, ‘I (am the body)’, does not exist in the true state of jnana either. Since it rises and slips away in between (two such states), this ‘I’ is unreal;hence, this ‘I’ is only a thought.

5. The waxing of this thought ‘I’ is indeed the waxing of misery! This thought ‘I’ alone is what is called the ego.It is only because of non-enquiry that this ‘I’ has come into existence and is flourishing ! If, instead of being favoured, it is enquired into, ‘What is this !?’, it will disappear, losing its existence.

6. The second and third persons (the objects) live only because of the root, the first person (the subject or ego).If the fickle mind turns towards the first person, the first person will become non-existent and That which really exists will then shine forth. This indestructible, real Self is Jnana.

7. To think of second and third persons is sheer foolishness, for by thinking of second and third persons the mental activities (mano-vritlis) will wax. (On the other hand,) attending to the first person is equal to committing suicide, for only by enquiring into the first person will the ego itself die.

8. Attending to second and third persons instead of turning towards and attending to the first person is an attention based only upon ignorance (ajnana). If you ask, “Then is not the attention to the ego also an attention based upon ignorance? So why should we attend to this ‘I?’, then listen.

9. The reason why this ‘I’ dies when enquired into, ‘What am I? is as follows: This thought ‘I’ is a reflected ray of Jnana (Self), (and it alone is directly connected with Self, whereas the other thoughts are not); (so) when the attention goes deeper and deeper within along the ray ‘I’, its length decreases more and more, and when the
ray I’ dies that which shines as ‘I’ is Jnana.

10. Do not perform any action thinking ‘It should be done by me’. Nothing is done by you, (for) you are simply nothing ! By knowing this first, if you avoid the rising of doership, then everything will be done well by Him and your peace will remain undisturbed !

11. When scrutinizing ‘What is real?’, nothing in the world is (found to be) real; Self alone is real (satyam).Therefore, let us renounce everything and ever remain
unshakably as the reality (sat). This alone is the service enjoined upon us by Sri Ramana, our eternal Lord!

Source: The Path of Sri Ramana PART ONE The Jñana aspect of the teaching By Sri Sadhu Om

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Previous life of Draupadi

Mahabharata Adiparva Chaitrarathaparva section 171-172

Hearing the narrative of the Brahmana about birth of Draupadi, and also listening of the Draupadi's swayamvara, Pandavas with their mother set out towards Panchala kingdom. While they were living in Ekachakra town, Vyasa visited them once more to tell them about their future wife.

There lived a certain maiden in a rishis hermitage. Due to her past karma, she couldn't get married in that life. So she did great penance pleasing Lord Shankara. Shiva being Bhaktavatsala appeared before her and told her to ask any boon she wants. She asked him for a husband with various qualities, repeatedly. Lord Shankara then granted that boon and said, she will have five husbands from Bharata clan. She said, "Lord, I want only one husband", to this the Lord said, "You asked for a husband, five times, hence you will have five husbands in your next life".

Having narrated the above story, Vyasa then said to Pandavas "Sons, that damsel is reborn as Draupadi to Panchala king, Drupada. She is set aside as the Queen for all five of you. Go to Panchala and obtain her as your wife".

Reflections From the Story:

When people pray, they have to make a sankalpa (statement of intention) properly and their objective should be clear in their mind. One has to be careful what one utters, and also what one thinks apart from being careful about actions.So we need to be careful even in your thoughts, not only in your actions.Budhdha also said, One has to be clear about the objective of their prayers.

Ramana Maharshi Mind has two faculties [or read it thoughts are of two types] : ahamkara Vritti, idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara Vritti means "I" thought and related modifications.Ahamkara vritti is identification with a particular notion in mind.

Example: If i see a tree the corresponding thought arises in mind. This is idamkara vritti.It just tells us what is.

Pain is idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara vritti's non presence is required. but idamkara vritti is basic necessity for us to function, talk, speak etc.

The scriptures teach "Learn not to come in the sway of Raga-Dvesha" ! that is the essential sadhana.

To have no Raga-Dvesha. Not possible.

To not come under the Sway of Raga-Dvesha is Realization.

Thought has it's place when action is required even in the case of saints. We should not give place to thoughts in our mind which are out of context and not in anyway required and for many it became such a strong habit that it is impossible to stop the thought flow.

Sources:

1) http://atmajyoti-prasad-jayakavya.blogspot.com/2010/04/previous-life-of-draupadi.html
2) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/different-types-of-thoughtsvritti.html
3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/role-of-thought-in-daily-life-by-dr-p-v.html

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Ramana Maharshi About Different Types Of Knowledge

Talk 68

D.: Is there knowledge in Realisation?

M.: Absence of knowledge is sleep. There is knowledge in Realisation.But this knowledge differs from the ordinary one of the relation of subject and object. It is absolute knowledge. Knowledge has two meanings:

(1) vachyartha = vritti = Literal meaning.
(2) lakshyartha = Jnana = Self = Swarupa = Secondary significance.

D.: With vritti one sees knowledge.

M.: Quite so, he also confounds vritti with knowledge. Vritti is a mode of mind. You are not the mind. You are beyond it.

Later Sri Bhagavan explained: Vritti is often mistaken for consciousness. It is only a phenomenon(Any state or process known through the senses) and operates in the region of abhasa (reflected consciousness).

The knowledge lies beyond relative knowledge and ignorance. It is not in the shape of vritti.There are no subject and object in it.

Vritti belongs to the rajasic (active) mind. The satvic mind (mind is repose i.e The absence of mental stress or anxiety) is free from it. The satvic is the witness of the rajasic. It is no doubt true consciousness.

