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Saturday, March 25

This is a supplement to the regular Highlights and features excerpts from the Ribhu Gita which
appeared on the main list.

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I have in front of me a copy of The Song of Ribhu: The English
Translation of the Tamil Ribhu Gita. Translation by Dr. H.
Ramamoorthy and Nome. It was published by SAT, Society for
Abidance in Truth in 2000. The book is 760 pages, with a 67 page
glossary.

Unless a person is involved with SAT, I don't know how anyone
would know about this book. I thought I'd help spread the word.

The book is only $39 and can be ordered at
http://www.booksbeyondwords.com/sat5.html. Along with a few
other nondual scriptures, it is a must for any library.

In this first post, I'll quote from the introductory material.

"The text of the versified Tamil Ribhu Gita is a relentless
reiteration of uncompromising Advaita (Nonduality) -- that the
Supreme Brahman, 'That', is all that exists and does not exist,
that nothing else exists, the the Self is Brahman and Brahman
is the Self. The consistent message is that I am That, I am
all, and That is myself." ...

"The Ribhu Gita was one of the first books read by Sri Ramana
Maharshi after his Self-Realization, one whose message clearly
accorded with what he had realized within himself. It could be
said that it influenced the way in which he revealed
Self-Knowledge to those who sought his instruction, and most
certainly he frequently referenced it and recommended it to
others...as can be seen in the books that record his
teachings." ...

"As Maharshi indicated, one can use this text in the pursuit of
the inquiry, 'Who am I?' The text serves to inspire or verify
the removal of misidentifications and false definitions
attributed to the Self through delusion.

"One can us this text in gaining a firm conviction regarding the
Self. This conviction is an experiential, firm understanding of
one's real identity." ...

"One can use this text to liberate oneself from all kinds of
concepts. In Ribhu Gita, one finds the elimination, or
negation, of the concept of everything, be it worldly or
spiritual, pertaining to the real or the unreal." ...

"In meditating and practicing with this text, the aspirant will
find that the experience or progress is devoid of any time
factor. Each verse can be an ongoing meditation or a sudden
revelation, and the Knowledge itself concerns That which is
neither a gradual occurrence nor a rapid one, but rather which
is ever present." ...

"In Truth, there is no creation and no destruction, there is no
instructed and no instructor, there is no bondage and no
liberation, there is no duality or unreality and no destruction
of unreality. Truth alone is; the Self alone exists."

In this second post I've selected a few definitions from the
glossary. These selections will give you an idea of the depth of
this 67 page glossary. It's a book unto itself:

from VEDANTA: "Advaita Vedanta, or the Teaching of Nonduality,
is that which is expounded by Ribhu, Sri Dattatreya (the
Avadhuta), Sri Ashtavakra, Sri Sankara, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and
many other great sages. It reveals the utter absence of any
differentiation between Atman (the Self) and Brahman. It is the
revelation of Reality without even a trace of notional
superimpositions. The entire Ribhu Gita gives an exposition -- a
veritable scripture -- of Advaita Vedanta."

"ATMAN. The Self. The Self is one and universal, different from
the body, sensory organs, senses, mind, intelligence, inner
senses, and such others, remaining only as a witness to the
activities of these and unsullied by them. The Self is of the
nature of Being-Consciousness-Bliss, self-luminous, of the
nature of Knowledge, needing no other knowledge to know it. The
Self is without desire or hatred, fear or sorrow, quality or
activity, form, change or blemish. It is immaculate,
indivisible, all-pervasive, and infinite. The Self and Brahman
are one."

"BRAHMAN. A Sanskrit word formed from the root brmh, which means
growth, and the suffix man, which signifies an absence of
limitation (in space or time). Thus, Brahman means that which
is absolutely the greatest. Brahman, according to the Masters
of Advaita, is said to be known through Vedic texts, primarily
the Upanishads, which are considered a valid means of
knowledge, as a direct perception.

"Brahman is the only Reality; it is beyond definition in words,
the range of sensory perceptions, and the human mind. It is
conceived to be boundless Being, ever existent, limitless in
space and time, immutable, immaculate, devoid of qualities,
attributes, name, or form. It is not subject to birth,
continuation, growth, maturity, decay and dissolution, and has
nothing similar to it and nothing different from it. It is also
described as pure Knowledge.

