Spirituality Studies 10-1 Spring 2024 31 Michael James used in the second sentence of this paragraph, so it means “to cause to subside or cease”, or in other words, “to subdue, curb, restrain, constrain or prevent the rising of”, so maṉattai y-aḍakki means “subduing the mind” in the sense of curbing it by preventing its rising; in this context koṇḍu is an auxiliary that implies continuity, so maṉattai y-aḍakkik-koṇḍirundāl means “if one is continuously subduing the mind”, thereby implying “if one continuously keeps the mind subsided by preventing it from rising”; and the final word, irukkalām, means both “one can be” (in the sense “it is proper to be”) and “may one be” or “let one be”. Therefore this sentence implies that if we continuously keep the mind subsided, it does not matter where we happen to be, because whatever the outward circumstances may be, inwardly we will continue to be as we always actually are, unaffected by the appearance or disappearance of anything else. Therefore what Bhagavan emphasises in this final paragraph of Nāṉ Ār? is the need for us to always remain subsided deep within our own being, and as he repeatedly made clear in his teachings, such as in many of the passages I have discussed here, the only adequate means by which we can be permanently subsided without ever rising again as ego is the simple practice of investigating ourself and thereby knowing ourself as we always actually are. 23 Conclusion The “firmly established conclusion” (Sa. siddhānta) of Bhagavan’s teachings, the final end and centre towards which all their various strands are pointing us, like the spokes of a wheel all pointing towards the unmoving axle in the centre of its hub, is eternal “silence” (Sa. mauna), the motionless state of just being as we always actually are without ever rising as ego, so it cannot be grasped by thought or adequately expressed in words, but can only be experienced in our heart, as our heart, by our heart. In other words, this eternal silence of pure being is the heart, which is what we actually are, so we cannot know it or experience it by any means other than just being as we actually are. However, to summarise briefly in words the conclusion of all the various pointers provided in his teachings that I have discussed in this paper, in order to subside and lose ourself forever in this eternal silence of pure being, we need to know ourself as we actually are, and in order to know ourself as we actually are we need to investigate ourself by keenly and steadily attending to our own being, “I am”. This simple practice of self-investigation, which is the only means by which we can surrender ourself completely and forever to God or guru, who is what we always actually are, is therefore the very heart of Bhagavan Ramana’s teachings. It is the ultimate practice on the path of “devotion” (Sa. bhakti), because to the extent to which we attend to ourself, we thereby subside back within, so only when our entire attention is fixed on ourself so firmly that we thereby cease to be aware of anything else whatsoever will we subside completely and dissolve forever in our own being, which is the “real nature” (Sa. svarūpa) both of ourself and of God, and also because of the simple reason that attending to ourself is therefore attending to God as he actually is, as Bhagavan points out in verse 15 of Upadēśa Taṉippākkaḷ: Self-investigation [Sa. ātma-anusaṁdhāna] is supreme devotion to God [Sa. para īśa-bhakti], because God exists as oneself [Sa. ātman]. [48] Since our own “being” (Sa. sat) is not only pure “awareness” (Sa. cit) but also infinite and eternal “happiness” (Sa. ānanda) and “love” (Sa. priyam), subsiding and dissolving forever in our own being and thereby being as we always actually are is attainment of the infinite happiness that we all long for and are seeking through each and every one of our various endeavours, so this is the summum bonum, and it can be attained only by the grace of God, which is the infinite love that we as we actually are have for ourself as we actually are. Such grace is always available to us, because it is our own real nature, but in order to avail ourself of it, we need to yield ourself to the magnetic power of its inward pull by trying constantly to turn within with heart-melting love in order to see ourself as we actually are, as Bhagavan teaches us repeatedly in all his original writings, such as in verses 15, 16, 43 and 44 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai: Arunachala, who can see you, who, being the eye to the eye, sees without eyes? See. [49] Arunachala, like a magnet iron, forcibly seizing me, uniting without leaving, may you be with me. [50] Arunachala, oneself alone, oneself alone is what is real. May you yourself show this. [51] Arunachala, you said: ‘Turning back inside, see yourself daily with the inner eye; it will be known’. What! [52]
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