A Guided Meditation on Silence and Stillness - Sri Ramana Maharshi
Summary
TLDRThis script emphasizes the power of silence in spiritual practice, suggesting that true wisdom and peace come from inner stillness rather than extensive reading of scriptures. It advocates for transcending the 'I-thought' to achieve silence, where the mind becomes quiescent and all arises from that state. The ultimate goal is to experience egoless awareness, leading to bliss and the end of suffering. The text encourages ignoring the false mind and focusing on self-awareness to attain a state of pure consciousness and divine truth.
Takeaways
- 🕊️ Silence is a powerful form of work, more impactful than extensive scriptures.
- 🌱 The ultimate teaching of all texts is to achieve a state of mental quiescence.
- 🧘♂️ True silence is achieved when the 'I' thought disappears, leading to inner peace.
- 📚 There comes a time when one must unlearn to gain true knowledge.
- 🌌 The self is the state of absolute silence, where all arises and becomes quiescent.
- 🤫 Remaining still without attention to anything allows one to become the reality.
- 🌐 Silence is the universal language that transcends verbal communication.
- 🧠 Ignoring the mind's falseness and focusing on self-awareness leads to the true state.
- 🌟 The state of silence reveals itself when thoughts cease and one abides in self-awareness.
- 🏔️ The goal of knowledge is pure silence, which is the bliss of peace beyond worldly pleasures.
- 🌈 Freedom from concepts and the 'I am the body' idea leads to the non-dual expanse of consciousness.
Q & A
What is the significance of silence in spiritual practice according to the script?
-Silence is considered the most potent form of work in spiritual practice. It is more effective than any scripture, leading to peace and a state of quiescence.
How does the script describe the relationship between the mind and silence?
-The script suggests that when the mind becomes quiescent, all becomes quiescent. Silence is achieved when there is no 'I thought', indicating a state of self-awareness.
What is the ultimate goal of spiritual practice as per the transcript?
-The ultimate goal is to attain a state of egoless awareness, which is described as pure silence and the bliss of peace, transcending the pleasures of the world and the next.
How does one achieve the state of silence mentioned in the script?
-One achieves silence by refraining from looking outward and instead abiding within the heart in self-awareness, leading to the disappearance of the ego.
What is the role of desire in the context of achieving silence as described in the script?
-Desire is portrayed as an obstacle to achieving silence. By remaining quiet without desire, one can attain a state of bliss that transcends worldly pleasures.
How does the script define the 'self' in relation to silence?
-The 'self' is defined as the state where there is absolutely no 'I thought'. It is a state of self-awareness that arises when one becomes quiescent.
What is the significance of the 'universal language of silence' mentioned in the script?
-The 'universal language of silence' refers to a state where words cease, and understanding is achieved non-verbally through silence, indicating a deeper form of communication.
How does the script suggest one should deal with the mind's movements?
-The script advises to ignore the mind as something false and unreal, and to stand firm in self-awareness, which will cause the mind's movements to gradually subside.
What is the role of thoughts in achieving the state of silence?
-Thoughts are to be destroyed as they arise, without leaving any residue, which is described as non-attachment. This leads to the state of silence.
How does the script describe the state of the sage in silence?
-The sage is in silence always, even when they speak. They remain without affirmations and vacillations, immersed in the depths of peace.
What is the outcome of achieving the state of silence as per the script?
-Achieving the state of silence leads to the end of pain, the bliss of peace, and a vision of God that is free from veiling ignorance.
Outlines
🔇 The Power of Silence
This paragraph emphasizes the significance of silence in spiritual practice. It suggests that despite the vastness and depth of scriptures, their teachings are ineffective without silence. The guru, being silent, brings peace. The ultimate teaching of all scriptures is to quiet the mind. Once this understanding is grasped, there is no need for endless reading. At some point, one must forget what has been learned to achieve true silence, which is the absence of the 'I' thought. This state of being is where everything becomes still and peaceful.
🌟 Silence as the Universal Language
The second paragraph discusses the concept of silence as a state of being where one is not focused on external stimuli but rather on self-awareness. This state is achieved through powerful attention to being, leading to a realization of the expansive consciousness. The sage is always in silence, even when speaking, and communicates through a universal language of silence. This state transcends the petty desires of worldly and otherworldly pleasures, leading to a bliss that is unattainable through mere verbal wisdom. It is advised to ignore the false and unreal mind and to stand firm in self-awareness, allowing the mind's movements to subside.
🕊️ The Goal of Knowledge: Egoless Awareness
Paragraph three explores the idea that true knowledge comes from egoless awareness and not from verbal or conceptual understanding. It describes a state of silence where the ego disappears, and pure consciousness shines forth. This state is the end of pain and the beginning of peace. It is achieved by refraining from external observation and instead focusing inward on self-awareness. The result is a state of bliss that is beyond the reach of conceptual thought, where one becomes the mere eye of grace, the non-dual expanse of consciousness.
🌈 The State of True Self
The fourth paragraph delves into the concept of the true self, which is experienced as an ocean of bliss and grace during silence. It is a state where there is no grief or discontent, and the experience is beyond thought. This state is referred to as knowledge, but it is devoid of the three elements: the knower, the object known, and the act of knowing. The sage remains firm in their awareness of the true self, without affirmations or vacillations, immersed in the depths of peace. The paragraph also advises against allowing the mind to wander towards worldly objects or the concerns of others, as this leads to happiness when the mind is free from thought.
🧘♂️ The Path to Wisdom and Non-Attachment
The final paragraph discusses the concept of wisdom as the ability to remain quiet and resolve the mind in the self. It suggests that likes and dislikes, love and hatred should be avoided equally, and that thoughts should be destroyed as they arise. The world should be viewed as a dream, and no object in it should be considered a source of happiness. The paragraph concludes by stating that if the mind is controlled, it does not matter where one is, as true happiness comes from within, independent of external circumstances.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Silence
💡Quiescent
💡Self
💡Mind
💡Ego
💡Awareness
💡Consciousness
💡Bliss
💡Non-attachment
💡Self-abidance
💡Ignorance
Highlights
Silence is the most potent form of work.
Guru's silence brings peace, surpassing the effect of scriptures.
The ultimate teaching of scriptures is to render the mind quiescent.
Endless reading is unnecessary once the mind is understood to be quiescent.
The self is the state of absolute no 'I' thought, which is called silence.
When one becomes quiescent, all becomes quiescent.
The mind has no task to do or thought to think in stillness.
Remaining still leads to becoming the reality, the vast eye, the unbounded space of consciousness.
Silence is attained by remaining in silence.
The sage is in silence always, even when they speak.
Understanding another is possible through the universal language of silence.
The state of bliss transcends the pleasures of this world and the next.
Ignoring the mind as false and unreal leads to self-awareness.
The mind's movements subside when one stands firm in self-awareness.
The state of silence is revealed when the noise of thoughts ceases.
Abiding within the heart in self-awareness leads to the disappearance of ego.
Pure silence is the goal of knowledge, the end of pain, and the bliss of peace.
Being free from concepts leads to the non-dual expanse of consciousness.
Restrained deceit and mental concepts lead to the revelation of divine truth.
The true vision of reality is free from veiling ignorance.
The state of being the real self is called the state of knowledge.
In the state of knowledge, there is no knower, nothing known, and no act of knowing.
The mind should not wander towards worldly objects or concerns of others.
Happiness is experienced as the meditation on the self rises higher.
Remaining quiet is called wisdom insight.
Likes and dislikes, love and hatred are equally to be eschewed.
The world should be considered like a dream, with no true happiness in its objects.
The mind is controlled, and one's location becomes irrelevant.
Transcripts
silence is the most potent
form of work
however vast and emphatic the scriptures
may be
they fail in their effect
the guru is quiet and peace prevails
in all
their silence is more vast and emphatic
and all the scriptures put together
all the texts say that in order to gain
release
one should render the mind quiescent
therefore their conclusive teaching
is that the mind should be rendered
quiescent
once this has been understood
there is no need for endless reading
there will come a time then when one
will have to forget
all that one has learned
the self is that where there is
absolutely
no i thought
that is called silence
when one self arises all arises
when oneself becomes quiescent
all becomes quiescent
be still then
apart from this the mind has no task
to do or thought to think
if you remain still without paying
attention to this
without paying attention to that
and without paying attention to anything
at all
you will simply through your powerful
attention
to being become the reality
the vast eye
the unbounded space of consciousness
because that state is taught by silence
and also because it is attained by
remaining in silence
it is called silence
the sage is in silence always
even when they speak
when one remains without thinking
one understands another by means of the
universal language of silence
this is that state when word
cease and silence prevails
oh foolish mind who is suffering due to
the desire for the petty pleasures of
this world
and of the next
if you remain quiet without desire
you will certainly attain that state of
bliss
which surely transcends the pleasures of
these two
no one can confront and overcome the
mind
ignore it then as something false
and unreal
know the self-awareness as the real
ground
and stand firm rooted in it
then the mind's movements will gradually
subside
if the noise of thoughts rising
incessantly within
does not subside
the ineffable state of silence
will not be revealed
when one refrains from looking out
and noting outward objects
and instead abides within the heart in
self-awareness
the ego disappears
the pure silence that then shines forth
is the goal of knowledge
the end of pain the bliss of peace
results from egoless awareness
and not at all from verbal wisdom
having become free from concepts
which are afflicting thoughts
and with i am the body idea
completely extinguished
one ends up as the mere eye of grace
the non-dual expanse of consciousness
this is the supremely fulfilling vision
of god
having restrained the deceitful
and having abandoned mental concepts
you should stand aloof in your real
nature
in that state of self-abidence
in which you remain firmly established
in the consciousness of the heart
the divine truth will reveal
itself
the true vision of reality that is free
from veiling
ignorance is the state in which one
shines in the heart
as the ocean of bliss
the inundation of grace
in the experience of silence that surges
there
as holy self and which is impossible to
think about
not a trace of grief or discontent
exists for the jiva
though that state of being the real self
is called the state of knowledge
it is one in which there is none of the
three
the noah the object known
and the act of knowing
that being the case
what does one know there by what means
and who is there to know
it must be understood that knowledge is
just a name
for the state of being the south
in that state doubts do not arise
since the sage is ever firm in their
awareness
of the true self
there they remain without affirmations
and vacillations
immersed in the depths of peace
the mind having become
[Music]
extinct
the mind should not be allowed to wander
towards worldly objects
and what concerns other people
when there is no thought the mind
experiences happiness
as the meditation on the self rises
higher
and higher the thoughts will get
destroyed
remaining quiet is what is called
wisdom insight
to remain quiet is to resolve the mind
in the self
likes and dislikes love
and hatred are equally
to be eschewed
as thoughts arise destroying them
utterly without any residue in the very
place of their origin
is non-attachment
the world should be considered like a
dream
in no single one of the countless
objects of the mundane world
is there anything that can be called
happiness
apart from thoughts there is no such
thing
as mind
if only the mind is kept under control
what matters it where one may happen to
be
you
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