Zoom: "Abide in the Self Carefree" Readings, Self-Enquiry, Meditation

A 10-minute Silence for Self-enquiry or meditation will precede short readings from Sri Muruganar's "The Garland of Guru's Sayings" -- poetic verses that poignantly capture the teachings of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.

Abide in the Self Carefree

466
Only for those free from all sense
Of doership the bliss of tranquil peace
Shines pure within. For the ego proud
Is the sole evil seed whence spring
All known calamities.

467
Do not perform as if they were worth doing
The actions that the worrying mind
Decides or fancies it should do.
To act as you are moved to act
By the grace of God, the Life of life,
Is the wisest form of worship true.

468
Surrendering, letting go and lifting
Both hands in worship, the chaste Lady found
Her sari growing and her honour safe
By grace mysterious, while the ruffian
Stripping her slumped down helpless.

[The Lady refers to Draupadi in the Mahabharata.]

Sadhu Om: So long as the Lady, Draupadi, (in the Mahabharata)
was trying to hold her sari by her own hands lest it should be stripped off and was calling Sri Krishna for help, His Grace did not begin to function. But as soon as, having complete faith in His gracious protection, she gave up holding her clothes with her own hands and lifted them above her head, her surrender became complete and hence His Grace began to function by making her sari grow unendingly and by making the
wicked Duchasana, who was stripping her, fall down in a swoon.
This incident is pointed out there in order to instruct us that we
should give up the sense of doership and should thus surrender to
God completely and unreservedly.

469
Those who, seeking no security,
Lean childlike on our Mother,
Awareness Pure, reach the Lord’s Feet,
And stand steadfast in His service,
Free from maya’s urge which makes
One think “I am the body”.

Sadhu Om: Rather than upon their own effort [which is only the
sense of doership], devotees or aspirants always depend upon the
power of the Grace of the Supreme. This power is personified here
as the Mother. She is described as ‘Chit-Sakti’ because Grace
shines in everyone in the form of Self-Consciousness – the
sphurana ‘I-I’. Since this is purely on account of the unaccountable
mercy of the Lord, such Grace of His is described here as the
Mother.
The correct way of understanding Sri Bhagavan’s instruction
here is that aspirants should completely and without doubting cling
to the Self-consciousness ‘I-I’. Like a child which, not even trying to
know what is good for itself, depends solely upon its mother, if an
aspirant, not even trying to know any scriptures, trying to do any
yoga, or expecting any help from outside, simply clings to the
‘I’-consciousness, that alone is sufficient and he or she will easily and
surely be saved form all delusion and pitfalls.
Since clinging to the ‘I’-consciousness is merely a ‘being’
and not a ‘doing’, neither does it need doership nor does it turn out
to be action [karma] even. Thus the aspirant naturally ever abides
in Self. Sri Bhagavan advises that this Self-abidance alone is the
state of one’s remaining in the service of the Lord.

470
The Lord who has supplied today
Your need will surely always do it.
Take no thought then for the morrow.
Placing at His Feet your burdens,
Live free from care.

~~~~~~~~~~

This meetup will include bhajans, chanting, spiritual reading, 15 minutes of self-enquiry/silent meditation, a brief discussion of the readings and prayer. Feel free to participate in any or all aspects or simply listen.

Although rooted in teachings from the Vedantic tradition, this meetup is open to all people who recognize that spiritual principles are inherent to and transcend all religions. You do not have to belong to any religion to attend. Bring yourself. Be yourself!