vandanA namAmi guruM |

।। वंदना - नमामि गुरुं ।।
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© Vinay Vaidya,
Ujjain, 03-03-2012.

अनंत प्रेम- अन्वितं,

रमण निसर्ग संज्ञितं |

अरुणह्रदि सुसंस्थितं,

नमामि शंकरं गुरुं ||   
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The 'One' Who is of the form and essence,
Of Love Infinite,
The 'One' Who is named as 'RamaNa',
The 'One' Who is named as 'Nisargadatta',
The 'One' Who is well-abiding in The Heart
-Of AruNAchala Shiva,
The 'One' Who is 'Shankara',
The 'Guru Supreme',
I bow to.
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29062011arun.jpg

॥ ॐ नमो भगवते श्री रमणाय ॥

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As on 26-0602011. on Arunachala-live.com
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~~Concerns-23~~

~~~~~~~~~~ Concerns 23. ~~~~~~~~~~
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20062011
© Vinay Vaidya



"Everything is illusion."
She kind of proclaimed.
She was sitting comfortably on the sofa-chair,
sipping her coffee with me.
She was my friend, class-fellow in my college-days.
At that time we lived in a proverbial 'sleepy-town',
where her father was some government official.
My father was a retired Principal of the local (M.P.
Government conducted) Higher Secondary School.
She had no problem with English Medium during
college years, but I had to lose an year in trying to
cope-up with the English language. And then we were
in the same class in the second year of our graduation
Now, some 30 years after she 're-discovered' me, 
through a social-networking site, though when we were 
class-fellow, we hardly spoke to one-another. It was 
the custom in those days. 
She called me two days ago and expressed her wish 
to see me.
Today she was here in my drawing-room.We talked 
about so many things, She made coffee for us, and as 
I had been always single, she made it a point, like an
traditional 'Indian-woman', to do the kitchen work 
herself, when we were together.She could not see me 
working, and allowing herself sitting 'idle'; comfortably.
Then we said good-bye, and she left.
~~
The very next day she came once more,without giving 
a call. 
The sky was cloudy, and as yesterday, she again made
coffee, and we were sitting in my drawing-room, trying
to re-live those days, which were nowhere now. Soon 
we realized it was just absurd. We decided to talk about
something else. She got a book of J.Krishnamurti, and
started shuffling through the pages.


"Everything is illusion." She exclaimed, like yesterday.
We were silent for the next five minutes.
Today, the sky was overcast, and it looked like the 
evening would be dark. In between, though the Sun 
peeped in through some holes in the cloudy cover, that 
was hiding him.The clouds were running in hurry-flurry, 
overlapping others, and hiding themselves, their kins, 
then coming again in the sight.
There was only one, or they were one or many, no one 
could tell. A single entity, that sometimes acquired a plural
's', and became many. Let us say, appeared before us as 
'many'. They mingled into one another, acquired strange
and fantastic shapes and forms, and yet in every kind, they
again acquired a new fresh 'identity'. They looked majestic, 
timid, aggressive, humble, monstrous or dwarfs, One could 
swallow his brethren in a flash, like the fish, who are born, 
live and die in waters. It seems, the fish must have got this 
propensity from waters, in the same way perhaps, as the 
waters, from the clouds, May be the contrary. Nevertheless
they all share this quality.
Appearances acquire name, form, and 'continuity' in the 
mind. They are inseparable. Name and the form, form and 
the 'name', name and the 'continuity', 'continuity' and the 
'name', form and the 'continuity', 'continuity' and the 'form'. 
They all share with each other, like water, fish and cloud.
~~


She was not very beautiful, but was attractive in those days, 
or I felt so. Around 20, and I was / am some six or seven 
months older to her. But just that much, we had no reason,
nor a chance to get acquainted, and I never knew what she 
had in her mind about me. Most probably, -nothing, what-so
ever. Sometimes our eyes met, but I felt, nothing stirred in her
