The Path of Stillness

During the winter of 2021 while visiting the Sat Yoga Ashram in Costa Rica I was one day perusing the Ashrams library, a book called “Holistic Meditation” by A.R. Natarajan caught my attention. I felt a stirring of curiosity, as I wondered about what Holistic Meditation might mean. As I leafed through the pages, I came across these words: “The Straight Path”. Is there such a thing as a straight path I wondered, I decided to read on. The entire book was less than 100 pages long and included interesting illustrations. The books intention was to deliver guidance on a very serious and deep topic; the way out of suffering caused by egoic confusion and the ensuing illusions or mirages of what reality is thought to be. The Divine guidance in this book is coming from Ramana Maharshi called “Great Master” “Bhagavan” (The Lord) his contribution through yogic philosophy was to use a technique called “Vichara” or self-pondering as to who the real identity of one’s soul actually is: In this particular book Ramana’s advice is offered by author A.R. Natarajan in chronological, short paragraphs that can be understood in a simple, straightforward style. As I read the first paragraph, I felt a wave of comprehension wash over me. Maybe I would be able to understand the causes of suffering and its entrapments of the mind. Knowledge available on this vast subject by way of the many holy books/texts and traditions as written down by the many holy teachers, great scholars and thinkers are very valuable and important to read for knowledge sake: one must study and concentrate in order to break through the veil of ignorance, however sometimes readings of such complexity by the great scholars and sages of such vastly different cultural backgrounds and timelines can feel overwhelming and difficult, if not impossible to grok , the true meanings being conveyed can get lost in translation.

An excerpt from this book begins with these “Self Pondering” Questions posed by Ramana Maharij

The colossal ignorance-

“If one poses some fundamental questions, which go to the root of one’s life, then and then only will one be aware how ignorant one is about him or her self- and life-giving inputs. Let us consider a series of questions that will bring this to light. Have I enquired about the purpose of life? Have I enquired about the nature of my mind? Have I observed the daily miracle of deep sleep, which is a must for a fatigued mind? Have I observed that in deep sleep I am free from thoughts, yet happy and in repose? Have I enquired about the meaning of this daily setting and raising of the mind? Have I considered an escape route from the obsessive pressure of congestion of the thoughts? Has my ceaseless activity for enjoyment borne fruit? An Honest answer to all these questions can only be “NO”. Why? Because one has never found the time to take a break and enquire about oneself, about the routinization of life, about the see-saw of enjoyment and sorrow, about the possibility of a silent and peaceful mind. Therefore, is it not for one to steal time, to reflect and find the answers for oneself.”

Ramana Maharij goes on to teach that” Holistic Meditation turns on the searchlight of Self enquiry and into the “knowledge about the Heart which is the purpose of Meditation, to gain constant connection with the Divine current in ones own Heart. This is termed by Ramana “The Straight Path”. This is because the entire energy source is located in the Heart, the story of the Universe begins and ends here.”

“He goes on to say that the “Spiritual life and the constant attentive life is to be consciously related to the divine source in the heart, and may make one feel lonely. For one is surrounded and suffocated in a world of topsy turvy value and its endless chasing of enjoyment outside oneself.”

This is where the Guru as a companion and accurate guidance source, appears to console and prevent one from falling into depression. The Gurus grace is bestowed to the aspirant as the search for truth is discovered. The Guru provides faith and hope for the whole journey back through the Self-knowledge process. A seeker must be earnest and vigilant in pursuing its freedom and focus out of suffering, in order for the connection to the Spiritual Guru to occur, only then will the rescue by the Guru out of being caught in “the ghost like grip of multi-identifications of the mind whose nature is not understood” can be realized.

This two-dimensional art expression arrives on the page as a being who is in a natural state of rest created by a quiet mind that has surrendered o meditation; she sits upon a lotus throne, enjoying the bliss of her heart as it connects to the Divine current. There is no where to go, nothing to get. There is just the unchanging peace.