Still it is called satvic mind because the knowledge of being witness is the function of abhasa (reflected consciousness) only. Mind is the abhasa. Such knowledge implies
mind. But the mind is by itself inoperative. Therefore it is called satvic mind.

The satvic mind is in fact the Absolute consciousness. The object to be witnessed and the witness finally merge together and Absolute consciousness alone reigns supreme. It is not a state of sunya (blank) or ignorance.

It is the swarupa (Real Self).Some say that mind arises from consciousness followed by reflection (abhasa);others say that the abhasa (reflection) arises first followed by the mind. In fact both are simultaneous.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

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Few Important Points From Ramana Maharshi's Disciple Annamalai Swami's Final Talks Book

A Few points from the book:

1) Mind is a shadow. Its useless to give it to much importance.

2) Self Inquiry is supposed to be done through out the day and not at a fixed time only.

3) One has to Revel(Take delight in) as the Self, which is Consciousness within, when ever the "I" comes out, set it back to the Consciousness through Self inquiry.

4) Thoughts are a problem due to identification.If one understands that they are mere shadows and the world is only a dream, it does not matter whether thoughts exist or not.

5) One should be very careful in Sadhana... One should practise Self Inquiry constantly through out the day with great faith in Guru.

6) Its very important to reject mind as mere shadow and revel as the Self.

Once Annamalai Swami, asked whether he should clean up all the thoughts from his mind.Bhagavan Ramana told him:In that case, it would be like taking bath in the sea,when the waves stop.So,do not wait for this.Continue self enquiry, and go to the Source, without bothering about thoughts that come sometimes.

Again,Annamalai Swami asked about desires.Bhagavan Ramana told him: If you want to clean up all the desires, then you should take one more birth. If the desires were to be conquered without fulfulling them or if some of the desires were to be enjoyed and then thrown away, these would happen according to one's prarabdha.Hence do not try, either to fulfil or negate the desires,leave them at aside,and pursue self enquiry.

On another occasion,Annamalai Swami, after he was relieved of the construction work, told Bhagavan Ramana that he would go back to Polur and do meditation.Bhagavan Ramana said: Why should you leave this place and do meditation? Do you not know the power of Arunachala,which will help you in meditation and self enquiry? Do you think that you can go without the help of Arunachala? After these words, Annamalai Swami dropped the idea of going to Polur and decided to stay in Palakottu.

Source: Annamalai Swami's Final Talks

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Different types of thoughts(Vritti) according to Scriptures And How to Handle Them

Vritti means thoughts.

Mind has two faculties [or read it thoughts are of two types] : ahamkara Vritti, idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara Vritti means "I" thought and related modifications.Ahamkara vritti is identification with a particular notion in mind.

Suffering is Ahamkara vritti.

Idamkara Vritti means "This" thought. So when i see a rock, i get this thought.

Idamkara vritti is modification that just shows what is.

Example: If i see a tree the corresponding thought arises in mind. This is idamkara vritti.It just tells us what is.

Pain is idamkara vritti.

Ahamkara vritti's non presence is required. but idamkara vritti is basic necessity for us to function, talk, speak etc.

Pure Ahamkara Vritti is there even in Jnanis (suddha manas) because,idamkara vritti is not possible without Ahamkara vritti.

Ramana Maharshi says

Small desires such as the desire to eat, drink and sleep and attend to calls of nature, though these may also be classed among desires, you can safely satisfy. They will not implant vasanas in your mind, necessitating further birth. Those activities are just necessary to carry on life and are not likely to develop or leave behind vasanas or tendencies. As a general rule, therefore, there is no harm in satisfying a desire where the satisfaction will not lead to further desires by creating vasanas in the mind. (Day by Day with Bhagavan, 12th April, 1946)

More Over My Spritual Friend Udai garu wants to add few points

The scriptures teach "Learn not to come in the sway of Raga-Dvesha" ! that is the essential sadhana.

To have no Raga-Dvesha. Not possible.

To not come under the Sway of Raga-Dvesha is Realization.

Even a Realized person has Raga-Dvesha. No one can say eating neem leaves is the same as eating ice cream.

One is repulsive and the other is sweet.But to not come under the sway of Raga-Dvesha is Realized living.

My spiritual Friend Udai Shankar garu wants to add few more points

For the sense of incompleteness to be, thoughts are required.Without thoughts no one can feel incomplete.

I may be suffering from the most dreaded disease ... if i have no thoughts abt it i cannot suffer!

Suffering needs thoughts!

Many people started saying "u should stop thoughts" ! Please see that this is not the way out. Let me explain.

Suppose i am standing here and i am hit by a stone hurled for some purpose by someone! My "physical" body is hit by "physical stone". The Physical stone cannot hit my thoughts! coz thoughts are subtle. The stone cannot hit space! Stone can hit a physical object.

Similarly, a thought can hit a mental form. A thought cannot hit "Mental Space --- Consciousness" ! If i am getting hit by a thought, that means some mental form is created, called "I" and its this form that is getting hit.

So if i am hit by a thought, it would be stupid to stop thoughts for that reason. Instead the mental form should not created. its like someone looking into the well and thinking his head has fallen. the solution is not to stop looking into the well... or stop the well from reflecting ! thats absolute nonsense. The solution is to know and understand that its a reflection and not me!

Same with the mental form. stop identifying with the mental roles / forms ... that is Realization.

So we have to observe the thoughts and see who is getting hit by these thoughts To clearly understand that i cannot be hit by the thoughts.


Readers are requested to read ramana maharshi views regarding thoughts(Vritti) and their elimination

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-about-sanyasam-and.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/role-of-thought-in-daily-life-by-dr-p-v.html

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