Prev Next 23rd August, 1946
The day before yesterday a learned man who came from
Madras, began at 3 p.m. to question Bhagavan thus: “Was
there a period at any time when Bhagavan did sadhana?”
Bhagavan said, “Sadhana? Sadhana for what? What is there
to do sadhana for? Sitting like this is itself sadhana. I used to
sit like this always. I used to close my eyes then; now I keep
them open. That is the only difference. What is now, was
then also. What was there then, is also here now. Sadhana is
necessary only if there is a thing other than ‘I’, Self. Sadhana
is required only for one who does not look towards the Self
which is permanent, but is deluded by looking at the body,
etc., which are transitory and delusive; but not for one who
sees the Self and so does not see anything else different. And
what else is sadhana for?”
Someone asked, “Then why is it that many books say
that no one can attain jnana without a Guru?” Bhagavan said,
“Yes. For those who, because of the action of their minds, are
deluded into believing that they are the bodies, a Guru and
sadhana are necessary to get rid of that delusion.” Another
person asked, “People say that those who have received upasana
can attain the physical manifestation of their favourite God
and other blessings by sadhana. What is the meaning?”
Bhagavan said, “That which is present at all times is sakshath
(manifest). The person ‘I’ is always present (sakshath). Then
what is karam? That which is the cause is karam, so sakshatkaram
(manifestation) means the knowledge of that which is true,
that which is permanent and that which is the cause of
everything is one’s own Self. And they say that God will descend
from somewhere and manifest Himself if the Self which is
ever existing, creates a shape according to its own desires,
and meditates on it. You give up the Self which is existing at
all times and at all places, and do sadhana with the hope that
some God from somewhere will manifest Himself. They say
that God just descends and again just disappears. You give up
the Self which is always existent and strive for this transient
vision, obtain boons and thus multiply the mental struggles
and strivings. There will be no trouble at all if one simply
remains as one is,” said Bhagavan.
Though Bhagavan was teaching us so clearly that
sakshatkaram means only the good state and the good ideas
beyond the owner’s thoughts, I felt it a great pity that we
were not able to understand it. While I was thus thinking,
someone asked, “That state of exalted thought and existence
which is above the owner’s mental plane is natural and
possible only for people like Bhagavan, but is it possible for
ordinary people like us without sadhana?” Bhagavan said,
“Certainly it is! Sadhana is necessary but for what purpose?
His Self is there at all times and at all places. So there is no
need to try and get it from somewhere else. Sadhana is only
to get rid of the bodily and other illusions which are in the
way of the self standing up as Self. This delusion arises only
by thinking that this bodily world is real, instead of looking
at the Self, which is real. Sadhana is only to get rid of this
illusion. Otherwise, why should there be sadhana for the Self
to attain its own Self? He who has realised his own Self does
not recognize anything else.”
(c) Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai