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Happiness of Being - The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi: The crest-jewel of Sri Ramana's teachings 31/01/2016

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Happiness of Being - The Teachings of


Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
A collection of articles discussing the philosophy and practice of the spiritual teachings of
Bhagavan Sri Ramana, written by Michael James and forming an extension of his main
website, www.happinessofbeing.com.

Articles Discussing the


Philosophy and Practice of Monday, 20 August 2007
the Spiritual Teachings of The crest-jewel of Sri Ramana's teachings
Bhagavan Sri Ramana
On page 529 of the second e-book edition (page 555 of the forthcoming
printed edition) of Happiness and the Art of Being I give the following translation
of the first maṅgalam verse of Ulladu Narpadu:
Other than ulladu [‘that which is’ or being], is there consciousness of
being? Since [this] being-essence [this existing substance or reality
which is] is in [our] heart devoid of [all] thought, how to [or who
can] think of [or meditate upon this] being-essence, which is called
‘heart’? Being in [our] heart as [we truly] are [that is, as our
thought-free non-dual consciousness of being, ‘I am’] alone is
meditating [upon our being]. Know [this truth by experiencing it].
On pages 529 to 538 of the second e-book edition (pages 555 to 565 of the
printed edition) I have given a detailed explanation of the meaning of this
Bhagavan Sri Ramana important verse, after which on pages 565 to 569 of the printed edition I have
added the following conclusion to my explanation:
About This Blog In the first of the two verses of his payiram or preface to Ulladu Narpadu, Sri
Welcome to this blog, which is an Muruganar writes that Sri Ramana joyfully composed this clear and authoritative
extension of my main website, text in response to his request, "So that we may be saved, [graciously] reveal
Happiness of Being, and which is to us the nature of reality and the means to attain [join, reach, experience or
dedicated to discussing the philosophy be united with] it". Accordingly, in this first mangalam verse Sri Ramana reveals
and practice of the spiritual teachings to us both the essential nature of reality and the means by which we can
of our sadguru, Bhagavan Sri Ramana. experience it, which is possible only by our being one with it.
This blog is a growing archive of In the first two sentences of this verse Sri Ramana reveals several crucial truths
articles that I have written from time to about the nature of the one absolute reality, which is ulladu or ‘that which is’.
time containing my translations of Firstly he explains that it is not only being but also consciousness, because
verses and other passages from the other than ‘that which is’ there cannot be any consciousness to know ‘that
writings of Sri Ramana and his closest which is’. Therefore ‘that which [really] is’ is self-conscious — that is, it is
disciples, particularly Sri Muruganar and
Sri Sadhu Om, my recordings of some absolutely non-dual self-conscious being.
of the explanations that I heard from
Sri Sadhu Om, and my own musings Secondly he says that that truly existing reality or ‘being-essence’ exists devoid
about the philosophy, science and art of thoughts, or devoid of thinking. That is, it is not a mere thought or mental
of true self-knowledge as taught by Sri conception, but is the fundamental reality that underlies and supports the
Ramana. seeming existence of our thinking mind and all its thoughts. However, though it
supports the imaginary appearance of thoughts, in reality it is devoid of
An organised list of all the main articles thoughts, and hence devoid of the thinking consciousness that we call our
in this blog, arranged under several ‘mind’, because both this thinking mind and its thoughts are unreal. In the clear
different headings, is given on the view of the one self-conscious reality, thoughts do not exist, because they
Articles page of the main Happiness of appear to exist only in the distorted view of our mind, which is itself one among
Being website. the thoughts that it imagines and knows.
All the articles in this blog are also Thirdly he says that it exists ‘in heart’, that is, in the innermost core of our
clearly indexed in two sections further being. In other words, it is not merely something that exists outside us or
down in this left margin, firstly separate from us, but is that which exists within us as our own essential reality.
according to date in reverse He also adds that it is called ‘heart’, thereby indicating that the word ‘heart’
chronological order under the heading
Article Archive, and secondly in greater does not merely denote the abode in which the reality exists, but more truly
detail according to subject arranged denotes the reality itself. Moreover, since the word ullam means not only
alphabetically under the heading Index ‘heart’ but also ‘am’, by saying that the truly existing reality or ‘being-essence’ is
of Topics. called ullam Sri Ramana reveals that it is not something that exists as an object
but is our own self — our essential being or ‘am’-ness.
Michael James
www.happinessofbeing.com In other words, the absolute reality exists not only in us but also as us. It is the
real ‘heart’ or core of our being. That is, it is our own very essence, substance
or reality. It is that which we really are. Other than as the one absolute reality,
About Michael James we truly do not exist.
Michael James

