A Primer of Instructions

I am happy that I took some time off to read Upadesa Undiyar of Ramana Maharshi.

My idea of reading a book is to rewrite what I like, and most of the time it is translation- English into Tamil and Tamil into English.

That makes you think about the meaning. It is just an exercise for the intellect, not as good as meditation, but in my stage, this is all I can do.

I can't claim to have had any insights, or any spiritual experiences.

However, here goes. There WILL be mistakes, mistakes of syntax, prosody and much more importantly, misinterpretations. Your suggestions are welcome, and are in fact, necessary for me to learn and grow.

1. The Creator has ordained

that causes have effects.

Since actions are insentient,

should they be worshipped as Supreme?

2. The results of actions weaken

and action in its seed-form

mires you in the Karmic sea-

Action does not liberate.

3. Actions dedicated to God,

with no expectation of gain

sets the mind aright-

and guides it home to salvation.

4. The body, speech and mind, each

worship, chant and meditate.

Among these three,

the latter rank above the other.

5. To regard the multitude of forms

as the One true form of the Lord,

and to serve them with reverence

does excellent as worship.

6. Better than hymns sung aloud,

is the silent chant within the mouth.

But best it is to attend the Name-

Truly this is contemplation.

7. Better than inconstant contemplation,

is attention, unwavering

like the flow of a river or ghee-

Exceptional is such attention.

8. Regard not the Lord as another

but see him intimate in the Heart.

Think of Him as one with you,

ideal it is, such meditation.

9. Having grown strong in the view, "not-two",

transcending the limitations of views,

abide in your own true nature.

This is the Supreme Devotion.

10. To subside in the point of Origin,

and abide at the Primal Source,

is true Action, true Devotion,

true Yoga and true Wisdom.

11. When the breath is restrained,

then as a bird that has been caught,

is the mind tethered and tamed-

such discipline aids abidance.

12. The mind together with breath

unfolds as thought and action-

they are but divergent branches

that stem out from a common root.

13. Abidance is of two kinds-

absorption and destruction.

The mind is revived after absorption,

but not when its form has met destruction.

14. With the breath restrained,

the mind thus lulled

is propelled through a single point,

and its form is destroyed.,

15. With the mind-image destroyed

and in truth established

there is no more action-

for the Yogi is at His natural state.

16. Divested of alien knowledge,

the inward mind is invested

with its own effulgent nature-

this suchness is true perception.

17. Enquiry without inadvertance

that is made of the mind's nature

yields the truth that there is no mind-

This is the direct path, fit for all.

18. The mind is but made of thoughts,

and the root of all thoughts

rests at the point of 'I' thought.

"I am" is all there is to mind.

19. Seek to know the source

from which the 'I' thought springs-

you will see the 'I' subside,

such is the enquiry after truth.

20. At the merging point of I,

arises some suchness on its own,

which throbs within, "I-am, I",

this I is perfect and whole.

21. Not then, but ever and always,

such is the true import of 'I'-

for in sleep where the 'I' is not,

we do not find our absence.

22. The body and senses,

intellect, life and darkness,

are insentient and unreal-

"I am, I" is true reality.

23. To make sense of Being,

feeling is not some unknown:

Consciousness is all there is,

Consciousness is what we are.

24. The Creator and the created,

are by nature One;

In  attribution, understanding

are differences made to be.

25. To divest oneself of abstractions

and to be and abide as what One is,

is to come upon the knowledge of God-

for the Lord as "Iam, I" is self-effulgent.

26. To abide as what one is,

is to know what One is.

For One has no other:

This is abidance in Truth.

27. Such intelligence of Being

where knowledge and its absence are not,

is true wisdom. This is really so.

Knowledge has no object.

28. Once one knows what one is,

one sees no beginning, and no end.

One is all-pervasive Consciousness,

All-embracing happiness.

29. Free from bondage and liberation,

abide as Supreme Bliss,

remain unswerving in this state:

thus you truly serve the Lord.

30. Devoid of I, while One abides,

as what one knows oneself to be-

such awareness is true penance.

Thus says Ramana, the Self of all.

(This is just a draft, would like to work more on this. Let us see what happens).

Hope to get back to Kandaralangaram soon.