Arunachala. अरुणाचल - 16.

~~~~~Arunachala. अरुणाचल -16.~~~~~~
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THE MUKTA AND SIDDHIS.
------(मुक्त एवं सिद्धियाँ)------


Devotee. - Hitherto I had great fear of Mukti (मुक्ति).
Till now I regarded it as horrible. Now I see that it
is a very agreeable state. Now as regards the powers
called Siddhis (सिद्धि), are they to be achieved and 
are they opposed to Mukti (मुक्ति) ?
Maharshi. - The highest Siddhi is realization of the
Self (Atma-Sakkshaatkaara - आत्म-साक्षात्कार); 
for, here once you realize the truth, you cease to be
drawn to the path of ignorance.
Devotee. - Then what are Siddhis ..........?
Maharshi. - There are two kinds of Siddhis; one
kind may well be a stumbling block to realization. It
is said that by mantra (मन्त्र), by some drug possess
-ing occult virtues, by severe austerities (तप) or by
Samadhi (समाधि) of a certain kind, powers can be
acquired; but these are not means of Self-Knowledge
(आत्म-ज्ञान); even when you acquire them, you may
quite well be in ignorance.
Devotee. - What is the other kind ?
Maharshi. - They are manifestations of powers and
knowledge quite natural to you, when you realize the
Self. They are Siddhis, products of the normal and
natural Tapas (तपस्‌) of the man who has reached
self-attainment. They come of their own accord,
they are God-given; they come according to one's
own Karma (कर्म), so to say, but whether they
come or not, the Siddha of the Real, (ब्रह्मनिष्ठ)
settled in the supreme peace, is not disturbed.
For he knows the Self and that is the unshakable
Siddhi. But these Siddhis do not come by trying for
them. When you are in the state of realization, you
will know what these powers are (cf. Ramana Gita,
रमण गीता -Ch. 11).
Devotee. - You have said that a Mukta in the long
run by his natural Tapas ( तपस्‌ ) can become in-
tangible, invisible, can assume any form.........
Maharshi. - Yes : it is the Mukta (मुक्त) that is most
competent for such developments, as they are not
signs of true knowledge, which essentially consists
in possessing an eye of equality (Samatwa-Drishti)
(समत्व-दृष्टि) :
 सर्वभूतसमत्त्वेन लिङ्‌गेन ज्ञानमूह्यताम्‌.....
(रमण-गीता Ramana-Geetaa 1:16).
Devotee. -I have done. But one doubt more.
Maharshi. - What is it ?
Devotee. - You said 'Heart' is the one centre for 
the ego-self, for the Lord, for all............
Maharshi. - Yes, the Heart is the centre of the 
Real. But the ego is impermanent. Like everything
else it is supported by the Heart-centre. But the 
character of the ego is a link between spirit and
matter; it is a knot -granthi (ग्रंथि), the knot of 
radical ignorance in which one has steeped. This
granthi is there in the 'Hrit' (हृत्‌), the Heart. When
this knot is cut asunder by proper means you find
that this is the Self's centre.
Devotee. - You said there is a passage from this 
centre to Sahasraara (सहस्रार).
Maharshi. - Yes. It is closed in the man in bondage;
in the man in whom the ego-knot, the Hridayagra-
nthi (हृदयग्रन्थि), is cut asunder, a force-current
called Amrita-Naadi (अमृत-नाडी) rises and goes up
to the Sahasraara (सहस्रार), the crown of the head.
Devotee. - Is this the Sushumnaa (सुषुम्ना) ?
Maharshi. - No,. This is the passage of liberation, 
(मोक्ष). This is called Atma-Naadi, Brahma-Naadi,
or Amrita-Nadi (आत्मा-नाडी, ब्रह्म-नाडी, अमृत-नाडी).
This is the Nadi (नाडी), that is referred to in थे
Upanishads.
 "शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाड्यः
तासां मूर्धानमभिनिःसृतैका
सृतैका तयोर्ध्वमायन्नमृतत्वमेति ।"
When this passage is open, you have no Moha,
(मोह)(delusion), no ignorance. You know the Truth
even when you talk, think or do anything, dealing
with men and things.
Devotee. - Hearing all this I am puzzled. I do not 
know how one can get such great experiences by
simply bearing in mind the sayings "See the Seer",
"know thy self", "I am Brahman", etc.
Maharshi. - It is difficult indeed, but not impossible
once you are earnest about it..........
That is why they say you must have the touch of 
Grace, Arulum Venumey. The influence of 
Jnaanin (ज्ञानी) steals into you in silence..............
He need not talk.


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Continued.............