Ramana Maharshi’s Nan Yar ?  Who Am I ? [continued]

   

[16]    What is the nature of the Self  ?

What exists in Truth is the Self alone. The World (jagat), the individual soul (jiva),

& God (Para) are appearances in that World, like silver in Mother-of-Pearl.

These 3 appear at the same time, & disappear at the same time.

Each silvery Pearl acquires mass & size from that bio-mineral composite on the Oyster shell surface which itself looks like real Silver.

                                                                           

 

“Mother-of-Pearl” is an illusion of Nature well known along some coastlines, since the Oyster shell next to the Pearl can look very silvery without having any actual Silver. This Nacre & polished Silver share the quality of high-quality Reflection like quicksilver or liquid mercury behind a mirror’s glass. Large Abalone & Conch shells can also.

In one sense since Nacre is of a substance (calcium carbonate like shell & marble) other than Silver, it compares to a false Illusion. At the same time, unlike actual Silver, the Mother-of-Pearl–type surface exhibits that diffractive multi-color-rainbow swirl effect we see in dark-field from gasoline greasily reflecting, or actually diffracting, on the water surface of a gutter puddle. There we see predominately: red, green, blue, & violet.

Reflection contributes to this Illusion just as Reflection of the Self seems to scatter into 3 modes. There is the entire World (jagat), the individual (jiva) who sees that World, & God (Para), the Divine Being who seems to have created that World & sustains the World & the individual creatures. Seeing may be “believing” but “seeing” is not always Reality. Just as the Oyster’s Mother-of-Pearl fools us with false Reflection, just so, false Reflection of the Self is seen by those identifying themselves as confined individuals. The remaining seemingly objective “vastness” is deemed a Universe or World. The animating Source of that objective “vastness” is the subtler “vastness” which is God.

While the Rope-Snake  &  Tree-Stump-Bandit  Analogies corresponded to a 1-for-1 substitution of Self seen as World or Ego respectively. Here the Mother-of-Pearl analogy has true vision that is fractured into 3 rainbow Reflections.

[17 – 18]    

The Self is where there  is absolutely no "I" thought.  That is called "Silence" (mouna).

The Self itself is the World, is "I",  is God; all is Shiva, – the Self.

Here the Maharshi’s reference to Shiva turns out to accomplish multiple purposes. Non-Dual Siva expands the term God to the Absolute. Siva in any number of traditional symbolic forms, such as Rudra, Siva-Parvati, Nataraj or his own local Mt. Arunachala leads into the next segment as a proper focus for Non-Dual Devotion & Surrender. Teachings of devotion & surrender to God are of great value for all & for some spiritual aspirants most especially. Those inclined by aptitude & temperament, include such practice in their sadhana to a degree as best advised by their Guru.

[19]  What is Non-Attachment ?

As Thoughts arise, destroying them utterly without any residue in the very place

of their origin is Non-Attachment. Just as the Pearl-Diver ties a stone to his waist,

sinks to the bottom of the Sea & there takes the Pearls, so each one of us should be endowed  with Non-Attachment, dive within oneself & obtain the Self-Pearl.

 Temporally preceding the Mother-of-Pearl observation above would of course be the Pearl-Diver, an image that the Maharshi uses in 2 ways. The focus of this 1^st Pearl-Diver analogy keys in on the deep dive for what Jesus called the “Pearl of great value” which is greater & more central than those “pearls” of Teaching that were not to be “cast before swine.”  Here Ramana more precisely identifies the one Non-Dual treasure as the Self-Pearl. The worthwhile effort to dive deep in meditation & practice Self-Inquiry is greatly enhanced with the “lode-stone” of Non-Attachment, giving the aspirant the spiritual “gravitas” in order to dive deep.

In other writings, the Maharshi picks up the same Analog “diver” so to speak, on his way back up. If he tarried too long or met up with delay, he might find himself out of air & yet quite far from the surface. Experienced as he is, he avoids panic but resolutely seeks the surface with absolutely maximum intention & effort. He is not about to be distracted in the 2^nd Diver Analogy, he is not about to doubt, question, or complain about effort & repeated application required. He will kick & stroke just as many times as he has to, neither counting nor measuring. His one-pointed focus leaves no room for any other goal or motive, he must have air NOW. Further effort is made until there is air NOW, & if not, effort is made again & again, for as long as it takes, & with whatever energy it takes. He MUST have air. Inquiry, said the Maharshi should have the same concentration & determination: I MUST reach Freedom, I must know my Self, with all the urgency, calculated skill, & effort as the Diver who is out of air.