.....she always returned a blank look.
~~
Today, she was in her later fifties, about 57, and I, 57 plus 6
or 7months. Those 6 or7 months.
~~
She appeared as much attractive as she was, when we were
class-mates. Something (Destiny? ) brought us together again 
even closer, after so many (30plus years). Then 'Destiny' is 
too a concept, an assumed 'name', an assumed abstract form, 
an assumed 'continuity', and is 'given' an apparent 'existence'.
At your mercy,....!
~~
"I think there is no illusion, there are 'appearances', and the 
appearances acquire 'name', 'form' and 'continuity'. Accepting 
those appearances as reality is the only cause of assumed /
apparent illusion. If we don't let the name, the form, and their 
assumed continuity possess our mind, and don't get beguiled 
by them, even the so-called 'illusion' comes to nought."
-I replied.
 She was looking intently into my eyes, She was listening to
my every word with keen attention. She was in fact silent, 
when she had no idea in her mind, no concept or comment 
or argument to counter me.
I realized in a moment, she had been with J. Krishnamurti 
during all those past years, when we were no more in touch.
She gave a faint smile, but said nothing.
"I had been waiting for you since last few years when I had 
heard about you."
-A minute later, She said in a firm voice.
"Waiting for another illusion?",
- I looked at her face .
"No, I was ready to cast aside all illusions, but had no insight, 
how this happens, and felt, may be you have such an insight, 
and help me."
She thanked me, lovingly took my hands into hers, and lightly, 
delicately she took me into her arms, put delicately her lips on 
my cheek, like a mature lady, again like a Graceful, 'Elderly',
'Indian-lady'.
(Motherly ?....just guess,...!)
We left the room, walked up to the gate, where she had parked
her scooty. We said good-bye, and I stood for a while there, 
when she started her two-wheeler, and waived her hand in the 
air.  
She returned never there-after.


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Saranagathi.

http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/pdf/Saranagathi_eNewsletter_June_2011.pdf

The 'Observer' is the 'Observed'.

~~The 'Observer' is the 'Observed'.~~
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© Vinay Vaidya 
19042010

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चक्खुव्वै दिट्ठी ।
दिट्ठिव्वै चक्खु ॥
चक्षुः वै दृष्टिः ।
दृष्टिः वै चक्षुः ॥
प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म ॥
____________________________


The eye itself is the vision.
The vision itself is the eye.
The 'Observer' is the 'Observed'.
'Awareness' is the only Reality.
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~~Shadow(s) of Thought.~~

~~Shadow(s) of Thought.~~
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Thoughts very deep,
Thoughts very shallow,
Hide well the Light,
That casts their shadow.
As shadows they come, 
Move and go, run in the sky,
Shadows of Thoughts keep on fly.
Fast, swift, lazy or slow,
They put before us a splendid show.
And still remain just an empty shadow.
Have neither essence nor existence,
Yet have a form enormous, 
A funny shape, mere appearance.
Thoughts, mild or strong,
Thoughts right or wrong,
Thoughts sick or sound,
Always keep on staying around.
When you follow or chase them,
Try to find-out their source,
They keep on eluding you,
Evading with all their force.
But when their source is found,
Clearly seen their background.
They disappear leaving behind,
A brilliant Light, not just a sheen.
Where there is neither the observer,
And where there is nor the seen.
And one comes face-to-face,
With the Ever-present Truth,
When the Thought is so ultimately lost,
Along-with the seeker, and the sought.
Then emerges the core, The Reality,
The Light, The Love, and The Heart,
And Transcendence, beyond the Thought.
One reaches here once in a while, -seldom.
Loss of Thought is the arrival of Wisdom.
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.

~~Who is your Guru?"~~

~~~~~"Who is your Guru ?"~~~~~
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(A letter to a friend ,
Also in "Notes" in facebook)

