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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 09 2011 : 07:08:05 AM
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"Manolaya means concentration,temporarily arresting the movement of thoughts,as soon as this concentration ceases,thoughts old and new rush in as usual.....this will never lead to total desctruction of thought ,which is what is called salvation or liberation from birth and death.The practiser must therefore be ever on the alert and enquire within as to who has this experience,who realises its pleasanteness? Failing this enquiry he will go into a long trance or deep sleep (yoga nidra).........
Ramana Mahrashi then told the following story:
a yogi was doing penance for a number of years...when he attained a high degree of concentration....he believed that continuance in that stage for prolonged periods constituted salvation....one day before going into concentration,he felt thirsty.....but before his disciple arrived with the water,the yogi had gone into samadhi.....when he woke up from this experience the first thing he asked for was water!
the first thing he asked for was water because before going into deep concentration,the topmost layer of thought in his mind was water,and by concentration however deep and prolonged ,he had only be able to temporarily lull his thoughts, and when therefore he revoked consciouness this topmost thought flew up with all the speed and force of flood breaking through the dykes.
Seekers rarely understand the difference between this temporary stilling of the mind (concentration/manolaya) and permanent destruction of thoughts (manonasa) .....one must therefore watch one's spritual progress carefully.....the moment one experiences this stillness of thoughts,one must revive consciouness and enquire within as to who it is who experiences this stillness........
This temporary stilling of thought comes automatically in the usual course of one's practice and it is a clear sign of one's progress,but the danger of it lies in mistaking it for the final goal of spiritual practice.........the shortest cut to salvation is the enquiry method ,by such enquiry ,you will be destoying all thoughts once and for all."(Crumbs from His table/Ramanananda Swarnagiri)
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enquire into pleasanteness and stillness
