Ramana Maharshi About Second And Third Person Objects

Among these three entities, what is called the soul or jiva is ‘we’, the first person. This world which we perceive in front of us through the five senses is a second person object, while God and these objects of the world which we do not now directly perceive through the senses are third person objects.

The Tamil word for second person is munnilai, which etymologically means ‘that which stands in front’, so whenever the term ‘second person’ is used, in Sri Bhagavan’s teachings it denotes those objects which are directly perceived in front of us through the five senses, while the term ‘third person’ denotes those objects which are not now perceived in front of us but which are thought of by the mind.

Concerning which one of these three entities, the soul, world and God, and to which one of these three entities do problems arise? The world, which now appears in front of us as something insentient, is an object known by us.

No problems arise for it concerning either the soul or God, and hence it does not have to grieve over its inability to solve those problems. If we then consider God, “Where is He? What is His nature? Does He have any problems concerning the world and
soul?

If any such problems exist for Him, are they the first and most important thing for us to attend to?” We will have to conclude that for Him also there cannot be any problems.

Thus it is clear that no problems of any kind exist either for the world or for God. Therefore it is only for us, the soul, the knowing subject, that countless problems arise concerning the world and God.

Source: The Path Of Sri Ramana Part Two By Sri Sadhu Om

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Ramana Maharshi Disciple Says Clinging To Self-attention Is Similar To Scraping Off The Rust

The nature of a needle lying within a magnetic field is to be attracted and pulled only when its rust has been removed. But we should not conclude from this that the magnetic power comes into existence only after the rust is removed from the needle.

Is not the magnetic power always naturally existing in that field? Although the needle was all the while lying in the magnetic field, it is affected by the attraction of the magnet only to the extent that it loses its rust.

All that we try to do by way of giving up second and third attention and clinging to Self-attention is similar to scraping off the rust.

So the result of all our endeavours is to make ourself it to become a prey to the attraction of the magnetic field of pure consciousness the Heart, which is ever shining engulfing all (that is reducing the whole universe to non-existence) with spreading rays of Self-effulgence.

Mature aspirants will willingly and without rebelling submit themselves to this magnetic power of the Grace of Self-effulgence. Others, on the other hand, will
become extroverted (that is, will turn their attention outwards) fearing the attraction of this power.

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

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Ramana Maharshi Says Knower[Jiva],Known[World] And Knowing [Five Senses] Are Equally False

1) If I feel that I see the world, what is the secret behind this? It is that a world of sense-objects and a seer of it rise in ‘me’, the space of the perfect and true light of unbroken [Self-]Knowledge. Know thus definitely.

Sadhu Om: This world-appearance, which is composed of the five sense-knowledges, and the jiva who sees it are not real. They are mere false appearances like a mirage, having Self as their base,and they appear only with the help of the light of Self. Moreover,this world-appearance is not even seen by Self, but only by the jiva, who is himself a part of it.

Refer here to verse 7 of Ulladu Narpadu, in which Sri Bhagavan says, “Although the world [the objects seen] and the mind [the jiva who sees it] rise and set together, it is [not by Self, but] by the mind alone that the world is seen. [Self, on the other hand, is] the Whole which is the base for [the false appearance of] the world and the mind to rise from and set in, but which Itself shines without rising or setting, [and hence] It alone is the reality.”

2) The conviction created by the senses that the appearance is real is a mistaken conviction. Know that both the senses, which enable the appearance to be known, and the jiva, the knower of it, are of the same degree of reality as the appearance.

Sadhu Om: Since the knower [the jiva], the known [the worldappearance] and the knowing [the act of perceiving the world through the five senses] form a triad [triputi], all of them are equally false. In other words, since even the jiva who is seen and his act of seeing are both a part of the world-appearance, they are both unreal as that appearance.

To illustrate this, let us suppose that a film is taken of a king watching a cinema show; when this film is projected, are not the king and his act of watching the cinema show, both pictures in the film?

3) Until the false appearance of the snake goes, the real rope, the base, will not be known. [Likewise] until the false appearance of the world vanishes, the real Self,the base, will not be seen.

Sadhu Om: The same idea is expressed by Sri Bhagavan in the following passage of Who am I?: “Just as unless the knowledge of the snake, the imaginary superimposition, goes, the knowledge of the rope, which is the base, will not be obtained, so unless the perception of the world, which is an imaginary superimposition,ceases, the realization of Self, which is the base, will not be obtained”.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.


Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/12/ramana-maharshi-says-self-is-in-heart.html

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Ramana Maharshi discusses About The Truth Of The Objects Seen (Drisya Unmai Tiran)

1) When one who does not see the truth himself, the seer, who is indispensable for seeing, sees the world as true, the world which is seen by him itself ridicules him and laughs at him within itself, bringing shame on him.

Sadhu Om: This verse, which declares that the world laughs within itself and ridicules the one who sees it as real, has a unique beauty. We may wonder how an insentient thing called ‘world’ can laugh. That is the beauty of this verse. We should understand this verse having in mind the idea taught in verse 74 of this work.

Will not an unchaste and base-natured prostitute laugh within herself when she hears the appreciating words of her infatuated new lover,who says to his friend, “Oh, this woman, my lover, is the most chaste woman in the world”. Likewise, the world laughs within itself at those who think that it is real. Thus this verse personifies the world nicely.

Sri Bhagavan gives more emphasis to the fact that the world is unreal by exposing in this verse that the support or evidence of no other is needed to prove the unreality of the world, for the world itself knows that it is unreal. This is the climax of the fun in this verse.

This verse contains the same instruction given by Sri Bhagavan in Maharshi’s Gospel, Book Two,chapter three [8th edition,page 63], “Well then, that world, which you say is real,is really mocking at you for seeking to prove its reality while of your own reality you are ignorant”.

2)Self, the shining of Grace, which does not reveal itself when sought by the mind, which is merely an objective attention [that is, an attention towards second
and third persons],will reveal itself when that objective attention [the mind] ceases to function.

“When I look at her, the new bride will only look down towards the ground, but when I do not look at her, will lovingly look at me and mildly smile within with joy.”

Michael James: The last two lines of this verse are a quotation of verse 1094 of Tirukkural. The unusual way of comparing Self to the bride and the ego to the bridegroom is to be noted here.

Therefore ‘Self cannot be known by mind, but It will automatically shine forth when, and only when, the nature of the mind (namely attending to or knowing only second and third person objects) is destroyed’.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

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GURU VACHAKA KOVAI discusses about Allurement(Temptingness) of the World

1) Just as the goat’s beard wanders and wags for nothing,people roam about merrily but in vain, doing Karmas for the fulfillment of their worldly desires,while despising the disciplines [followed by aspirants] which lead to eternal Moksha in Self. Ah, what a pitiable spectacle is the condition of these worldly people!

2) Longing for a tiny grain of pleasure, people toil so hard using the mind to plough the field of the five senses, but they never wish for the flood of Bliss which is the fruit that comes by ploughing the Heart,the Source of the mind, with [simple] Self-attention.Ah, what a wonder!

3) The moon-like jiva [the mind], ever wedded to the sun-like Self, should always remain in her home, the Heart; to forsake the Bliss of Self and go astray for worldly pleasures, is like the madness of a wife who spoils her precious chastity.

4) Only when the world’s allurement is lost will true Liberation be possible [and its allurement cannot be lost unless it is found to be unreal]. Hence, to try to foist reality upon this world is to be just like an infatuated(Marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness) lover who tries to foist(impose) chastity upon a prostitute.

Sadhu Om: A lover foists chastity upon a prostitute only because of his infatuation with her, and similarly some schools of thought argue and try to insist upon the world’s reality, only because of their immense desire for the enjoyment of this world. Therefore Liberation,which is the fruit of desirelessness, is absolutely impossible for them.

5.If you ask, “What is the benefit of sacrificing the innumerable sensual pleasures and retaining mere Consciousness?”,[we reply that] the fruit of Jnana is the eternal and unbroken experience of the Bliss of Self.

Sadhu Om: Any experience of worldly pleasure is small and interrupted,whereas the Bliss of Self attained through Jnana is eternal and unbroken, and is therefore the greatest benefit.

6.Fools are now so proud and happy of the wealth and pleasure of this world, which may at any time abandon them in disappointment and distress.

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

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Ramana Maharshi clarifies regarding "attitude of common people" in Europe and America

D. Disciple
M. Ramana Maharshi

30th January, 1935

Talk 20.

D.: In Europe it is not understood by the people that a man in solitude can be helpful. They imagine that men working in the world can alone be useful. When will this confusion cease? Will the European mind continue wading in the morass or will it realise the truth?

M.: Never mind Europe or America.Where are they except in your mind? Realise your Self and then all is realised.If you dream and see several men, and then wake up and recall your dream, do you try to ascertain if the persons of your dream creation are also awake?

D.: Some say that Sri Sankaracharya was only intellectual and not realised. Is it so?

M.: Why worry about Sankaracharya? Realise your own Self. Others can take care of themselves.

D.: But common people in Europe and America would not appreciate such an attitude and would desire a display of powers and instructions by lectures, etc.

M.: Lectures may entertain individuals for a few hours without improving them. Silence on the other hand is permanent and benefits the whole of humanity.

D.: But silence is not understood.

M.: It does not matter. By silence, eloquence is meant. Oral lectures are not so eloquent as silence. Silence is unceasing eloquence.The Primal Master, Dakshinamurti, is the ideal. He taught his rishi disciples by silence.

D.: But then there were disciples for Him.It was all right.Now it is different. They must be sought after and helped.

M.: That is a sign of ignorance.The power which created you has created the world. If it can take care of you, it can similarly take care of the world also.

D.: Is yoga advised for a spiritual aspirant?
M.: Yoga helps control of mind.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi

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