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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
Talk 392.
(Swami Lokesananda continued another series of questions).
D.: They say that Kundalini must be roused before Realisation and
that its awakening makes the body feel hot. Is that so?
M.: The yogis call it Kundalini Sakti. It is the same as vritti 1 of the form
of God (Bhagavatakara vritti) of the bhaktas and vritti of the form
of Brahman (Brahmakara vritti) of the jnanis. It must be preliminary
to Realisation. The sensation produced may be said to be hot.
D.: Kundalini is said to be of the shape of a serpent but vrittis cannot
be so.
M.: The Kundalini of jnana marga is said to be the Heart, which is
also described in various ways as a network of nadis, of the shape
of a serpent, of a lotus bud, etc.
D.: Is this Heart the same as the physiological heart?
M.: No, Sri Ramana Gita defines it as the origin of the ‘I-thought’.
D.: But I read that it is on the right of the chest.
M.: It is all meant to help the bhavana (imagery). There are books
dealing with six centres (shadchakra) and many other lakshyas
(centres), internal and external. The description of the Heart is
one among so many lakshyas. But it is not necessary. It is only the
source of the ‘I-thought’. That is the ultimate truth.
D.: May we take it to be the source of the antahkaranas?
M.: The inner organs (antakaranas) are classified as five: (1)
Knowledge - Jnana; (2) Mind - Manas; (3) Intellect - Buddhi; (4)
Memory - Chitta; and (5) The ego - Ahankara; some say only the
latter four; others say only two, namely (1) Manas, mind and (2)
Ahankara, the ego; still others say the Antahkarana is only one
whose different functions make it appear differently and hence its
different names. Heart is thus the source of the Antahkaranas.
There is the body which is insentient; there is the Self which is eternal
and self-luminous; in between the two there has arisen a phenomenon,
namely the ego, which goes under these different names, mind
(manas), intellect (buddhi), memory (chitta), the ego (ahankara),
1. vritti = mode of mind
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