Ramana Maharshi answers to Why is there no meditation in dream?

18th December, 1936

Talk 297.

Mr. Cohen asked: Meditation is with mind in the jagrat (waking) state. There is mind in dream also. Why is there no meditation in dream? Nor is it possible?

M.: Ask it in the dream.

After a short silence Sri Bhagavan continued:

You are told to meditate now and find who you are. Instead of doing it you ask “Why is there no meditation in dream or in sleep?” If you find out for whom there is jagrat (waking), it will be clear that dream and sleep are also for the same one. You are the witness of jagrat (waking), svapna (dream) and sushupti (sleep) - rather, they pass before you.

Because you are out of meditation now, these questions arise. Stick to meditation and see if these questions arise.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-nature-of-mind.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-self-enquiry-based.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-process-of-doing.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-says-walking-and-dream.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-transition-stage.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answer-to-question-can.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/ramana-maharshi-says-jnanis-walking-and.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-according-to.html

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Ramana Maharshi's disciple says root of Prakruti is Purusha, the Self or the Brahman

All the five elements viz., earth, water, fire, air and Space are the aspects of Prakruti, Maya, Mother Unnamulai. Mind,Intellect and Ego are also her making. She gives all these and plays with the living beings.The root of Prakruti, is the
Purusha, the Self or the Brahman. The Brahman and Maya are concorporate. But the Brahman can live without Maya and not vice versa. All the Maya swarupam contains misery, dhukkam. But this is conferred by her only to enable the living being to attain the Brahman.

Once there was some discussions in the Old Hall.The devotees were debating about He and She (Annamalai and Unnamulai).Some One said that there is no He without She.In fact He (the word) is within She (the word). Ramaswami Pillai said: Yes.No doubt. But He can live without She.She cannot live without He.All word play only.But it contains all meanings.Bhagavan ramana enjoyed the discussion of their devotees and it him cry at the end unable to bear the laugh.

The same will hold good with Destiny and Free Will.They are like Egg and Hen example of Gaudapada. Do not discuss, whether Destiny is first or Free Will is first.Gaudapada and Sankara (later in his commentary of Karika) say: Do not worry about the egg and the hen.Break the egg and throw it on the field.Crush the neck of the hen and throw it on the field.See the field, the Prakruti, Earth. And then see the root of this earth and all the other elements, mind, ego and intellect.Stay with the Self, the Brahman.

Once a devotee came and asked Bhagavan Ramana: "When I meditate, there are mosquitoes biting me. What should I do? Should I kill them or leave them?"

Bhagavan Ramana smiled and asked him: "What do you meditate?"

The devotee said: "I am meditating that I am not the body!"

Bhagavan Ramana said: "Then, it is the same thing that mosquitoes are also telling you. They are biting you to remind you that you are not the body, you are not the body!"

Source: Arunachala's Volume IV Book pg: 240

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Ramana Maharshi Views About Disturbances During Meditation

On 10th May 1946, Krishna Jivrajani said to Bhagavan:

During Sadhana I feel that something is going up. Is that right or should it go down?

Bhagavan: Never mind, whether something goes up or down.Does it exist without you? Never forget that. Whatever experience may come, remember who has the experience and thus cling to "I" or the Self.

Jivarajani: Suppose there is some disturbance during meditation,such as mosquito bites, should one persist in meditation and try to bar the bites and ignore the interruption or drive the mosquitoes away and then continue the meditation?

Bhagavan:You must do as you find most convenient. You will not attain mukti simply because you refrain from driving the mosquitoes away. Nor being denied mukti simply because you drive them away. The thing is to attain is one pointedness and then attain mano nasa. Whether you do this by putting up with the mosquito bites or driving the mosquitoes away is left to you.If you are completely absorbed in your meditation, you will not know that the mosquitoes are biting you.Till you attain that stage why should you not drive away them away?

(Recall Bhagavan Ramana staying inside the Patalalingam shrine for many days and when He was lifted and brought out, the devotees found His thighs oozing blood with insect and scorpion bites and there was puss formation too!)

Source: Arunachala's Ramana, Boundless Ocean of Grace,Volume 5. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai)

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