Look what Krishna says to Arjuna. He asks Arjuna to be detached to the fruits of the action and yet act and fight. One can not say that Arjuna was not detached, in which case he was violating Krishna's instructions, nor can you say that Arjuna did not fight with zeal. Similarly, do your duty as a wife/husband/father and mother but realize that you are never the doer and do everything as a dedication to God. Just don't say that you are not the doer to slack off, or to perform adharma.

Perform dharma to the best of your ability without any thought of the fruits thereof. Having said that, Karma yoga is an aid to purification of the mind. One may reach a stage in life when one feels there is no point in action. Such a person can take sanyas or not. In fact, as Ramana Maharshi says, whether one takes sanyas or not is decided by prarabdha karma. But it is not an important issue. He emphasises detachment, devotion at any and all stages of life. Let us take sanyas.

Ok, I can put on an ochre robe. What happens ? Do I stop working ? No, because I have to eat, drink and perform other bodily functions. Has my mind changed in any manner ? Will not my mind with me everywhere I go. Sitting in Rishikesh is not going change anything suddenly. I may be even required to do small chores, interact with people after taking sanyas. Nothing with regard to my internal six enemies have changed. Have my thoughts stopped ? Have I dropped the deha-atma buddhi with the donning of the orange robes ? If I had dropped the deha-atmabuddhi, what is the need to take sanyas anyway ?

Let us look at the sayings of Ramana Maharshi in 'Talks with RM' (page 58)

D : How does a grihasta (householder) fare in the scheme of moksha (liberation) ?

M : Why do you think you are a grihasta ? If you go out as a sanyas, a similar thought that you are a sanyasi will haunt you. Whether you continue in the household, or renounce it and go to the forest, your mind haunts you. The ego is the source of [these] thoughts. It creates the body and makes you think you are a grihasta. If you renounce the world it will only substitute the thought sanyasi for grihasta and the environments of the forest for those with the household. But the mental obstacles are always there. They even increase in new surrounding. There is no help on change of environment. The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. If you can do it in the forest, why not in the home ? Therefore why change the environment ? Your efforts can be made even now - whatever environment you may be [in].

A small story about Yagnyavalkya and Janaka goes like this: One day Y comes to Janaka's court is very respectfully and warmly received by Janaka. Janaka is a maharaja, and Y is a poor ascetic brahmin. both were however co-students of same guru (what is the guru's name ? Astavakra ?) Y scholds Janaka for forgetting what all their guru taught, and leading a life of pleasures and vices. Janaka expresses his helplessnes blaming it on his circustamsces, and Y argues it is a pretext to enjoy. Janaka says he willing to do anything Y advises, and Y asks him to leave the kingdom and come with him into deep forests to lead an ascetic life. Janka follows without raising a question, without even formal delegation of authority, or bidding a farewell to family.

Y is rather surprised at the sincerity of Janaka. througout their long walk through rought terrain, agricultural fields, thorns etc, he notices that Janaka is suffering, and bleeding but is coming with him, without complaining. after some walk, Y feels sympathy for Janaka and asks him to take rest under a tree, while he goes out for fetching water from a nearby lake. Meanwhile, a provincial king (a king of a neighbouring kingdom who recognises Janaka as emperer) happens to come over that way with all his paraphernalia. Another neighbour was planning to wage a war against this small king, and he was coming to janaka to ask for assurance of his support in any eventuality of war. He was pleasantly surprised to see Janaka under the tree,even before reaching his kingdom! His entourage makes a temporary but elaborate tent and Janaka is offered the main seat, and the king sits down near him, explaining the situation. Y comes back with water, and to his amazement he finds all military activities etc, but Janaka is not to be seen under the tree. He enquires about janaka, and comes to know he is in the tent. but Y is not allowed by the gatekeeper to go in. a messenger informs Janaka, and Janaka comes out and receives Y.

Then, Janaka explains this:" See: you were under the impression that only unhappiness is what haunts the beings. and somehow you interpreted our guru's teachings as asking us of leading a hard life. but the fact is that even pleasures haunt us. we can not run away anywhere. even in forest, see how i am trapped in this condition! even though i wanted to leave every thing including family behind to come to lead a different life. What our guru taught is that we should be "unattached" to the worldy affairs, not that we should somehow *suffer* . We can continue our functions as beings, but inside, we should be untouched like a lotus leaf remains untouched by falling water drops. " Where is this story from? Sri Ramana Maharshi is said to quote this story to emphasise that the realized souls are difficult to recognize, since they need not look like a swamijis. They might lead ordinary life, amongst us, with all human emotions, actions.

In a shorter version, just ask yourself whether the struggle is inside your mind or outside it ? One has to think, if I sit at home all day, am I established in nirvikalpa samadhi ? What makes one think that taking sanyas will confer liberation when the dirt in the mind has not been cleared ? A knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. How can Brahman work ? Only His body/mind works. See how well Shankara reasons in Bhagavad Gita 4.19 and 4.20 (translation by warrier),

'He whose operative works have begun to bear fruits and who, later, achieves the right perception of the Self will, of course, renounce works will all their auxiliaries; he sees no profit in any work whatsoever.'

But Shankara continues,

'If, for some reason or other, works have not been wholly renounced by such a sage, due to his detachment from works and their fruits, his persistent performance of works is for the world's welfare. He had no private end to serve. In truth, he works not at all. All his works have been burnt in the fire of knowledge and so his work has become non-work.'

And Shankara further continues,

'He does NOTHING who gives up conceit in all works and attachment to their fruits.....Work done by the knower is, in reality, non-work; for he has already achieved the realization of the Self that acts not. What ought to follow is that such a sage, having no private ends to serve, should give up all work and their auxiliaries. BUT due to the desire to promote world's welfare, he finds no way out of activity. Or, may be, he wants to avoid the censure of righteous folk. So he MAY, as was his wont before Self-realization, CONTINUE to WORK. Still, he works not; for he knows his identity with the work-free Self.'

Shri Ramana Maharshi on this subject of 'Does Jnana require sanyasa?' (This is from the latest newsletter, Jan-Feb 1997)

One day, before dawn, when I was restless in my bed, rolling from one side to another, Bhagavan came to me and asked, "Are you not getting sleep? What are you worried about?" I told him, "I am thinking of taking up Sanyasa. If I do it here my people would discover it. So, I want to go away to a distant place like Varanasi and become a Sanyasi there." He at once went and brought Bhakta Vijayam, read out from it the portion dealing with Vitoba's determination to remain a Sanyasi in a forest and the advice of his son Jnana Dev, that the same mind goes with a man whether he stays at home or retires into a forest, and told me I could attain Jnana continuing to be a householder. Thereupon I asked Bhagavan, "Why did you become a Sanyasi?" He replied, "That was my destiny," and added, "Though it is irksome to remain a householder, it is easy to attain Jnana that way."

When Shuka (Vyasa's son) is asked to marry, he is shocked since his only goal in life is to realize the Brahman. Vyasa points out that being a householder and being a jnani are NOT mutually exclusive. Shuka says that is impossible and is asked to go and meet Janaka, who is a jnani andking. Shuka wonders how a king who has to meet out justice, kill people to defend the kingdom etc be a jnani. In fact, when he meets Janaka, he makes fun of him saying 'Calling you a jnani is like saying my mother is barren.' Janaka, then, slowly but clearly explains how a householder can be jnani and a jnani can remain a householder (or a king, in his case). He also explains what duties a householder should do and in what attitude he should do it. Instead of me posting those details or interpreting and translating it, I will just note that the complete incident can be found in the devi-bhagavatam and that what Janaka says is not widely different from what Ramana Maharshi says though it is much longer.

I am not saying a householder life is more conducive to jnana. No way. I am just saying it is possible and there are many examples who live to the present day. If you see bhagavad gita, when Krishna is asked what the characteristic of a jnani are, Krishna does not say the jnani should be a sanyas physically, instead he should be a sanyas mentally. See BG 2.54-2.72. He who is everywhere unattached, not pleased at receiving good, nor vexed at bad, his wisdom is fixed. He is a jnani.

Attachment is a state of mind, and not of the body. Lack of an opportunity to take sanyas should not be used an excuse not to practice karma yoga, bhakti yoga etc. Let all attempts be made to clear the mind of thoughts now itself. As Ramana Maharshi puts it, there is no end to doubts and satisfying them; instead, put an end to the doubter !

True, a sannyas can be attached to his kaupina as much as you are attached to a car, but it is very unlikely. It is like saying, 'You can work for 20 hours a day, go to parties, social functions, engage in all activities, live in US, work in a top notch, high paying job and yet be detached.' Yes, it is possible in 1 out of a million aspirants. Not for many other people. Even great saints like Ramana, Ramakrishna, and Balayogi meditated for 18 hours a day !! Further, all these saints right from Madhusudhana Sarasvati say that we should have material only to satisfy our needs, not pleasure because more material leads to more attachment (most likely). So, I believe, we should reduce our secular activities as much as we can, and in the rest of activities (including e-mail), we should engage in atma or ishvara vichara and not in loka vichara. This is as long as we even have a trace of a thought 'I am the doer.' That's why in the adhyatma patala of the apastamba sutra commented by Shankara, the teacher cautions the student to be careful when he says he will look for Self on the outside.

Hence, it is most likely that anyone who is seriously interested in liberation would take [physical] sannyas. Most of the others have not yet attained the vaigraya to quit the material world. However, there may be a few who have self-realized while living admist the samsara, and we can not question their authencity. Even a cursory glance of their activities over a period of time will reveal whether they are detached to the outer world.

Regarding taking sannyas, and Ramana statement above, one should be careful to interpret it. A person will not ask whether he can hold on to a hot iron rod wearing heat resistant gloves, if he is not really interested in the rod. Similarly, the vaigraya has to arise of its own and the question of 'Whether I should take sannyas ?' should not arise, but action should be taken immediately. In any case, spiritual practices and sadhana should never be neglected whatever position or station of life one is in.

Produced below are excerpts from the talk on 29th sep. 1936 by Ramana Maharshi

D : Can i engage in spiritual practice, even remaining in samsara ?

M: Yes, certainly. One ought to do so.

D : Is not samsara a hindrance ? Do not all holy books advocate renunciation ?

M: Samsara is only in your mind ....Renunciation is non-identification of the Self with the non-self. On the disappearance of ignorance the non-self ceases to exist. That is true renunciation.

D: Why did you then leave your home in your youth ?

M: That is my prarabdha. One's course of conduct in life is determined by one's prarabdha. My prarabdha in this way. Your prarabdha is this way.

D: Should I not also renounce ?

M: If that had been your prarabdha, the question would not have arisen.

An old man and I were discussing

'I am an old man and no one is taking care of me.'

I said, 'How can you say such a thing. You look quite sagely to me. Doesn't Ram take care of everyone ? Your family, friends may have abandoned you, but Ram will never leave you.'

He said, 'I am feeling alone and lonely.'

'If you are feeling lonely, it is because you don't know who you really are. You must not depend upon people or things around you for happiness. Happiness is within, my friend. The day you really come to know your own Self all the time, you will become impersonal. Though I have not achieved this state, I can assure you of this. For this, remain calm, draw yourself in, create from withing your own being, and never let life's failures and successes nor the questions which arise from them disturb you. Always abide in the Self as much as possible and you will understand.'

He said, 'But I have to act.'

'We all have to engage in action. Unless you are engaged in action, we are dead. But the key is how to engage in action. Don't work *for* something, be work itself. To become something is useless, just Be. If you have a trace of ego, hunt it down and always act dharmically.'

He then asked, 'So what are you saying ?'

'To possess nothing is to have everything. Understand everything in the world, from the blade of grass to the blue whale, everything is divine. To possess nothing, not even your thoughts, to know everything is given by the Divine, is the supreme state. Let actions just happen, be a witness to them - accepting nothing, rejecting nothing. Let not life/nature control you, you are the nature, just accept whatever is presented and make everything fruitful with your being.'

He smiled, and said 'Who taught you all this ? How do you know all this ?'

'Everything is Shankara and I am His servant. He is my Guru but He is my Self. He is everything to me.'

He continued to ask, 'Then why did you say Ram when I met you ?'

'I see no difference between Shiva, Ram and Shakti.'

Then he laughed roarily and said 'But you seem to have a difference between me and Shiva. Lose that duality too.'

So, saying, he disappeared. And I WOKE up !!

kallaik kaNDaal naayaik kaaNam"

When you see the dog, stone is not seen

When you see the stone, dog is not seen!

Everyone in Tamilnadu knows this saying but they think this means that because dogs are chased away by throwing stones, when there is a dog botrhering you, there is no stone. But the real meaning is different. One day a person visited a zamindar;'s house. In the entrance of the house, there were two big dogs growling. The person ran away. A wise man came that way and told the person that the dogs were made out of stone. So saying, the wise man took the person to the house and asked him to touch the dogs, feel it etc. Then the person said, 'When the dog is seen, stone is not seen...' The wise man replied 'When there is ignorance, there is no jnana; When there is jnana, there is no ignorance.' (jnana is left after chasing away ignorance).

Such is this imperfection, if we try to look for it by enquiring the source of this perceived imperfection, it is no longer there !! All that is left is perfection, as it ever was and ever will be. T

"Potentially, each one of us has that infinite ocean of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss as our birthright, our real nature; and the difference between us is caused by the greater or lesser power to manifest that divine." Swami Vivekananda.

'This is the basis of all ignorance that we, the immortal, the ever pure, the perfect Spirit, think that we are little minds, that we are little bodies; it is the mother of all selfishness. As soon as I think that I am a little body, i want to preserve it, to protect it, to keep it nice, at the expense of other bodies: then you and I become separate. As soon as this idea of separation comes, it opens the door to all mischief and leads to all misery. ' Swami Vivekananda.

The famous story is that of Narada and Vishnu in the bhagavatam. Narada once argued how can maya be powerful. Vishnu asked Narada for a cup of water. Narada went to a house and asked for water. He was enchanted by the woman who gave him water, got married, and had children etc. Time passed. Once there was a flood and everything was being swept away. Narada lost his wife, children, possessions etc. Desperately clinging to a branch, he swam across the river and reached the shore. There stood Vishnu and said 'Narada, where is my cup of water ?'

