Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi Complete ... - BrahminVoice.org

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
Then the experience of a young disciple was mentioned. The
young man, educated and in good circumstances, in good health
and sober mind, was once facing Sri Bhagavan’s picture in his
home and meditating on the figure. The figure suddenly appeared
animated with life, which threw the young man into a spasm of
fear. He called out for his mother. His mother came and asked
him what the matter was. He was surrounded by his relatives who
were perplexed by his appearance. He was aware of their presence,
but was still overpowered by a mysterious force which he tried to
resist. He became unconscious for a short time. Fear seized him as
he regained consciousness. The people became anxious and tried
to bring him round with medicines.
When later he came to Tiruvannamalai he had some foreboding of
similar experience. The proximity of Sri Bhagavan prevented any
untoward happening. But whenever he wandered away from the hall
he found the force almost irresistible and himself in the grip of fear.
Sri Bhagavan said: “Is it so? No one told me this before.”
A devotee asked, if it was not saktipata (descent of divine power)?
M.: Yes it is. A madman clings to samskaras, whereas a Jnani does
not. That is the only difference between the two. Jnana is madness
of a kind.
D.: But saktipata is said to occur in karmasamya, i.e., when merit
and demerit are equal.
M.: Yes. Malaparipaka, karmasamya and saktipata mean the same,
A man is running the course of his samskaras; when taught he is
the Self, the teaching affects his mind and imagination runs riot.
He feels helpless before the onrushing power. His experiences are
only according to his imagination of the state “I am the Self”,
whatever he may conceive it to be. Saktipata alone confers the
true and right experience.
When the man is ripe for receiving the instruction and his mind is about
to sink into the Heart, the instruction imparted works in a flash and he
realises the Self all right. Otherwise, there is always the struggle.
Mano-nasa, jnana, and chittaikagrata (annihilation of the mind,
knowledge and one-pointedness) means the same.
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