It is those who are not learned that are saved rather than those whose ego has not yet subsided in spite of their learning. The unlearned are saved from the relentless grip of the devil of self-infatuation; they are saved from the malady of a myriad whirling thoughts and words; they are saved from running after wealth. It is from more than one evil that they are saved.
Maharshi, Ramana.
Feeling and Emoting
Well I am feeling so many things...and among them are old emotions poking at the surface trying to get out. You know there is a difference between "emotions" and "feelings", right? Feelings represent what is happening right now...what we are experiencing, sensing in the moment. Feelings come in and flow through us and then are released. Emotions, on the other hand, are lingering memories of feelings often stuffed below the surface and not truly experienced...therefore not released. So I am dealing with a combination of feeling and emotion in my moment...all good.
Maharashi
I am reading Maharshi's words. Which is kind of uncanny being that he really wasn't one for words. In fact, he believed that words, concepts, "theoretical knowledge" got in the way of truth. He believed the way to realization was practical and experential rather than one derived through "theory". Yet he reluctantly recognized that for so many of us who are addicted to thinking and gaining this type of knowledge...that the use of this vice may be needed to break through our conditioning into Truth. Of course, once we realized Truth...we wouldn't need concepts anymore.
Pointing to Light.
I guess, it is like trying to understand what light is. If I asked you to point to the light in the room could you? All the teachings, words, concepts are just pointers but they really cannot show us light, can they? You cannot point to light. And if I asked you to point to the source of light, what would you point to? You might point to the sun shining in through the open window, the light fixture above your head or the lamp on the end table...or maybe even the switch on the wall. But is that the source of light? No..they are just tools and conduits for light to come through. Even the sun...radiates light, but is it the source of light?
You cannot point to light, nor can you point to its source yet you know light on the experential level. Don't you? Don't all living things move toward the light? But we cannot point to it...We can just experience it. If I tried to explain it and where it comes from...it would just be a complicated mess of technical terms, theories and rationalizations...but those would never be light or do it justice.
Truth is Light
Truth is light. I cannot point to truth...it can only be experienced...but I can point to the conduits (teachers) and tools ( teachings) used to explain it but I have to be very careful not to get so caught up in the technical jargon or on focus on the teacher that I get lost and confused in the pointers ...thinking I expereince it when "I think". If I rely on the pointers I may actually erronously believe they are showing me what is there...when nothing can. It can only be experienced.
Does that make sense?
All is well
Maharshi, Ramana. The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words (p. 8). Sri Ramanasramam. Kindle Edition.
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