There was once a king called Amurka. He went hunting in a jungle, but was knocked down by a bear. He suffered amnesia and could not remember who or what he was. A few tribesmen came across him, and nursed back to physical health. Amurka, however, did not regain his memory and was named Murga. He lived with the tribesmen quite happily. Every month, the tribesmen including Murga would celebrate festivals in honor of Amurka, the famous king. One day, Amurka's brother, the present king, visited the jungle and was surprised to find that Amurka has lost the memory of being a king and was living like a tribesman now. Murga did not believe that he was Amurka, and slowly Amurka's brother had to inculcate him. Finally the minister told him many incidents and gradually bought him to the "king-consciousness" Then the hunter realized he was the king and then told the minister, 'Hey, you did not tell me anything new. I was always the king.' There is a similar story of Indra and the pigs. Such is the state of most of the beings, they have forgotten that they are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Vairagya is defined as dispassion towards objects. How is this cultivated ? Intellectually, one understands that objects merely produce pain or pleasure (depending on the time and place). The same object may produce pleasure and pain. Example : Cold water is nice to drink when it is hot, but awful to drink when one has a toothache. The problem here is not the cold water. Thus, objects do not produce pain or pleasure, only the mind perceives pain and pleasure. And it also understands that everlasting happiness can not be found in transients.

        After a person understands experientially that the objects are merely pain and pleasure producing transients, he would (/should) reject them and concentrate on the ideal (producing happiness).

        To cultivate dispassion thus requires constant discrimination between the real and the unreal and also an attitude of bhakti towards the Supreme (Self, or Guru or Ishvara). The desire towards objects would automatically drop off when the above is followed with intensity. How ? Kanchi periyava gives an example in his book 'The voice of divinity'. Maybe you have seen a bundle of logs tied by a rope. Sometimes it is difficult to remove the rope. Therefore, another rope is taken and the logs are bound more tightly. The old rope becomes 'loose' and automatically falls off.  Similarly, when attachment towards Ishvara is cultivated, the attachment one has to objects falls off.

        But, as Ramana Maharshi remarks, one has to be careful not to be egoistic that one is dispassionate. The story of Chudala and the king is cited as an example. One should not think 'I am dispassionate, I can leave off my spouse, wealth etc. See that person, how attached he is to wealth etc' The whole sadhana is to sever the ego and it loses its purpose if one is proud of being dispassionate to objects but passionate to his ego.

        A question may arise as to how do one can worship bhagavAn without a sense of "I-ness"?  Also, a lot of the pujAs, homAs etc. have an objective of propitiation and Punya as a result.  Doesn't this cultivate attachment?, it may be asked.

        As we saw, Ultimate Bhakti is the state of mind which detaches itself from all things and "fixes" itself on the Atman. But this is not so easily obtained. We have to go through some steps. So let us stage this process.

1. When we are in difficulty and suffer, or if our close ones are suffering, we go to God and plead with Her. We say 'I will do all this (pujas, homas etc.), visit your temple IF you get rid of this ailment, give me wealth etc.'

        Even the great tamil saint auvaiyar was like this. Daily, early in the morning, she used to worship Lord Ganesha with four things: milk, honey, rice pudding (pasayam) and nuts. She used to pray 'I give you four things, please give me three (poetry, music and drama).' Devotion always starts on a bargaining system. I will give you this, if you give me that. Thus we bargain with the God. This is like a child saying to the mother, I will eat the vegetables, if you will allow me to play with MY toy. Actually, the mother knows she owns the toy, not the child but to please the child, she agrees. Such is the case of people.  Everything is owned by God. Man possesses nothing, yet he bargains. Total surrender always starts from this simple bargaining. When it is dark, we seek light and think of God. Not many think of Her when the going is good (i.e., pleasurable).

        This is the first stage of bhakti. Even this is noble, as Lord Krishna explains in BG. Four types of virtuous ones worship or seek Me, O Arjuna. They are: the distressed, the seeker of Self-knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise one who knows the Supreme.  (7.16) All these seekers are indeed noble (7.18)
Why is seeking objects by praying to God noble ?

2.  Because slowly, we see how much ever objects we have, we are not as happy as we can be. The desires are endless and have no complete fulfilment. There is something lacking. So, we understand that karma yoga, where all dharmic activites are dedicated to God, is better. With our prayers (even for desires), God is slowly attracting us.  But with dedication, slowly, our mind gets purified and we start to perceive Her grace. Her grace is ever-present and available for everyone, but not everyone avails it ! It is not the fault of the sun if we sit in a dark room and complain about lack of the sun.  Shankara explains this stage as

        kaanthopalaM suuchika

        God, like a magnet, attracts the devotees, who are needles. If the iron needle is coated with paint, there is no attraction by the magnet. It is not the fault of the magnet. As soon as the paint is removed, the needle is automatically attracted. Similarly, our pujas in the first stage (which are later done as dedication to the divine) purify our mind and God "attracts" us.