Dear Friend,
This has reference to our yesterday's chat.
You started with the question;
"Who is your Guru"
I was not prepared for this invalid question.
Even then, I replied to this embarrasing question.
"He is one, He is many."
-I said.
You insisted that one needs a Guru.
I don't know what do you mean by this.
In fact I had never a Guru in the traditional /
orthodox way. I had Teachers that taught me
about the worldly knowledge. That is 'relative', 
information-rooted. a store-house of information,
which is not the wisdom. And not at least the 
'self-knowledge.' 
I studied scriptures, and fortunately, I didn't go
to any traditional Acharya or Guru, who could 
have perhaps confused me . I tried to find-out : 
what do I want, how my mind works, how the
emotions, concepts, thoughts, etc. narrow my 
understanding of myself.
I did several 'sadhanas' like 'Japa', 'puja', and you 
know they are time-consuming. I learnt Sanskrit,
and love this language.
But my seeking came to an end when I tried to 
understand the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, 
and started the 'self-enquiry', according to that 
understanding.One can say He is my Guru.
But on the physical level He entered the 
Mahasamadhi in the year 1953, and I was born
in 1953. So, I didn't see Him in person.
What a coincidence !
It is His Janma-Jayanti Today, and I'm paying 
homage to Him.
I am Grateful to you, who gave me such a golden
opportunity,.....
So in my view, 
He is my Guru.
Then I tried to understand the Teachings of 
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj,
And followed His way, simple,
"Abide as 'the Self'."
I was also studying various scriptures and 
J.Krishnamurti always attracted me. 
Whenever I took his book in my hand, my 
mind became a silence, and I could easily 
sense that He IS my Guru.
I studied SriDakshinamurti Stotram, 
VivekaChoodamani, and several other 
Classics, Upanishads, and discovered a 
common chord between their Teachings.
So about the Guru, I said to myself;
"He is One, He is Many."
I don't want to go in details, but hope 
now you may look at the things in a
different way,


Warm and affectionate Regards,




Sincerely,
...


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~~The Missing Link~~

"The missing Link".

by Vinay Vaidya on Wednesday,

 November 24, 2010 at 9:53am

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यदीशितुर्वीक्षणमीक्षितार-

मवीक्ष्य तन्मानसिकेक्षणम् स्यात् ।

न दृष्टुरन्यः परमो हि तस्य

वीक्षा स्वमूले प्रविलीय निष्ठा ॥

(सद्दर्शनम्‌ श्लोक २२)

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यत् ईशितुः वीक्षणम्‌ ईक्षितारं अवीक्ष्य,

तत् मानसिक अवेक्षणम् स्यात् ।

न दृष्टुः अन्यः परमः हि,

तस्य वीक्षा स्वमूले प्रविलीय निष्ठा ॥

(Sat-Darshanam, -Sri Ramana Maharshi; 

-Verse 22)

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Observation of the Supreme,

Without observing the observer,

Is mental observation.

Because The Absolute is, 

Never apart from the observer.

Real observation is,

When the Absolute is observed,

As the only source of the 'self' ,

And the 'self' is dissolved there-in.

(Incidently, I remember a note;

"When J. Krishnamurti reviewed his 

own book, :

"Krishnamurti's Notebook."

-just for fun , where he said about his 

most famous quote :

"The observer is the observed"

*An Excerpt :

[The concept I found most difficult to 

understand was that of 

'the observer is the observed'.

 I finally came to an interpretation of 

this :

the self looks at all its inner states of 

being with its own conditioned mind 

and therefore what it sees is a replica 

of itself; what we are is what we see. 

The conception of a superior self which

can direct one's other selves is an illusion,

for there is only one self. When K said

in other talks;

'The experiencer is the experienced''

and,

'The thinker is the thought',

he was merely using different words to 

express the same idea.  

-from:

 'Life and Death of J.Krishnamurti' 

-Mary Lutyens, ch.14,(1967),

-"Ideals are brutal things" ]

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I sincerely feel that the statement given 

by J.Krishnamurtiholds in both the states,

1. When One has transcended the 'Known', 

and has come face to face with that ;

"Freedom from the known",

2. When has not yet Transcended that 

barrier.

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And here lies the evidence from the lips 

of Sri Ramana.

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