Sage SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI
THE HEART
Pure Consciousness, which is the Heart
includes all
Nothing is outside or apart from it
That is the ultimate Truth.
– Ramana Maharshi
There are two very unique activities taking place within a human being. These need prime consideration and understanding from a functional perspective for an individual. One aspect or unique characteristic of the Absolute is the ‘I’- Thought the contradistinction or being distinctly opposite to the Absolute also known as the not-Self. When the ‘I’- Thought is active it utilises and latches onto endless forms and tries to associate functions with each form it associates with, thus creating an artificial kingdom of its own and holds a magical spell over the individual appearing to cover the Reality or pure Awareness. An interesting point to note here as Sage Ramana has very clearly explained, this ‘I’- Thought is the primal thought which is at the base or centre of every other thought which arises in association with the many innumerable objects the old man or not-Self or the ‘I’- Thought associates itself with. The ‘I’- Thought and each of the associated thoughts so arising from it also constitute none other than the unique characteristics of the Self.
Now the other aspect i n an individual is the true aspect of our real nature that of pure Awareness, which actually is the life behind the ‘I’- Thought,and this Awareness undertakes the activity of discerning and distinguishing all the names, forms, actions and events, this includes everything which we call as the unique characteristics of the absolute manifest in the space-time world.
Hence, until a sincere and prolonged effort is made by us to shift back and consciously function (not unconsciously) as our true nature that of Awareness utilising and knowing the function of distinguishing rather than judging which belongs to the ‘I’- Thoughtthe aspect of achieving the function of practicing ‘Who am I’ is next to impossible to achieve.
It is only when the ‘I’- Thought is looked upon as a unique characteristic of the Self by us the pure Awareness an aspect of the Heart as described and explained by Sage Ramana, this pure Awareness being the very screen on which all the unique characteristics of the Self including the prime unique characteristic of ‘I’- Thought appear, and due to which the life and all activities persist in the space time manifestation. Unless we undertake this advice and act upon it the magical spell of the ‘I’- Thought that I am so and so with a name and a function and not pure Awareness cannot be broken. When we do take up this practice it is not long before an experience that there is no ‘I’- Thought, it has actually gone – is experienced, and the other side of us being as pure Awareness our true nature, and that we can function with it with the total absence of the ‘I’- Thought is experienced.
Now we take our discussion further to gain a deeper understanding of what is termed as the Heart by Sage Ramana. According to the Sage, the Absolute or God characterised by the attributes of spaceless and timeless is the Heart. Now when we come down to the level of space time creation then us being the pure Awareness which manifests in space and time and is also connected to the spaceless timeless God or the Absolute, and in this pure Awarensswhich is the screen on which appear and manifest all these unique characteristics of the Absolute, then for our purpose of understanding this pure Awareness in the space time manifestation is the Heart.
Also according to Sage Ramana the holy mountain Arunanchala in Tiruvannamalai also called Lord Shiva (The all-pervasive supreme Reality; one of the Hindu trinity of gods, who carries out the act of destruction and dissolution) is the symbolic representation of the Heart on the physical plane Earth. In the ancient past going back many thousands of years before Christ during the formation of the ancient Hindu civilisation which is the period of evolution just after the Atlantean period (refer to details on the chapter on Evolution),Arunanchala was a column of fire emanating from Earthwhich then gradually condensed into the holy mountain which represents the symbol of Shiva. The holy mountain has remained unchanged since times immemorial and to this day is the same. It has remained as the centre of transmission of pure spiritual knowledge to the human race over the centuries. Many Sages are buried in and around the holy Arunanchala. This is also a proven fact as exemplified by the life of Sage Ramana as the Sage has written many hymns and verses in praise of Arunanchala and dedicated his life to the holy mountain. Following is one such stanza composed by Sage Ramana in relation to his reverence for the holy mountain.
‘O Red Hill (Arunachala)! All this (world-appearance), which is a picture, rises, stands and subsides only in You. Since You dance eternally (in) the Heart as (the Real Self), they (the Sages or Jnanis) say that Your name itself is Heart, (Hridayam).’
{Sri . Arunachala Pancharatnam(The five Gems in praise of Sri Arunachala) Verse 2by Sage Ramana}
Even to this day when devotees visit the holy hill, it gives the same peace, tranquillity and bliss as it has always given. The author urges the reader to visit Sage Ramana ashram in Tiruvannamalai and experience first-hand for themselves what has been stated above.
Sage Ramana has answered a whole variety of queries and doubts about the Heart spanning a period of 50 years raised to him in the form of questions by devotees and visitors. The Sage has given answers which removed not only any doubts in the mind of the questioner, but also gave clarity about what is the Heart and what method one must follow to be one with the Reality the Heart.
Download the following PDF document which is a store house of spiritual wisdom related to the Heart given by Sage Ramana