3. The third stage, Shankara says, is like

        saadhvii nijavibhu

        We should think of God all the time. This is a necessary condition for mokshha. But, we may ask, we are working for money, talk with people, do all sorts of things. How can we think of God all the time or atleast for a majority of time.

        Shankara explains how in Saundarayalaharii. Whatever we speak is only 51 letters (sanskrit letters which covers the complete phoentic range). All the letters belong to Her, representing Parashakti svarupam. Therefore, whenever we speak or write, we should think that we are only reciting Her name in various ways. What does this mean ? That we should indulge in speech worthy of being called Her mantra. Naturally, our words will become sweet and since we remember all the rest are also Her children, we will be careful not to hurt anyone's feelings using Her letters.
 
        Similarly, Shankara says, let our hands constantly engage in Her worship. That is, whatever action we do, we should think whether it is worthy of Her worship. Is the action dharmic, and will be performed in accord to dharma and spirit of dedication ? Shankara says, let walking itself be a pradakshina.  Kanchi periyava gives a humourous example. When you walk to the cinema theatre, think that you are doing pradakshina in Her temple, and when you are waiting in the queue for tickets, think you are standing in line to have Her darshan.  Even these type of thoughts, will eventually make one visit the temple and slowly one will stop going to movies.

        Let us offer everything we eat to Her. So, we should eat only sattvic food worthy of being offered to Her and eat only in the times prescribed.  If we slowly do all our actions thinking that we are acting as Her instrument, our prayer will become

        yatra yatra mano madiiyaM tatra tatra tavaiva ruupaM

        Whenever my mind wanders, let me remember only your form.

        An example of the monkey is given here. The baby monkey clings to its mother and firmly clasps on her whatever may come.  Similarly, our monkey mind is very hard to control but if we cling on to Her, then all our attachments will fall away.

4. Slowly as we progress to the next stage, we should, Shankara says, be

         lataa shhitiruhaM

i.e., become like the creeper twined around a tree. The creeper is intimately twined around a tree, it is very difficult to separate it. Similarly, it is very difficult to make a good devotee stop thinking about God. Whenever the devotee perceives separation, he will be in misery. Because as one is with God, there is infinite peace and bliss. The river is all turbulent, jumping here and there, but when it joins the sea, it becomes calm and quiet. Similarly, being with God brings about immense calmness.

        Thus we become like a kitten. Unlike a baby monkey which holds on to the mother for protection, the kitten does not do anything. The cat picks up the kitten and carries it to safety and takes care of it. Similarly, a mother takes care of the new born baby whenever anything is required by the baby. IF mothers of kittens and babies can be like this, what about the Mother of all, Parashakti ? Does She not know about our needs, and will She not take care of us ? She sure will. So, we should not worry about matters following fully well that She knows what to give, when to give and whom to give.

         Man is bitten by the snake of ignorance and thinks himself as limited, ignorant, and suffers from the notion of 'I am the doer.' By surrendering the notion of an individuality, he concludes that all happenings are due to the Divine Will and he is a mere actor in the script written by the Divine. Thus, the devotee here completely surrenders to Her will.

        At this stage, where the mind is completely purified and there is surrender, the bhakti has reached the stage of ahetuki. All pujas are completely done without expectation of any reward or motivation of personal gain. Then why do puja? A mother dresses up the new born baby in several colourful clothes and displays them to all, not because the baby becomes happy but the mother who dresses up the child becomes happy. Similarly, we do alankara to Devi, not to make Her feel happy (She is always in bliss) but because when we see Her dressed up, we are happy.

        Also, one understands the significance of puja.  Before the puja, one bathes to signify the outer purification. Mantras and stotras are recited for inner purification. Even a very simple puja employs flowers. What is the inner significance ? Flowers smell. This is called vaasaana. Vaasaana is also an another name for the imprints in the jiva, which constitute the flavor/smell of our personality, habits etc.  Flowers are picked up with the right hand and then, the fingers are pointed downward so that the flowers fall at the feet of the idol. The five fingers signify the five senses. The senses which are normally directed outward for pleasure and now pointed downward showing that they are surrendered at Her Feet. Usually, the flower is placed after uttering 'namaH.' While namaH means salutation, it is also a corrupt form of 'na mama' i.e not mine. Thus, when offering flowers, one says, 'I am offering to you my senses, attributes, character but none of them are really mine. Everything is yours.'
 

5. In the final stage, the devotee realizes that complete fulfilment can be achieved only in union and identity. There is a saying that those who want to only eat sugar (bliss) and not become sugar have never tasted sugar.  Whatever a single gold ring (jiva)  can admire the huge gold crown (Ishvara), the ultimate is achieved only in recognizing that both the ring and the crown are made up of only gold (Brahman). Thus the devotee says,

        madiiyaM eva svaruupaM dehi

        Give me what is mine, i.e., your self, which is my true nature.

            Thus, we see how even doing puja etc. with an ulterior motive in stages leading to chitta shuddhi followed by sharangati and ultimately to mokshha.

---

On the vyavahara level, non-volition and dharma are contradictory. If one uses non-volition as an excuse not to uphold dharma, to escape responsibilites, then one is certainly doomed. Nagarjuna mentions this is worse than materialism.

If a person who has attained sattvic quality and will uphold dharma at any cost, but is still worried about some things in the past or is worried that his body is not able to visit pilgrimage spots or become sanyas etc, it is said 'What happened/happens was/is God's will. All actions which happened were His will. All actions which your body does is His will. Don't worry about what your body does and instead go "inside" and enquire." For example, when a person in the same book says that he is worried that he is unable to visit certain pilgrimage spots, RM says 'Only if there is prarabdha karma, one can visit those places.' (paraphrased) basically, asking the person to find the Ganges inside him instead of outside. Devi-Bhagavatam says exactly the same thing, dipping in the Ganges will not remove the sins, if it is Ganges the river, but one should dip in Ganges (the Self).

Even a good aspirant worries about the past and the future, and by consoling himself with the statement that everything is God's will, he will not deviate from his spiritual sadhana and invets his complete energies on the sadhana (though the sadhana itself is only the 'realization' that the sought and seeker are one). It is the nature of the ajnani to live in the past and future, but not in the present and devote all the energies to "realize" the Self. The *acceptance* of the absence of free will (i.e., everything is God's will) is great provided it is a movement from tamas and rajas *to* sattva. Acceptance of everything is God's will should be there even if one becomes a king or becomes a pauper. When one suffers or enjoys, if one has surrendered to God's will, there is nothing to complain or rejoice. In fact, a true surrender will eventually eliminate the sufferer and the enjoyer- the ego. However this acceptance of the absence of free will is usually a movement from rajas to tamas and leads to fatalism (In Tamilnadu, thousands just say 'Thalaividi.' and don't do anything about anything). This sort of fatalism makes one lazy, and worse, allows the ego and mind to engage in pleasures as it likes. Only when the bottom falls out, and the consequences of the adharma have to be faced, free will is suddenly admitted.

If the latter quote of RM is said to a person who wants to use "Everything is God's will" as an EXCUSE to be lazy, not to uphold dharma, then the quote won't have any value to *that* person. For him, it is said, you have to be responsible for your actions, follow the scriptures etc. The problem obviously is when a person is not tutored by a Guru and reads these quotes and puts them all together for the convinence of the ego. Thus, such a person whose body commits a crime will just quote RM to prove that all actions of the body are predetermined without understanding the true meaning of God's will or even RM statements. It is unfortunate but true that the ego will try to manipulate all sentences to its liking so that it can exist - and then suffer, enjoy and complain. Ramana Maharshi in his 'talks with RM' says 'Effort is required so long as there is mind.' (page 481, I think). This does not mean that we should be proud of the effort, but actions should be done without the thought of the 'I am the doer.'

To say all this happens effortlessly is not correct. Only a jnani can live effortlessly. So, it can be asked who makes the effort ? The jeeva which *thinks* it is different from Atman, and the entity which thinks it suffers, enjoys etc. is making the effort to remove the false impressions that it has a gross, subtle or casual body or five sheaths. Only when it is discovered that the jeeva is always Atman, then effortless living takes place.

Once one has some siddhis, they will compare it. Then jealousy with a person who has more siddhis will creep in, while superiority over a person with less siddhis will be apparent. All this is the game of the ego. Cultivating a strong ego during sadhana for liberation is like trying to cross the river ganga after tying the boat to the shore.

Shankara explains in his lalita trishati bhashya (for example) how to worship Devi (and others). tathaapi tadapavaada purassaram shuddha chaitanyaabheda dhyana ruupa mukhya bhajanam mukhya meva. A devotee must meditate only on his oneness with pure awareness in worship. Devi Herself says so in the Devi Gita. Similarly, when we say 'O Lord Shiva,' we assume a form for Him. But the form is only an 'illusion.' and we should not differentiate between worship of Shiva, Shakti or Rama. If this is difficult to do, then we can unconditionally worship only one saguNa Brahman, like you say. Further, Shankara in BSB says that we should view our Ishta Devata as Brahman, NOT vice-versa.

