Tag: Self

“You are the world” – A Conversation on Consciousness

"More generally, what could we mean by the pronoun ‘I’ if not the thing that is the cause of the actions my body initiates? As it happens, neuroscientists agree that I must be the thing that is the cause of my action. And they locate that thing, that cause, in the brain, the neurons. But … Continue reading “You are the world” – A Conversation on Consciousness →

Nisargadatta Maharaj on the Person, Witness, and the Supreme

Step back from action to consciousness, leave action to the body and the mind; it is their domain. Remain as pure witness, till even witnessing dissolves in the Supreme. It is like washing printed cloth. First, the design fades, then the background and in the end, the cloth is plain white. The personality gives place … Continue reading Nisargadatta Maharaj on the Person, Witness, and the Supreme →

Shankara: How to Meditate for Self-Realisation| Vivekachuhdamani | Nididhyasana | Samadhi

Tom Das

Here is a collection of verses I have taken from Shankara’s Masterpiece Vivekachudamani focusing on the last step in the path to liberation, namely meditation or Nididhyasana, which as we shall see culminates in Samadhi.

In Vivekachudamani, the entire path to Moksha (Liberation), in which suffering is totally removed, is set out for us. Not only is the entire path explained in detail, but repetition of almost every point is made again and again to ensure that the meaning is clearly imparted and cannot be misunderstood. This text has been approved and recommended by all the great Advaita sages over the centuries, including Bhagavn Sri Ramana Maharshi who translated the entire work into Tamil for those around him who could not read the original Sanskrit.

The path starts with the seeker of liberation burdened with suffering approaching a self-realised teacher. The teacher then gives the verbal/conceptual teaching (sravana) and then contemplating…

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Ramana Maharshi on Contemplation

I [Yogi Ramaiah] asked [Ramana] Maharshi about contemplation. He taught me as follows: When a man dies the funeral pyre is prepared and the body is laid flat on the pyre. The pyre is lit. The skin is burnt, then the flesh and then the bones until the whole body falls to ashes. What remains … Continue reading Ramana Maharshi on Contemplation →

How To Live in the World – Ramana Maharshi’s Advice

Why should your occupation or duties in life interfere with your spiritual effort? For instance, there is a difference between your activities at home and in the office. In your office activities you are detached and so long as you do your duty you do not care what happens or whether it results in gain … Continue reading How To Live in the World – Ramana Maharshi’s Advice →

Schrodinger On Determinism and Free Will

Following is the Epilogue in Erwin Schrodinger's book "What Is Life?" (Note: Schrodinger was an Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental results in the field of Quantum Mechanics, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933)   Epilogue: On Determinism and Free Will As a reward for the serious trouble I … Continue reading Schrodinger On Determinism and Free Will →

Creation of the Universe

(from Swami Paramarthananda's Commentary on Drik-Drsya Viveka) What is creation? Creation can be defined as the production of an effect or a product from a cause. When an effect is produced out of a cause what happens exactly? What is the mechanism? The words cause, effect, etc., are normally used very loosely. Take the example … Continue reading Creation of the Universe →