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Michael James
Because we mistake ourself to be this thinking mind or object-knowing
The writer of the articles in this blog, consciousness, the one fundamental reality is said to exist within us, but this is
Michael James, is the author of only a relative truth — a truth that is only true relative to the distorted
Happiness and the Art of Being, a book perspective of our mind, which experiences dualities such as subject and object,
exploring in depth the philosophy and ‘self’ and ‘other’, ‘inside’ and outside’, and so on. Since the one fundamental
practice of the spiritual teachings of reality transcends all such dualities, the absolute truth about its nature is not
Bhagavan Sri Ramana, which is
currently available both as a printed merely that it exists within us, but that it exists as us.
book and as a Kindle book, and also as
a free PDF, which can be downloaded Finally, by asking, "ulla-porul ullal evan?", which means ‘how to [or who can]
from Michael's main website, meditate [upon this] being-essence?’, Sri Ramana emphasises the truth that
www.happinessofbeing.com. since the absolute reality is that which transcends thought, it cannot be
conceived by mind or reached by thought. Therefore, since its nature is such,
View my complete profile
what is the means by which we can ‘reach’ it, ‘attain’ it or experience it as it
really is?
Feed Subscription Links
Since it is not only that which is completely devoid of thought, but is also that
If you would like to be updated which is essentially self-conscious, and since it is our own ‘heart’ or essential
whenever any new article or comment being, the only way we can experience it is by just being it. In other words, the
is posted on this blog, you can right- only means by which we can ‘attain’ this one non-dual absolute reality is by
click on either or both of the links simply remaining as we always truly are — that is, as our own true, essential,
below, select ‘Copy link address’ or an
equivalent option, and then paste the thought-free, self-conscious being. Therefore in the third sentence of this verse
address (URL) into your feed reader: Sri Ramana says, "Being in [our] heart as it is alone is meditating [upon this
truly existing reality, which is called ‘heart’]", thereby declaring emphatically that
Subscribe to article feed this practice of ‘being as we are’ is the only means by which we can experience
Subscribe to comment feed the absolute reality as it is.

If you do not already use a feed Thus in this first mangalam verse Sri Ramana succinctly reveals both the
reader, and if your browser is Google essential nature of reality and the means by which we can ‘reach’ it, ‘attain’ it or
Chrome, you can install the following experience it as it really is. Hence in a nutshell this verse expresses the very
extension to it: RSS Feed Reader for essence of Ulladu Narpadu, and all the other forty-one verses of this profound
Chrome. This will add an icon to the text are a richly elaborated explanation of the fundamental truths that he
toolbar of your browser, which you can expressed so briefly yet so clearly and powerfully in this first verse.
click on to add either or both the feed
URLs above, and then whenever a new Indeed, since it reveals so clearly not only the nature of the one absolute reality
article or comment is posted here, at but also the only means by which we can actually experience it, this verse
the bottom corner of the icon a summarises the essence not only of Ulladu Narpadu but of the entire teachings
number will display or the existing of Sri Ramana. Therefore it is truly the chudamani or crest-jewel of his
number will increment.
teachings, and if we are able to understand its full import correctly,
comprehensively and clearly, we have truly understood the very essence of his
Sri Ramana Teachings on teachings.
Facebook As in all his other teachings, in this verse Sri Ramana explains to us the nature
An alternative way to be updated of reality for a single purpose, namely to direct our mind towards the one
whenever any new article or comment practice that will actually enable us to experience reality as it truly is. Unless we
by Michael is posted on this blog is to understand the real nature of our goal, we will not be able to understand why
visit Sri Ramana Teachings, a public the only one path by which we can ‘reach’ that goal is to practise just being as
Facebook page where links to them or we always really are.
copies of them will be posted, and if
you have a Facebook account you can
like it and choose to receive If our goal were something other than ourself, there would be some distance
notifications. for us to travel in order to reach it. But since we ourself are the goal that we
seek, there is absolutely no distance between us and it, and hence the path by
which we can reach it cannot be essentially any different from it. That is,
Sri Ramana Teachings between us and our goal, which is our own real self, there is truly no space to
accommodate any path that is other than our goal. Hence our path and our
goal must be one in their essential nature. Since our goal is just thought-free
Videos and Audios self-conscious being, our path must likewise be just thought-free self-conscious
All the currently available videos of being. This is the essential truth that Sri Ramana reveals so clearly in this verse,
Michael James discussing the teachings and that he reiterates in so many different words throughout his other
of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi can teachings [as he does, for example, in verse 579 of Guru Vachaka Kovai, which
be viewed either on the Videos page of I quoted in my recent post Actions or karmas are like seeds and which I referred
his website or on his YouTube channel: to in another recent post Atma-vichara is only the practice of keeping our mind
fixed firmly in self].
Sri Ramana Teachings
In our natural state of absolutely non-dual self-knowledge, which is our goal,
The latest video uploaded to this our experience of our thought-free self-conscious being is effortless, because it
channel is the one taken on 12th is what we always really are. However in our present state, in which we imagine
September 2015: ourself to be this thinking mind, we appear to be not devoid of thought, as in
truth we are, and hence we feel that we have to make effort to experience our
thought-free self-conscious being. Thus the only difference between our path
and our goal is the effort that now seems to be necessary in order for us to
abide in our natural state of thought-free self-conscious being.

