"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The "Don't Want" State

Sri Ramana Maharshi

From Sri Annamalai Swami's Diary Extracts

Some people came from the south for Bhagavan's (B's) darshan. Among them was a small boy about 5 yearls old. He did namaskaram and then approached B and looked at him lovingly. B place his left hand on the boy's head and asked him, 'What do you want?'

The boy replied firmly, 'I don't want anything'.

'Oho!, said B, 'You belong to us.'

Then, addressing the people he came with he added, 'I he remains in the "don't want" state everything will come to him.'

This reminded B of an old incident from his own life.

'When I was staying at the Pachaiamman Temple my loincloth got torn. I never made any request to anybody so I had to stitch it myself. For a needle I used a thorn from a cactus plant. I made a slit at the end which gripped a thread that I had removed from my loin cloth. After the repairs were finished I was able to wear it for another 2 months.

During the same period my towel had so many holes it looked like a net. One day a shepherd, after seeing this towel, tried to ridicule me by saying, "Swami,  the Governor wants this towel."

After washing and drying this towel I used to wrap it around my hand so that no one could see what state it was in. Somehow those who were with me came to know about it and brought three sets of new loincloths and towels. They took away my old towel and made me exchange my loincloth for a new one.

If you remain in the "don't want" state, everything will come to you. That is why both likes and dislikes are not wanted.'

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सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad