Practice is inseparable
with resources. There is only one practice, which is self-inquiry. There are
many ways described as self-inquiry. Robert said the highest form was
abiding in silence.
Ramana provides many methods of
self-inquiry. Nisargadatta describes many. Many others provide what they
call self-inquiry. I could and will describe my way in the practices
section.
Read all of these. Usually one or the other
description of the process will feel right for you.
I highly recommend Sadhu Om’s Path of Sri Ramana, Part 1, chapters seven and
eight, translated by Michael James and Sadhu Om.
The link for the Path of Ramana PDF file is at:
http://www.happinessofbeing.com/The_Path_of_Sri_Ramana_Part_One.pdf
I also recommend his Light on the Teaching of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
by Sadhu Om, translated by Michael James. However, this text is not the
jewel as is Path I. Both hard copy books are available from
www.AHAM.com.
The rest of Michael James’ site is also invaluable. It also allows you to
download the Path of Sri Ramana Part I for free as well as his
excellent 600 page text on everything Ramana. I must say I have not
read it. I have glanced at it only. I will update this commentary after
reading.
http://www.happinessofbeing.com/
Michael is a
genuinely nice guy.
Robert’s book, transcripts and tapes are a great help, especially the
chapters on Self-Inquiry, Surrender, Renunciation and the chapter entitled
“Who Am I.”
However, the book is an edited
version of his transcripts, and as such take on the editor's slant. I did
not edit the current version of Silence of the Heart.
All of the transcripts from which
Silence of the Heart came, are already on this website. Hit the button
"Collected Works." There are over 420 pages in just that section. The
transcripts are far better than the book and are free.
Robert offers lots of sometimes contradictory ways to practice
self-inquiry, but mostly very elementary ways for people who do not have a
clue. They have to select the method that feels best for them.
Robert really wasn't into any of the traditional ways of
self-inquiry. For his more advanced students, always said just to dwell in the deepest silence
you are capable of. Of course, how to do this is the question. However,
just reading Robert and listening to his tapes constantly points to that
source.
David Godman’s website and blog are invaluable.
http://davidgodman.org and have lots of free Ramana related
downloads to confuse you or help you investigate your own fundamental kernel
question. David is also quite open and giving.
Maharshi's
Gospel is a wonderful little book of questions and answers from disciples
and Ramana's answers. While it spends a good amount of time on practice,
even moreover it is the clearest expression of Ramana's teachings I have
found. It is great to clear up confusions and doubts, as well as give a
sense of direction. It is available for free download from the Ramana Ashram
website:
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/booksfordownlaod.html
I recommend a book by Michael Langford entitled “The Most Rapid and
Direct Means to Eternal Bliss.” Some of the chapters on abiding in
consciousness are very well expressed and could be very productive--for you.
He may or may not speak to you. His is a good
description of Shikantaza, the meditation of Soto Zen monks. You can
go to any Soto Zen center and learn it first hand from a master. Barring a
master, the book is helpful. I also think his description of ego
defense mechanisms is valuable and methods for generating a desire to awaken
may be valuable--for you, and maybe not for someone else.
On the other hand,
I think there are more powerful techniques available which I will write
about in the practices section. This more powerful technique requires first getting hold
of the sense of self, I AM, and then abiding there.
The most relevant
chapters of Langford's book are on the Web:
http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter06.aspx
http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter07.aspx
http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter08.aspx
There is an excellent book
on the I Am and Consciousness--I will not say more--available on Michael
James Site for download, called "Guru Vachaka Kovai available for download
at:
http://www.happinessofbeing.com/Guru_Vachaka_Kovai.pdf
This is an inspirational and
practice text. Do not read this first. This is the whipped cream on top of
the ice cream. Eat the Ice cream first.
Then we go to the
Nisargadatta side of self-inquiry where we can find other valuable texts and
posts. I would note that the one I most highly recommend explores self-inquiry
in many ways better than Ramana because the parables Nisargadatta used
better fit the Western mind and give it a rest so that practice can actually
take place.
Both Ramana and
Nisargadatta speak in "parables." There is no other way, because what you are goes far beyond the mind and cannot be
captured by the mind, let alone words which are derivative of mind. The parables are pointers only, not truth. Truth is
found only in self-inquiry, or abiding in the self, which eventually leads
to the utter silence of the absolute--the substratum of all.
The parables and analogies
of Ramana are abstract and have poor logic to justify them. When he does not
use analogies, the texts expounding his teachings become very Indian.
Nisargadatta on the other
hand, has parables better liked by the Western mind. They fit right in with
the concepts of modern self-psychology as expressed by Guntrip, Klein and Kohut,
and which are now common knowledge to almost any college student.
Though I said read only
one guru at a time, this is the single text about Nisargadatta's teaching
that I think will help you understand the way even if Ramana or Robert is
your first teacher. This is because this book recommended is mostly about
practice, and a little about the justification for practice, which also can
be applied to any sort of self-inquiry.
I Highly Recommend the Nisargadatta Gita by Pradeep Apta, which can be found
at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2157334/THE-NISARGADATTA-GITA
A free download
of Nisargadatta's I Am That is available here.
The texts and books I find
most valuable are bolded and blued above.
I highly, highly recommend
that you download them, print them out and insert in a three hole binder.
Read every one of them very slowly, tasting each word and sentence.
I was surprised when
people told me they read Robert's book in a day. I found it difficult to get
through just one of Robert's talks in two or three days. It took me six
months to get through Maharaj's Prior to Consciousness--each time I read it!
If these books are available in hard
copy book form, buy them. The real book has its own character and form, and is much easier to handle and
carry with you to read at any time. The binder format is easily damaged and
loses the character of separate books.
Never read more than one
book at a time. Never.
Start with Robert's
book, transcripts or tapes. When done, try the Path of Ramana Maharshi Part
I. You might even find that book more helpful if you are willing to dive into
self-inquiry right away.
I also highly recommend
you not look at more than one resource at a time. Ponder each paragraph and
sentence.
Be aware that reading books by others
can make you dependent on getting knowledge from others and lose confidence
in your own ability to discover.
I also highly recommend
listening to Indian sacred music. This was my main practice until the time
of my first awakening. I just laid on my back, listening to the music and
settling ever deeper into self. There was no formal self-inquiry. I had done
that for many, many years before I met Robert. The link below is one such
source.
http://www.salagram.net/index-audio.htm