A few people realized during
the earlier years of AHAM that sitting in silent meditation with Ramana
was truly a transforming experience. But this was only seen or realized
by those people who understood that Ramana was always living in the
transformed awareness of Being, or the true Self. Only they could appreciate
the transforming influence of the Silence and Stillness of his presence.
Also, during Ramana’s
talks, others were able to recognize that his message had a different
quality than that of mere believers of truth, or ordinary philosophers.
But, attending his talks and hearing the principles of Truth he shared
was only the beginning of one’s total awakening or life transforming
process. The daily application of the teaching, by one’s living
the processes in actual life situations, is an essential element to
bringing about real completion in one’s life, or for one’s
conscious transformation. Elizabeth MacDonald was Ramana’s first
truly dedicated student, and she fully utilized his instructions in
her daily life situations.
Ramana created and developed
all of AHAM’s programs in the early days. Overtime Elizabeth proved
their benefit, importance and efficiency both to herself and to others
in AHAM, and thereby contributed the practical aspect of determining
and proving how to apply them in all the areas of one’s life.
So, today AHAM’s
Conscious Teaching fully reflects not only a practical approach to “living
in the world, but not of the world,” as Ramana had earlier
stated it to be, but now it is also about transcending body-mind identification.
It is about awakening spiritually and abiding infinitely and eternally
in the true Self, known to be the Highest State of being; and yet to
be attained by those still identified with the body-mind as being their
self.
This Highest State has
many names. A few of these are Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta,
Sahaja Samadhi (natural non-thinking awareness), also Krishna
Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness and Christ Consciousness, and simply
as enlightenment.
The fact is, it is actually
the true and natural state of the Real Self, the true Self of everyone.
But the masses of people are caught up in a false self-image, or identification
with their body-mind, and believe they are actually their body living
in time and space, with all of the mind’s history of past experiences.
Before his final enlightenment,
Ramana also held to this idea. And, from this position and point of
view, he for many years taught programs in personal self-improvement
that dealt with understanding the mind and how it works, and how to
effectively use it to “have,” “do,” and “be,”
whatever you want in this world.
Understand, these processes
of self-improvement do in fact work at the body-mind level to provide
a way to increase the quality and effectiveness of one’s life
situations. But this is not dependable or long lasting, and is therefore
not totally trustworthy for maintaining real and lasting happiness.
This is because these methods are based on a false assumption: that
is, that the person is in fact his body-mind and that these two (the
body and mind) are real entities.
Unfortunately, this false
concept is itself the cause of man’s sorrow. It’s not that
these mind-principles and processes don’t work, and so are what
causes one’s sorrow – no. It is because they do in fact
work! And therefore, when used successfully, can come to be depended
on, strengthening one’s unconscious identification with the body-mind
as being oneself. This keeps one continually believing the body-mind
to be a real entity living in time-space. And so they sustain this age-old
false belief, conviction and assumption that time and space are real
in themselves.
These mental procedures
and processes, which are designed to improve one’s daily experiences,
status or position in life, do work. And when used properly, will provide
a much better standard or quality of life situations. But one must not
forget that a successful life in the world, and even the world itself
with all that it appears to offer, is not the source, cause or location
of real happiness. True happiness is only in the Self. It is
realized and experienced simply by ones recognition and abidance in
the Self. This means that real happiness is not itself found in, nor
does it depend on the world and the people, places, things or situations
occurring in the world.
A few of the processes
that Ramana taught earlier in his life, before his enlightenment, do
comprise special, selected parts of the practical side of AHAM’s
teaching, because they work. Elizabeth and others have proven them to
be genuinely effective. But, it is also recognized they are not
the total picture, nor are they the real truth regarding Real Happiness.
She started using these processes late in 1978 when Ramana shared them
with her, and over time began to demonstrate by her own life and example
that they do work.
Ramana easily recognized
Elizabeth’s ability. He saw her determination and dedication to
effectively live by and conscientiously apply what he had taught her.
And, that she was not only capable of easily and effectively grasping
what she had learned from him, but also demonstrated, dependability,
perseverance, integrity and completion with regard to all of her commitments.
Therefore, he eventually appointed her as AHAM’s Senior Trainer.
Now, AHAM’s Conscious
Curriculum covers all the bases. It is about having completion in all
areas of one’s life… “Sitting” or abiding in
one’s True Self… Neutralizing Negative Past… Conscious
Communication and Relationship… Living Conscious and Clear with
Excellence… eyes open/eyes closed meditation… Conscious
Parenting… and much more!
Continue to view our Program
Catalog for all the details.
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to The Program Catalog