I feel such people are extremely hard to find and they appear to the disciple when the disciple is ready. On the other hand, the disciple can have many teachers, who can teach him yoga, meditation, self-enquiry etc. In any case, the Guru is always the Self. Regarding questioning, nowhere does Krishna say that the disciple should question him on vedanta, determine his answer and suitability. How can one with a strong ego be influenced greatly by a sage ? The person will just dismiss the sage as disillusioned. For example, several Vaishnavites used to question RM derogatively prompting Ramana to retort, 'Will you be satisfied if I write in a paper admitting defeat to your knowledge ?' A student can test the Guru, not by questions, but by observing him carefully and seeing whether the person follows the above rules given by Krishna. Like the man who tested whether Ramakrishna engaged in sex with his wife. Of course, a student can ask the Guru questions, just like a student asks the teacher to clear his misunderstanding.

A guru is absolutely necessary. Normally, people say Ramana Maharshi attained jnana without a Guru, so everyone can. But, not all of us are sannyas, and stay with loin cloth as the only possession either. Even Ramana Maharshi emphasizes the need for a Guru,

Q: If it be true that the Guru is one's own Self (atman), what is the principle underlying the doctrine which says that however learned a disciple may be or whatever occult powers he may possess, he cannot attain self-realization (atma-siddhi) without the grace of the Guru? "

M: Although in absolute truth the state of the Guru is that of oneself it is very hard for the Self which has become the individual soul (jiva) through ignorance to realise its true state or nature without the grace of the Guru. All mental concepts are controlled by the mere presence of the real Guru. If he were to say to one who arrogantly claims that he has seen the further shore of the ocean of learning or one who claims arrogantly than he can perform deeds which are well-nigh impossible, 'Yes, you learnt all that is to be learnt, but have you learnt (to know) yourself? And you who are capable of performing deeds which are almost impossible, have you seen yourself?', they will bow their heads (in shame) and remain silent. Thus it is evident that only by the grace of the Guru and by no other accomplishment is it possible to know oneself. "

A true Guru (like Ramana, Shankara) does not have a specific technique, but their words will be extremely powerful. The only criteria, however, is to determine how peaceful one is in their presence. I would add two other criteria: that the person be a sannyas and lives amongst only necessities and not luxury. These criteria need not be satisfied (as you can see in so many swamijis both in India and USA) but then when you see these sadhus living a very comfortable life, it is hard to really believe that they are really detached. All they talk are nonsensical words, and they sometimes don't follow dharma either.

Everything is a concoction of time, space and energy only and all else is an illusion is the trite talk of people who dislike the effort of sadhana which takes them to the Self. This talk is based on their dense ignorance of the Self. Only by the persistent practice [of dharma] and experience of sadhana can one arrive at the truth that all concepts of souls, world and the cause thereof are just evanescent shadows in the screen of Siva -Self -Brahman. Ribhu Gita 24.31.

Sure, one can be established in the Self while engaged in worldly affairs, but that is extremely rare. Please note that I am not questioning the validity of these 'jnanis' in the USA. To judge someone as being ignorant, I should be knowledgable (which I am not). About the necessity of a Guru, please refer to the atma bodha (on the sanskrit site).

The Guru is as much within as outside. Hence, we should practice meditation etc. learned from teachers and reach a level where we would be eligible to be taught by a Guru. And when we are ready, the Self (Guru within) will appear in a bodily form to instruct us. It is like any other thing in life. Until we graduate from kindergarden, high school and university, we can not be taught by a doctorate to obtain a doctorate. The only difference is that a Guru teaches you to *unlearn*. The main problem (atleast it is mine) is that we lack exclusiveness and earnestness. Unless we have both, even the presence of a physical Guru won't do much good. That has been my experience.

And without a Guru, and strict adherence to dharma, liberation is not possible. As Kanchi periyava says in his wonderful commentary on on Hinduism and Dharma, in olden days, people used to stick to dharma and not acknowledge the path of knowledge, but nowadays, people want to embark on fancy things like atma vichara, without following dharma . No progress is possible without strict adherence to dharma.

Finally, one having a Guru, there should be complete trust and surrender,

How can you know which direction you are going? Why don't you do what the first-class railway passenger does? He tells the guard his destination, locks the doors and goes to sleep. The rest is done by the guard, If you could trust your guru as much as you trust the railway guard, it would be quite enough to make you reach your destination. Your business is to shut the door and windows and sleep. The guard will wake you up at your destination. -------- Ramana Maharshi

It is tracing the origin of thought, and resting (abiding) in the Self. This is through the question of 'Who am I ?' This should not be confused as a question and answer session. For example, one should not think of replies like 'I am acting, I am working etc. It is the ego, body etc.' Instead, it is quietening the mind to get rid of all thoughts by abiding in the Atman.