"It is also regarded as both the efficient and material cause of
the visible universe, the all-pervading spirit of the universe,
the essence from which all beings are produced and into which
they are absorbed. The entire phenomenal world of beings,
qualities, actions, all manifestations, and so on, is said to
be an illusory superimposition on the imperishable substratum,
which is Brahman.

"The Upanishad-s also identify Brahman with the Universal Self.
What Brahman, the only Reality, is and, more importantly, what
Brahman, the only Reality, is not is discussed in the entire
text of the Song of Ribhu."

Chapter One: History of the Treatise -- Definition of the Self
-- One's Own Experience (Svanubhava)

33
As the Supreme Siva,
Of the very nature of Grace,
Is established as the support of all endless power,
There is nothing equal or superior to the Lord (Isvara),
The cause of all the world.
So, He is proclaimed as the instrumental and material cause.
There is no other cause greater
Than that Lord (Isvara) at any time anywhere.

39
Just as the one expanse of space,
Being conditioned by the pot and by the outside,
Is considered by the world as two spaces --
Pot-space and outside-space --
The one Reality, which is of the nature of one Knowledge,
Because of conditioning by unreal ignorance and others,
Appears in a dual aspect
As Self and Brahman.

40
Just as the pot-space and the outside-space are one, indeed,
When conditionings like the pot are negated,
So also, if the conditionings like nescience and others are negated,
The pure Self and the Supreme Brahman are one.
All aspirants for Liberation should unimpededly realize
The great identity of the Self and the Supreme
By Vedantic inquiry, eliminating, through a process of negation,
All conditionings that produce a sense of duality.

_____________________________________________________________

Chapter Two: You Are Of The Nature of Brahman

4
Your true nature is always the undivided, nondual Brahman,
Which is a mass of Being-Consciousness-Bliss,
Motionless, ancient, still,
Eternal, without attributes,
Without confusion, without sheaths,
Without parts, without impurity,
Completely free from any illusion of duality,
Full, peerless, and the One.

25
You, yourself, are that which is indicated by 'That.'
You, yourself, are that which is indicated by 'You.'
You, yourself, are that which is indicated by 'are'.
You, yourself, are the Supreme, which is the undivided meaning of these.
You, yourself, are that which is established and is fearless.
You, yourself, are the Supreme which is unsurpassed Bliss.
You, yourself, are that which is indicated by the word 'Reality' and such others.
You, yourself, are the meaning of all manifestations of sound.

47
I have told you, in the manner
In which it was expounded by the immaculate Siva,
The definition of the pure, indivisible Absolute,
Which is the Reality that remains
After negating all the superimpositions due to maya
On the eternal Supreme Brahman.
Those who even once listen to and clearly understand the meaning of this
Will become the Supreme themselves.

Chapter 3

9
Pure soul! the various appearances that are seen
Do not really exist at all.
Understand that any appearance arising out of the maya (delusion)
Is benumbing illusion.
Further, I shall give you the secret definition
As told by the Supreme Siva, in the way you can understand.
All the world, individuals (jiva-s), and the Supreme (Para) are ever only
The Supreme Brahman, of the nature of pure Knowledge.

Chapter 4: Giving the Definition of the One Undivided Essence and the
Undivided Experience

20
I shall further dwell
On the unchanging experience,
Which is the good fortune that I had,
Rare to attain in this world or anywhere,
The most secret, the great, and the wondrous.
Listen with attentive mind.
I, indeed, am the undivided Supreme Space of Consciousness,
The Supreme Brahman, without any divisive differences.

21
I am ever the substance of Absolute Truth.
I am ever Absolute Consciousness.
I am ever a mass of Bliss.
I am ever the one undivided essence.
I manifest as all ever,
And I do not have anything, even so much as an atom.
I am all pervasive and undifferentiated.
I ever remain the Supreme Brahman.

33
I, myself, am of the nature that has no interactions.
I, myself, am of the nature that has nowhere to go.
I, myself, am of the nature that has nothing like the waking and other states.
I, myself, am of the nature that is ever peaceful.
I, myself. am of the nature that is all pervasive.
I, myself, am of the nature that is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.
I, myself, am of the nature that is the Supreme Brahman,
Beyond the reach of mind and words.

40
For the benefit of all, I have explained
The direct experience I have had
By the compassion of the Supreme Siva.
One who has lovingly heard this pure meaning,
Even once, and is steadfast
In his heart's understanding of it,
Will, eschewing all ignorance,
Become ever the Supreme Brahman

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