Nama Dwaar Nibbles

There are three kinds of ‘diksha’ (initiation). Initiation by touch, initiation by sight and initiation by thought. Ramana Maharishi also speaks of these three ‘dikshas’ in his ‘Aksharamanamalai’.
Initiation by touch:

A hen lays her eggs and sits on it to hatch it. By the touch of the hen the egg is hatched and the chickens come out of the eggs. Likewise, the Guru touches his disciples and this activates the spiritual fervour in them. This is ‘hasta diksha’ (initiation by touch).
Many young boys used to visit Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Suddenly these young boys would stop visiting him. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would feel disturbed and when the boys visited him after a gap would question them, ‘why have you not come here for a long time?’
The young boys would explain, ‘our elders at home do not like our visiting you. They say that by visiting you our studies would be spoilt. They refuse to permit us to come here.’
Sri Ramakrishna would tell the boys to somehow bring the elders at home - the parents or uncle or whoever it was who tried to stop the young ones from visiting him - to him. When those elders came to him, he would touch them while speaking to them. This touch would change their attitude and they would begin to visit Sri Ramakrishna!

Initiation by sight:
The fish lays its eggs in the water and keeps moving hither and thither in the water. But, the fish keeps looking at the eggs laid. Though the very gaze of the fish the eggs are hatched. This is ‘chakshu diksha’ (initiation by look). The Guru looks at his disciple and this triggers off the spiritual fervour in him.

Paul Brunton came to the presence of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi at the advice of Maha Periyava. He had a number of questions to be placed before Bhagavan. Bhagavan said to him that he would meet him in his room. Bhagavãn went as promised and sat gazing at Paul Bruton. At the end of it, Bhagavan asked him, ‘you wish to place some questions before me. What are those questions?’
Paul Brunton said, “No! The need to question does not arise. All my questions have been answered.”
Such is the gaze of the Guru.

Initiation by thought:

A tortoise lays its eggs on land and moves over to the water. Staying in water, its thoughts rest on the eggs laid on the land. By the constant thought of the eggs by the tortoise the eggs get hatched. Similarly, the Guru thinks of his disciple and this takes the disciple higher in his spiritual path.

Our Scriptures narrate the life of the great Sage Viswamitra. In it, we find that he performed intense spiritual austerities (’tapas’) but his progress was marred three times. At first, he lost the power of his penance as a result of entertaining lustful desires towards the heavenly damsels Ramba and Menaka. The second time it was due to his pride in creating a heaven for Trisanku that he lost his power of penance. The third time it was the exhibition his supernatural faculty in setting right the bent back of a man that stole away his power of penance.
These incidents in the life of the great Sage are not to be laughed at. They caution a Sadhak (spiritual aspirant). A Sadhak having attainment of the Supreme state as his goal should never, at any time, during the course of his sadhana, involve himself in such mundane matters: for, it would deprive him of his hard earned power of penance.

Which is the best question?
What is the way to get Krishna’s grace?

Which is the best answer to this question?
Chanting the Maha mantra always…

Which day is the auspicious day in one’s life?
The day a person eschews judging other’s faults and advising others and starts to observe himself to get better.

What is the cause of confusion?
Rather than doing what is to be done here and now, thinking about tomorrow is cause of confusion
What is the greatest mistake of a Sadhak?
Looking at the clock while he chants!

Read Sri Sri Swamiji’s Simple Questions Simple Answers which is a compilation of 100 questions and answers that matter to us in our everyday life.
 

Once Ma Devaki, Yogiramsuratkumar’s disciple was forlorn and dejected because of some happenings around her.  She was weeping and asked Yogiji, ‘Bhagavan! I came here for peace and to attain Self-realization.  But what is happening here is totally the opposite! Problems, badmouthing by others, emotional distress, gossips.  Why is all this happening to me?”

That was the time when the Ashram construction was going on.  Yogiji took her with Him to supervise the work.  While walking, Yogiji said, ‘Walk carefully, there are stones, sand, iron pipes and rods strewn all around.’  Yogiji stopped and told her, ‘Look at all these disorganized materials, the noise of the machines and disarray all around.  Only if these can be tolerated can we eventually see a fine Ashram built, isn’t it?  In just the same way, a Sadhak has to undergo tremendous pressures and miseries from all sides to attin the Ultimate Bliss.  No one is an exception to this fact.’

Such a profound truth was explained by Yogiji through a simple practical example.

Once a devotee of Bhagavan Ramana came to the ashram clad in ochre robes and was expecting some response from Bhagavan. Bhagavan as usual chose to remain silent. Unable to control himself, the devotee asks Bhagavan for his opinion on his switch of robes. Bhagavan smilingly says, “The attachment to white clothes has now become an attachment to the ochre robe!”

Once a devotee who had been initiated by Sri Swamiji visited after a long gap. Sri Swamiji asked him upon seeing him,
“I have initiated you already into a specific mantra. But you have not been chanting it”

This devotee incidentally was practicing some other sadhanas ignoring the mantra given by the Guru. 
“Will I progress as you told me at the time of initiation?”

Sri Swamiji said “I have sown a particular seed in you. But you are interested in growing your own plant. Therefore the progress will not be as expected”

A man is caught in a flood and is desperately reaching out for help. He notices a log of wood coming his way and holds on to it in an attempt to save himself. But what appeared as a log turned out to be a fiery crocodile which itself killed him. Similarly, if one strives to escape the clutches of ignorance and attain Jnana while still attached to the physical body, that attachment itself will destroy him like the crocodile.

– Adi Sankara

The greatest enemy as far as liberation is concerned is body- consciousness – attachment to the physical body. Diseases, insults and abuses are enemies of the physical body. Logically, the enemy’s enemy would have to be a friend. Therefore, disease, insults and abuses are our true friends and well-wishers.

 –Bhagavan Ramana

The plantain leaf that is used as a plate to take a meal is cleaned and taken care of only as long as the meal is taken. Once the meal is done, the leaf-plate is discarded. Similarly the physical body needs to be nurtured enough to enable one to perform spiritual Sadhana in order to attain liberation. Once the goal is attained the body is cast away.

–Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi