Removal of all sorrow by Maharshi
The Sri Ramana Gita of B.V.Narasimha Swami
Part VII
While B.V.Narasimha Swami was residing in Sri Ramanasramam, around the year 1930, he took up the project of recasting Ganapati Muni’s Sri Ramana Gita in its original conversational form. For a full introduction to this recently discovered manuscript see the July/August 2009 Maharshi newsletter. In the present issue, we continue from our last issue with the conclusion of Chapter VII, along with its footnotes, titled “Self-Enquiry, Competence and Constituents,” which is the same title used in Sri Ramana Gita, chapter 7, presently published by Sri Ramanasramam.Chapter VII
Self-Enquiry, Competence and Constituents
Referring to this discourse, the Maharshi was requested years later by some disciples to make the matter clear as to what is meant by 
(removal of all sorrow):
Disciple: Does the Maharshi mean that, as a result of Realisation, there is a feeling of positive pleasure, similar to our pleasures now experienced, or is it a mere colourless negation of pain and pleasure that you refer to by that phrase? All pleasure is known to us only by our knowledge of the contrasted state of pain; and hence, no pleasure is experienced if the pain-idea is not also experienced or remembered to make the pleasure-idea clear to the experiencer at the time of the experience.
Maharshi: You are right in drawing a distinction between the pleasure experienced in the waking state and that referred to in the expression ‘Bliss of the Self’, Sat-Chit-Anandam. You find reference to this distinction frequently in books on this subject, as well as in your own experience.
Disciple: Pray, in what books do we find this distinction discussed?
Maharshi: See the Panchadasi and the Tamil Kaivalyam, Chap. II, v. 116. Also see Vedanta Chudamani, reference to Ashta Vidanantam (eight pleasures) as being ‘poli’ (false) &mdsah; reflections or mere appearances or illusory bliss, and Sat-Chit-Anandam or Swarupananda as the Real bliss. It is however preferable to avoid the use of the term ‘positive’ by referring to the former, and to use the term ‘relative’ for the former, and ‘Absolute’ for the latter. In the latter, Bliss is itself Sat, itself Chit, itself Anandam – the Three, being different names or aspects of the one Reality, the Absolute. The bliss enjoyed in deep sleep is referred to as one of the eight poli anandam, illusory pleasures, in the book Vedanta Chudamani.
K.V.’s Question: Does Maharshi also apply this (i.e., destruction of all sorrow) as a result of Atma Vichara, in the field of suggestive therapeutics, e.g., in cases of illness (as in William James’ Varieties of Religious Experience, page 104) and in the practical affairs of daily life to overcome the various painful experiences met with?
Maharshi: Yes. The truth of the Self is one. Its applications are many. Sugar is one. The clever cook or lady of the house embodies it and presents it in the shape of payasam, halva, athirasam, jilebi, etc. But these are all transformations of sugar and cannot exist without sugar. The Central Substance or Truth is applied according to the peculiar needs or aspirations of each individual and to the purpose at hand. People who come here make use of the Truth for their own affairs. One, for instance, like the lady earlier mentioned, was complaining of dyspepsia and insomnia and, by applying the above Truth to herself and impressing on her mind that she was not the sickly body but the pure Atman that cannot be touched by disease, got over both her ailments. Many others have got over their stomach or other troubles here in the same manner.
K.V.: Was not Vasudeva Sastriar, when deeply afflicted with the loss of his dear child, relieved of his sorrow in this presence in the same manner? Are these all implied in character of Atma Vichara?
Maharshi: Yes, such instances here are not infrequent. Maharshi then proceeded to answer K.V.’s next question:
You inquired if the above benefit of ‘sarvakleshanasa’ (the destruction of sorrow, root and branch) can be derived by other means?
What other means are there that secure this result? Are you thinking of siddhis, the eight siddhis
[1]
which means, the power to assume any shape at will, or dimension, any size or weight, to attain any object of desire, overlordship, influence, etc. What good will these do? Suppose you exercise all these wonderful powers, are you not still desiring and trying to fulfill that desire? And when a fresh desire breaks out and you expend your energy and attention on that, is not the net result more worry to the tossed mind? Happiness is your real goal and aim. You must ultimately come back from your diversion with siddhis and try to find yourself by inquiring, ‘Who is it that wants happiness?’. You discover that happiness or bliss [which is our true nature] wants happiness or bliss, or rather that the so-called want and desire on the part of an individual is a myth, and that all along there is only the One Real in enjoyment (so-to-speak) of its Self, which is best described (however inaccurately or inadequately) as Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, Sat-Chit-Anandam.
K.V. next questioned Maharshi:
Who is the Adhikari, i.e., the person competent to launch on this Atma Vichara, the Self-quest? Can anyone judge for himself if he has the necessary competency?
Maharshi: This is an important preliminary question. Before Atma Vichara is started some antecedent experience, some achievement in the moral field is essential.
People having varied experiences in the world, at one stage develop a disgust or repulsion (vairagya) towards sense attractions or, at any rate, an indifÂference to such attractions, and feel forcibly the miserable transient nature of this body through which these attractions and enjoyments are had. This may be the result of the practice of devotion or some other upasana in this life, or of such devotion or other good works performed in previous lives. People with minds thus purified and strengthened are the adhikaris, the ones competent to launch on Atma Vichara or enquiry into the Self; and these are the qualifications or signs by which one can determine such competency.
K.V.: As for these good works mentioned just now, such as snana, sandhya, japa, homa, swadhyaya, Deva puja, sankirtana, tirtha yatra, yagna, dana and vritas (i.e. ablution, sandhya vandana, or matin and vespers, repetition of mantras, fire-offering, study of holy script, worship of God, singing his praise or name, pilgrimages to holy places, the five Yagnas, [2] charitable gifts, and holy vows), if these are needed merely to give a man competency for starting on Atma Vichara, and if a man has had sufficient viveka (discrimination between the Real and the unreal) and vairagya, dispassion, is there any use in such an adhikari carrying on the above, or are they merely a waste of his time and energy?
Maharshi: When an adhikari’s raga (attachments) are fading away, these good works (sat karma) tend to chitta sudhita, further purify his mind. The positive good work done by body, mind or speech destroys the corresponding evil deeds (dush karma) he may have done through these – the body, mind or speech. But if the adhikari has no more stain left to work out in this way, his good works endure for the benefit of the world at large. The wise and perfect go on doing sat karma, good works.
Footnotes:
1. The Ashta Siddhi (eight siddhis) are:
- Animaa: reducing one’s body even to the size of an atom
- Mahima: expanding one’s body to an infinitely large size
- Garima: becoming infinitely heavy
- Laghima: becoming almost weightless
- Praapti: having unrestricted access to all places
- Praakaamya: realizing whatever one desires
- Ishshtva: possessing absolute lordship;
- Vashtva: the power to subjugate all.
2. Yagnas are the five offerings which everyone, especially a grihasta,
(house-holder) should offer daily:
- Deva Yagna – Sacrifice to Gods: e.g. oblations of food, water, etc.
- Rishi Yagna – Study of the Vedas which issued from the lips of the Rishis
- Pitru Yagna – Offering of food and water to the spirits of the ancestors
- Bhuta Yagna – Offering of food and water to the lower beings.
- Atma Yagna – Study of one’s self
