Who am I ?

[Gummuluru Murthy]

On Thu, 11 Jul 1996, M Suresh wrote:

> Gummuluru Murthy wrote:
>
> > We are striving here to reach paramatma and break away from the cycle of
> > births and re-births. To achieve this, we should do good deeds, dictated
> > by pure conscience.
>
>   Ramana Maharishi differs here. According to him we should not even
>   strive to reach the parmaatma.  One sould either find out the "I" which is
>   the source of all thoughts by enquiry or we should surrender everything to
>   the lord including the desire for salvation and redemption from the
>   birth-death cycle.
>
>   Even Good deeds done with expectation of salvation will put one in the cycle
>   of birth-death after spending many years in heaven. I think it is there
>   somewhere in the Bhagavad Gita.
>
>   Action without attachment alone can grant salvation. I suppose if one
 becomes
>   detached one will automatically tend to do good deeds because good deeds
 tend
>   to unify, and god is the ultimate unification, and as one becomes more
>  detached
>   one gets more anchored in god.
>
The first verse of Atma Bodha by Sankara ends up with "MumukshUNA
mapekshyeya mAtmabodho vidhEyatE"

Sankara, in teaching Atma Bodha says that it is meant for people who (in
addition to having other qualifications) seek mumUksha.  I am not sure if
such an apeksha for mumUksha can be considered a desire.

I agree that my original posting might have given the impression that we
do good deeds with the objective of getting away from the cycle of births
and re-births.
What I mean to say is "You seek knowledge of the Self. You become a
sadhaka. Then good deeds flow from you."


>
> Namaskar,
> Suresh.
>
Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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Adau ante ca yan nAsti vartamAnepi tat tathA

                                GaudapAda in mAndUkya kArikA

What did not exist at the beginning and what is not going to exist at the
end is as good as non-existent even in the present.
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