In this path, the effort that we have to make is not actually an effort to be,
because we always effortlessly are, but is an effort to avoid mistaking ourself to
be this thinking mind. So long as we imagine ourself to be this mind, we do not

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experience ourself as the true thought-free self-consciousness that is our real


nature. Therefore in order to avoid mistaking ourself to be this thinking mind,
we have to make effort to focus our entire attention upon our essential self-
conscious being, ‘I am’, thereby withdrawing it from all thoughts.

This state in which we focus our entire attention upon our own self-conscious
being, thereby excluding all thoughts, is the true state of ‘meditation’, which Sri
If you would like to be notified by Ramana describes in this verse as ullatte ullapadi ullade or ‘only being in heart
YouTube via email whenever any new as it is [or as we are]’. That is, since the true nature of our essential self or
video is added to this channel, you can ‘heart’ is just thought-free self-conscious being, ‘being in heart as it is’ is just the
subscribe to it either by clicking on state of abiding calmly and peacefully in our own essential self as our own
Subscribe to Sri Ramana Teachings or essential self — that is, free of all thoughts as our own true non-dual self-
by visiting Sri Ramana Teachings and
clicking on the ‘Subscribe’ button that conscious being, ‘I am’.
you will see in the upper right-hand
corner just under the banner showing Thus the only path by which we can ‘reach’ or ‘attain’ our own essential self,
Arunachala hill. which is the one and only absolute reality, is this simple practice of keenly
attentive self-consciousness — self-consciousness that is so keenly attentive
Audio copies of many of these videos that it gives absolutely no room for the rising of any thought. Since no thought
are available on MediaFire in a folder can rise unless we attend to it, when we focus our entire attention upon our
called Discussions with Michael James, own essential self-consciousness, ‘I am’, we automatically exclude the
where they can either be listened to possibility of any thought arising.
online or downloaded as MP3 files.
That is, thoughts arise only because we think them, and this act of thinking
involves an imaginary diverting of our attention away from our essential self-
Support this blog consciousness, ‘I am’. Therefore the only effective means by which we can
remain completely free of all thoughts — and hence completely free of our
If you would like to support me to mind, which can rise and appear to exist only by thinking — is by just being
continue writing for this blog and doing
other related work, you may contribute attentively, keenly and vigilantly self-conscious.
to my living expenses by clicking on
this button: This state of thought-free and therefore mind-free self-conscious being alone is
the state that Sri Ramana describes as ‘being as we are’, and it is not only our
path but also our goal. When we practise this vigilantly attentive and therefore
thought-excluding self-consciousness with effort, it is the path, and when we
experience it effortlessly as our unavoidable natural state, it is our goal, which is
Until December 2015 I was able to the absolutely non-dual state of true self-knowledge.
carrying on writing this blog without
needing to accept any of the kind Posted by Michael James at 08:22
offers of financial support that I Labels: Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, consciousness, effort, Happiness and the Art of
received from friends and well-wishers, Being, just being (summa iruppadu), philosophy of Sri Ramana, self-investigation (ātma-
but I eventually reached a point where I vicāra), Ulladu Narpadu
seemed to have no option but to
accept whatever support may be
offered. Writing articles for this blog 3 comments:
and replying to comments and emails
asking questions about Bhagavan’s ads said...
teachings is my full-time occupation
(and one that I do solely for the love of Michael this is great blog, keep up the good work, best blog ever
this subject), so any financial help that :).
any of you may be able to offer would
be much appreciated. How can be attention to seer, seer can't be seen by seer because
However, I would like to emphasise seer is the watcher. Seer can's view by seer. I dont understod how
that this blog and whatever else I write can we attain and watch our own self-consciousness. I know I
about Bhagavan’s teachings is still exist because of awerness and of course I'am the observer and not
intended to be an entirely free service, mind and body, but how can observer observe the observer if
because I believe his teachings are too observer just obeserve.
valuable to be sold and should not be Michael can you explain a bit more about how to practice self-
used for financial gain, so any inquiry.
contributions to me should be entirely
voluntary and no one should feel any thanks :)
compulsion to contribute. I am sure
that most of you have your own I will keep coming.
financial difficulties and constraints,
because having given us the true MasterzDee
wealth of his teachings, Bhagavan
generally does not bestow material 21 August 2007 at 19:02
wealth on those of us who aspire to
follow the path he has shown us, and ads said...
because he has made us understand
that money and material gain are not I read your book and got the answer. Now I know how to do it.
the aim or purpose of our life. Great book :)
Therefore please do not try to
contribute anything more than you can 23 August 2007 at 21:37
comfortably afford, and if you are Anonymous said...
unable to contribute anything, please
do not feel bad about it, because Apropos of the comments of ads regarding the seer incapable of
ultimately it is up to Bhagavan to being seen, it is to be pointed out that in view of the knowledge
decide how (or if) he wants to provide of the Knower being endless, though the seer doesn't see, he yet
for my material needs, and I am sure
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for my material needs, and I am sure


he will take care of me in one way or sees by virtue if there being no second entity existing for Him to
another (whether or not I like the way see as stated in Brhidaharanyaka Upanishads. In the present state
he chooses). of unconsciousness, we cannot say that we know that we exist,
rather it is a fact that we are aware of only an adjunct- bound
consciousness, with the characteristics of the adjunct- bound
Search this blog consciousness being foisted on the pure, association less
consciousness, as it were.
The search box at the top left-hand
corner of this page will only search for 30 May 2014 at 08:40
words in the articles, not in the
comments, so if you want to search Post a Comment
this entire blog, including the
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Article Archive
► 2016 (1)
► 2015 (45)
► 2014 (55)
► 2013 (2)
► 2011 (4)
► 2010 (2)
► 2009 (23)
► 2008 (26)
▼ 2007 (74)
► December (1)
► November (2)
► October (1)
► September (4)
▼ August (10)
Third e-book edition of Happiness and
the Art of B...
Spanish translation of Happiness and
the Art of Be...
The importance of compassion and
ahimsa
The supreme compassion of Sri Ramana
The crest-jew el of Sri Ramana's
teachings
The practice of self-investigation is our
natural ...
The question ‘w ho am I?’ as a
verbalised thought
Sri Ramana’s figurative use of simple
w ords
Atma-vichara and the question ‘w ho am
I?’
Atma-vichara is only the practice of
keeping our m...
► July (6)
► June (1)
► May (1)
► March (22)
► February (10)
► January (16)
► 2006 (7)

Index of Topics
ahaṁ-sphuraṇa (3)
ahiṁsā (2)
ajāta (4)
Anma-Viddai (16)
Appala Pattu (1)
Arunachala (9)
Bhagavad Gita (1)
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (214)
bhakti (devotion) (29)
cit-śakti (2)
consciousness (72)
dream (64)
effort (37)
ego (75)

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Ekatma Panchakam (13)


God (47)
grace (12)
guru (20)
Guru Vachaka Kovai (45)
Happiness and the Art of Being (73)
just being (summa iruppadu) (37)
karma (5)
kuṇḍalinī (2)
mano-nasa (annihilation of mind) (18)
māyā (17)
Nan Yar? (Who am I?) (91)
philosophy of Sri Ramana (90)
practice taught by Sri Ramana (114)
Sādhanai Sāram (3)
sat-sanga (7)
self-forgetfulness (14)
self-investigation (ātma-vicāra) (196)
self-love (19)
self-surrender (32)
silence (mauna) (9)
sleep (58)
Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai (2)
Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam (3)
Sri Arunachala Aksaramanamalai (2)
Sri Arunachala Pancharatnam (5)
Sri Arunachala Stuti Panchakam (9)
Sri Muruganar (22)
Sri Sadhu Om (37)
Sri Sivaprakasam Pillai (2)
The Path of Sri Ramana (12)
The Truth of Otherness (6)
Ulladu Narpadu (88)
Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham (11)
Upadēśa Mañjari (2)
Upadesa Nunmalai (10)
Upadēśa Sāram (3)
Upadesa Tanippakkal (16)
Upadesa Undiyar (72)
Vicāra Saṅgraham (3)

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Why Do I Believe That Atma Vicara Is:
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obstacles which cover our own pure


consciousness of…”
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On Jan 30 Sivanarul commented on
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On Jan 29 Viveka Vairagya commented
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On Jan 29 Viveka Vairagya commented
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[liberation]. But we are imagining
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On Jan 28 Daily Life commented on


Why Do I Believe That Atma Vicara Is:
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