Ramana's 40 Verses on Reality

[Unconditioned]

40. If it is said, that Liberation is of three kinds, with form or without form or with and without form, then let me tell you that the extinction of three forms of Liberation is the only true Liberation.

 

I thought I understood this one but as I've tried to write it out I've come up with nothing. And I think after I exhausted my internal dictionary I realized that maybe that's exactly what Ramana is trying to do here... lead us to surrender, acceptance, of what is including limitations of language and thought.

 

Hmm.

 

My conclusion is that I really don't know what all this stuff is - form and formless.

[steve]

My conclusion is that I really don't know what all this stuff is - form and formless.

Exactly - I think that in part there is the quality of direct inquiry and experience that has nothing to do with understanding or knowing at a verbal/intellectual level that is cultivated. On the other hand, there is the culmination of the inquiry where the search is dropped. Life, after all, is what is available for experience. How much time do we want to expend on trying to figure everything out rather than experience what we can in the short time we have available? I don't know if I have any clue what is being discussed either but I've given it my best shot. This was a really interesting exercise. Many thanks, Lozen, for sharing this with us.

[Unconditioned]

Exactly - I think that in part there is the quality of direct inquiry and experience that has nothing to do with understanding or knowing at a verbal/intellectual level that is cultivated. On the other hand, there is the culmination of the inquiry where the search is dropped. Life, after all, is what is available for experience. How much time do we want to expend on trying to figure everything out rather than experience what we can in the short time we have available? I don't know if I have any clue what is being discussed either but I've given it my best shot. This was a really interesting exercise. Many thanks, Lozen, for sharing this with us.

 

As usual, well said

 

I've had a few 'ah hah' moments from the discussions in this thread and the conversations were without argument - constructive disagreements but non-judgmental. All good stuff.

[Butcho]

I'm bound to a desire to reach the end... that can't be good

 

In response to Ramana Maharshi #40 I would say he is simply stating that until one no longer confuses conceptual reality--no matter how thoughtful one's model, with actual reality one is not liberated.

 

Butcho

[Mal]

Lots of new people now, interested?

 

Would anybody like to discuss this?

You can find it for free here: http://www.satramana.org/html/forty_verses_on_reality.htm

 

1. From our perception of the world there follows acceptance of a unique First Principle possessing various powers. Pictures of name and form, the person who sees, the screen on which he sees, and the light by which he sees: he himself is all of these.