8 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 6 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 2 0 3.1 The Mind That Is to Be Transcended & Its Use in the Process of Ātma vichāra The yogic concept of themind is a complex one. Usually it includesmanas , buddhi , and ahamkāra . A wider concept of the mind is described, for instance, by Bernard (1958, 81–119). It is the attention, which activates the data processing, evokes the emergence of all relevant data and presenting it to the individualized consciousness. Themind ( manas ) can be modelled as a unit responsible for processing information from outside and from memory and presenting it through ahamkāra in front of the individualized consciousness. Buddhi can be defined as the decision-making unit. Ātma vichāra is a pro - cess, where the attention, instead of being directed to outer processes presented by the mind, is directed into “searching” for the source of the cognition of ‘I’. Ramana Maharshi, when asked about his advice on the point that the mind, which is to be “subdued” is used for a search of the Self that is beyond its reach, answered: “ Of course we are employing the mind. It is well known and admitted that only with the help of the mind can the mind be killed. But instead of setting about saying there is a mind and I want to kill it; you begin to seek its source and you find it does not exist at all. The mind turned outwards results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self. ” (Osborn 1971, 140–141). Still, he admitted the “risks” as expressed in the following quotation: “ To ask the mind to kill the mind is like making the thief the policeman… ” (Osborn 1971, 140). It means, that the mind often deletes our effort by presenting us some interesting motive, which defocuses our attention. He further claims, “ when in this manner the mind becomes quiescent, in its own state, Self-experience arises of its own accord, without any hindrance. ” (Maharshi 1994, 12). This is identical with the implication of sūtra1:2 and 1:3 of the Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras (Patanjali 1989, 93–114). On a practical level, Maharshi recommends during sādhana that “ one should remain as a witness to whatever happens, adopting the attitude ‘Let whatever strange things happen, happen, let us see!’ This should be one’s practice. ” (Maharshi 1994, 4). This is a direct reference to thewitness , or amirroring function of consciousness termed in Vedānta as Sāksī . It also means that the process is not related to will. In an answer to the question of Maurice Frydman, Maharshi responds, “ Why the Ego is not cut down at one stroke and destroyed so as to gain Supreme Bliss? ” ( Mountain Path1981, 69), Maharshi asked him to hold out his Ego so that he could strike it down. As for the position of thewitness , when the mind is not allowed to move and create its usual constructions, the manonāsa , “destruction of the mind” happens, cleaning the way to jñāna (Maharshi 1994, 4). If one starts a practice of disentangling the mind and the sense of individualized sense of Self from all sensual percep - tions, until comes a state when there is no more perceptible information, then there may manifest an unbelievably strong light and ānanda through an extra-sensory cognition. As Vallalar comments, “ The unalloyed state of overflowing bliss is comparable to the state of total unconsciousness. Those who have transcended even that state will be like the rays of the silvery moon of the Self, moving in the ambrosial essence which lies beyond the sphere of consciousness. ” (Vallalar 2013, 78). In fact, the yogi, who does not stop at this ānandic experience would melt into the Being. When this becomes reality, the yogi gets manifested as a direct outlet of the Absolute will (Fig. 1). This is mentioned also by Ramana Maharshi (2010, 14): “ True knowledge is Self-effulgent: it is neither knowledge nor ignorance, ” meaning that the real knowledge is not coming from perceptual or dualistic mental knowledge, but it manifests through abiding or melting/merging into the Being. Maharshi also says that “[t]rue knowledge is neither knowledge nor ignorance. Objective knowledge is not true knowledge. Because the Self is Self-effulgent, having no second to know or be known, it is supreme Knowledge, not empty nothingness.” (2010, 14, verse 12). So, this is a way, how the mind can be ‘used’ forĀtma vichāra and how it gets transcended. 3.2 The Process of Mystical Death & its Necessity for Reaching Mukti When researching the history of reaching sahaja sthitior nat - ural state of being in the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, the first indication of a crucial stage of liberation ( mukti ) are his death experiences (see also Dojčár and Gálik 2017, 121–135). The first one , which happened when he had a fear of death during his stay at home (before leaving for Tiruvannamalai), experiencing that if the body is dead he still remains alive, then he had a strong experience of “light” and absorption in the Self (Narasimha 1938, 22). The second occurrenceof the death experience that happened on Arunachala seems to be more dramatic (Grimes 2016, 52). A light coming from the right wiped out all perception of the world, but he remained conscious of the body where the heart and blood flow stopped. Then, after 15–20 minutes, an outburst of energy from the right towards the physical heart
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