An incident from Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. The little squirrels were close by in their nest. A cat swallowed their mother. The responsibility of looking after them now fell on Bhagavan. He said, 'These children do not know that it is to their advantage if they confine themselves to their nest. All the problems are outside, but they cannot resist the temptation of going out. Similarly, if the mind settles down in the Heart without straying out, there is no problem. But it cannot help going out.'

'What is the method of restraining it?' I asked.

'Just the same as I am doing here: Whenever the squirrels come out, I put them back. The more we put them back they stay put. Then we can relax.'

The basis of our consciousness is 'I am.' Self is beyond the body, mind, prana, any subject-object relationship even beyond the consciousness limited by name and form. This is beautifully brought out by Adi Shankara in nirvana-shhaTakam. The purpose of atma-vicara is to guide us out of our imaginary identity through ever more subtles identifications, till all of them are dropped and pure awareness alone remains.

From Talks with Ramana Maharshi

Q: 'Can jnana be lost after having been once attained?'

M: 'Jnana once revealed takes time to steady itself. [...] Owing to the fluctuations of the vasanas, jnana takes time to steady itself. Unsteady jnana is not enough to check rebirths. [...] To remain unshaken in it further efforts are necessary.'

That is, even after nirvikalpa samadhi is attained, to attain sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi, repeated efforts are needed.

'There is a state beyond our efforts or effortlessness. Until it is realized effort is necessary. After tasting such Bliss, even once one will repeatedly try to regain it. Having once experienced the Bliss of Peace no one would like to be out of it or engaged himself otherwise. It is as difficult for a jnani to engage in thoughts as it is for an ajnani to be free from thoughts.' These vasanas, these fluctuations, these thoughts (ie. mind) must be finally destroyed. 'Its [the mind's] destruction is the non-recognition of it as being apart from the Self. Even now the mind is not. Recognize it.'

D: It is said in our scriptures that God creates, sustains, and destroys all and that He is immanent in all. IF so, and if God does everything, and if all we do is according to God's law, and had already been planned in the Cosmic Consciousness, is there individual personality and any responsibility for it ?

M: Of course, there is.The same scriptures have laid down rules as to what men should or should not do. If man is not responsible, then why should those rules have been laid down ? .... If you believe in God and His niyati working out everything, completely surrender yourself to Him and there will be no responsibility for you. Otherwise, find out your real nature and thus attain freedom.

Surrender appears easy because people imagine that, once they say with their lips 'I surrender,' and put their burdens on their Lord, they can be free and do what they like. But the fact is that you can have no likes or dislikes after your surrender and your will should become completely non-existent, the Lord's will taking its place. Such death of ego is nothing different from jnana.

As you see, no one can clearly draw a line between jiva's will and Ishvara's will. Even Ramanuja who places so much emphasis on Ishvara's grace, emphasizes self-effort. Self-effort (i.e., right actions) is required to "secure" the grace. In bhagavatam (?), of the nine steps needs to climb for complete devotion, it is said, if man makes the effort to climb four, God will carry him the rest of the way. So, you can ask whether to climb the four steps is my effort or God's ? I would say, it is your effort. Since your effort is in the right direction, it is coupled with God's grace. But, if you take pride 'I have climbed..' then you are bound to fall. Take this case. A child holds its mother hand for climbing the first four steps, and the mother taking pity on the child, carries the child the rest of the way. Now, the child could not have climbed the first steps without the help of the mother, but one can not question the effort of the child either. A devotee would say 'Everything is His grace,' though he constantly makes choices. The Shruti says 'The ignorant chose the pleasurable, the wise chose the good.' Shruti does not say 'God decides who chooses the pleasurable or good.'

I do believe that God only shows you what is right and wrong, and we choose between them and are responsible for it. We can think ourselves as doing the Lord's will, but our actions should reflect that (which is the difference between Manson and Gandhi), and be indifferent to the results of the actions. Further, all of these is only applicable in the shristi-drishti vada, which makes a (wrong) assumption of the reality of creation and Ishvara ! But this concept is useful in replacing our vasana of 'I am the doer.' to a better vasana 'I am the actor, a tool in his hands.' leading to chitta suddhi and eventually to complete surrender i.e., jnana. :

Listen to Me. When you wakeup, feel that you are entering the stage to play the role assigned to you by the Lord; pray that you may act it well and earn His approbation. At night, when you retire to sleep, feel that you are entering the green room after the scene, but with the dress of your role on; for perhaps the role is not yet over and you have not yet been permitted to take the dress off. Perhaps you have to make another entrance the next morning. Do not worry about that. Place yourself fully at His Disposal; He Knows; He has written the play and He knows how it will end and how it will go on. Yours is but to act and retire. -------------- Satya Sai Baba.