From Him unto Him-The true definition of Charity

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya

On 9th December, I happened to visit the Ramana Maharshi shrine to attend the Poornima puja. In Bhagavan’s physical presence with swarming fellow devotees, how could one describe the bliss and glory? The puja came to an end with devotees going around the shrine chanting ‘Aksharamanamalai’ We then stood engaged in a little Satsang in a small group listening to Ms. Sarada Natarajan (President of Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning) about Bhagavan and Arunachala and the Karthigai Deepam festival, when the others had taken leave.

A person from the group handed some money as a donation for the centre’s activities to Ms Sarada Natarajan requesting her to use it for the Poornima celebrations or for any other related activity. The person humbly added, when I am HIS, what could remain as ‘mine’ to donate?

Ms. Sarada Natarajan narrated an incident in response to the donor’s words. Shri Nochur Venkatramanji’s child of five or six, standing near the Ganges, cupped his little hands to fill it with water and then emptied it into the river again saying, “This is true worship!” A lesson from a little child indeed!

Ms Sarada Natarajan looked at the donor and said, “Your words remind me of that little child who could impart a great teaching in the course of his little play of worship"

While charity in the normal sense can be an exercise to purify the mind, the true definition of charity is something greater.

With the dissolution of identity, as Bhagavan always says, “There is no 'other,” (where there is no giver and the taker, but the SELF) true charity is that which is given even without the slightest notion of giving, where everything is the‘SELF’ Here there is no expectation from the taker in return and exploitation of the taker by the giver.

In the mighty ocean of Ramana, when the waves are of its (His) very nature-water, is there anything apart from Him?

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya!

Comments

THEY ALSO READ

Waking Up To Reality From The Three States Of Consciousness

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya It is not some dry philosophy, but the day to day happening in each of our lives, from birth to death that we have missed to pay attention to- the waking state, the dream state and the deep sleep state. "The world is a changing phenomena, an illusion." A spiritual comrade uttered in the course of a casual conversation. The conversation drifted to the three states of consciousness-the waking, dreaming and the deep sleep states. They are alternating phases. A little scrutiny, and we can understand about these three states, which we experience every day from birth to death. By the term "Real", we mean "Original", in the things that we encounter in our day to day life. We call "Original" because there is no change in them ever. So are the three states of consciousness, the waking state, where we engage in day to day activities; and the dream state, where we move about in our dreams with a different set o...

The Illusory World When It Becomes a Reality!

Just a shift in our perception of ourselves can bring about a change in how we look at the world. The Illusory nature of the world can be understood by first-hand experience from our day to day life of the waking state, dream state and the deep sleep state, the three states in Consciousness. We actually perceive and experience the world through the mind. Our mind is nothing but a collection of thoughts, which have the ‘I thought’ as the primary thought. The ‘I thought’ is an impostor that springs from Consciousness donning the appearance of Consciousness, which is the REAL I. If but for the thoughts, there is no such thing called the mind, states Ramana Maharshi. In deep sleep, the mind is lost along with the world, but when we wake up, the individual self (identification with the body and the mind), or the ‘I thought’ rises after which we begin to experience the world for the day. When we view the world as the individual self or the ‘I thought’ in th...

About Miracles - A Different Outlook!

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya! The womb of miracles is Grace, which is none other than the Self. Miracles here, may be defined as not the glaring ones as in Physic powers, Clairvoyance or materialising objects etc that bears the stamp of doership. They are simply divine interference in day to day life that are too very natural, and could often escape from even an alert eye. Such were those which took place in the presence of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Any ardent seeker's life is peppered with miracles or divine interference. There are two common outlooks towards miracles. While most intellectual seekers on the path of Self realization often have a self imposed indifferent attitude towards miracles, seekers on the path of bakti or devotion often get lost in miraculous happenings. In my humble opinion, I guess focusing on Grace, the underlying factor of miracles than focusing on miraculous happenings themselves, or being aware of miracles rather than b...

The Meaning of Consciousness: A Deeper Understanding

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya! The word ‘Consciousness,’ was not more than a spiritual term, until I came across a book that introduced me to its deeper meaning. In one of my visits to Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, in the book store, I happened to pick up a book by Swami Ashokananda, “When the many become one.” The title was nevertheless catchy and promised a detailed expression of the truth. It is a book very potent in knowledge and to be read slowly in order to grasp and digest the lofty truth that the words tried to portray. The word ‘Consciousness,’ as the book revealed, is the simple fact that all objects existed in our own consciousness (i.e.), any object that we perceive is in our own consciousness. They will have to remain in the field of our consciousness in order to exist. In other words we will have to be conscious of objects, only then can they be perceived. For example we perceive a glass only because we are conscious of it. We perceive an ant only because we...

Gathered Blooms

Search This Blog