cause, or the noumenon of which it is a manifestation?
M.: Arranging thoughts in the order of value, the ‘I’ thought is the all important thought. Personality-idea or thought is also the root or the
stem of all other thoughts, since each idea or thought arises only as
someone’s thought and is not known to exist independently of the
ego. The ego therefore exhibits thought-activity. The second and
the third persons do not appear except to the first person. Therefore
they arise only after the first person appears, so all the three persons
seem to rise and sink together. Trace, then, the ultimate cause of ‘I’
or personality. The ‘I’ idea arises to an embodied ego and should
be related to a body or organism. Has it a location in the body or a
special relation to any particular spot, as speech which has its centre
in the brain or amativeness in the brain? Similarly, has ‘I’ got any
centre in the brain, blood, or viscera? Thought-life is seen to centre
round the brain and the spinal-cord which in turn are fed by the
blood circulating in them, carrying food and air duly mixed up which
are transformed into nerve matter. Thus, vegetative life - including
circulation, respiration, alimentation, etc. - or vital force, is said
to be (or reside in) the core or essence of the organism. Thus the
mind may be regarded as the manifestation of vital force which
again may be conceived as residing the Heart.
D.: How is restlessness removed from the mind?
M.: External contacts - contacts with objects other than itself - make the
mind restless. Loss of interest in non-Self, (vairagya) is the first step.
Then the habits of introspection and concentration follow. They are
characterised by control of external senses, internal faculties, etc.
(sama, dama, etc.) ending in samadhi (undistracted mind).
D.: How are they practised?
M.: An examination of the ephemeral nature of external phenomena
leads to vairagya. Hence enquiry (vichara) is the first and foremost
step to be taken. When vichara continues automatically, it results
in a contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure, etc. The ‘I’ thought
becomes clearer for inspection. The source of ‘I’ is the Heart - the
final goal.
If, however, the aspirant is not temperamentally suited
to Vichara Marga (to the introspective analytical method), he
must develop bhakti (devotion) to an ideal - may be God, Guru,
humanity in general, ethical laws, or even the idea of beauty.
When one of these takes possession of the individual,
other attachments grow weaker, i.e., dispassion (vairagya) develops.
Attachment for the ideal simultaneously grows and finally holds the field. Thus
ekagrata (concentration) grows simultaneously and imperceptibly
- with or without visions and direct aids.
In the absence of enquiry and devotion, the natural sedative
pranayama (breath regulation) may be tried. This is known as
Yoga Marga. If life is imperilled the whole interest centres round
the one point, the saving of life. If the breath is held the mind
cannot afford to (and does not) jump at its pets - external objects.
Thus there is rest for the mind so long as the breath is held. All
attention being turned on breath or its regulation, other interests are
lost. Again, passions are attended with irregular breathing, whereas
calm and happiness are attended with slow and regular breathing.
Paroxysm of joy is in fact as painful as one of pain, and both are
accompanied by ruffled breaths. Real peace is happiness. Pleasures
do not form happiness. The mind improves by practice and becomes
finer just as the razor’s edge is sharpened by stropping. The mind
is then better able to tackle internal or external problems.
If an aspirant be unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods
and circumstantially (on account of age) for the third method,
he must try the Karma Marga (doing good deeds, for example,
social service). His nobler instincts become more evident and he
derives impersonal pleasure. His smaller self is less assertive and
has a chance of expanding its good side. The man becomes duly
equipped for one of the three aforesaid paths. His intuition may
also develop directly by this single method
talks_with_sri_ramana_maharshi
http://sreyas.in/ramana
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