I’ve been a computer programmer for 40 years, and I think the idea that computers may become conscious is complete nonsense. That idea is based on the mistaken belief that consciousness and information processing have a special relationship to each other. Consciousness feels love, pain, fear, heat, desire, disgust, and so forth — none of […]
How I became convinced that Self-realization is not a myth
An episode from my life came up in a comment the other day. It may sound trivial but it made a huge impression on me. I’ll do my best to describe it but it may be one of those things you had to be there to appreciate. In 2005 I spent a few weeks with […]
Sri Mahaprabu could not find the mind
Quoted from Journey of Sri Mahaprabu. Black emphasis is Mahaprabu’s; green is Freddie’s. Then came the words from Karl [Renz], as if he had read Mahaprabu’s mind. “Come on, ask the question!” (He probably saw the smile on my [Mahaprabu’s] face) Mahaprabu: “Myself?” Karl: “Yes! You.” Mahaprabu: “You are telling ‘Drop the mind.’ But how […]
Dream sadhana
I’m writing this post to answer a question that A Ramana Devotee, who wrote this guest article a few years ago, asked recently in a comment. A useful concept before I start: Years ago my friend Jyothi invented the term “imposed sadhana” to describe a spiritual practice that we do without choice. Nisargadatta gave an […]
My thoughts about this blog
For the last couple of days I’ve been trying to start posting again after a hiatus because several people asked me to. I’m having a lot of trouble because the only thing that interests me nowadays is Self-realization and I’m not Self-realized so I can’t write about it. When I say “Self-realization” I mean Ramana’s […]
Muzika on watching the waking state come to us
Reminder: When I write about spiritual teachers I’m not necessarily recommending them or endorsing claims about their states. A couple of weeks ago I happened to listen to one of Ed Muzika’s satsang talks in which he gives a first-hand description of something that Ramana often recommended: noticing the process of waking from deep sleep. […]
Piraro and Wayno
In case you don’t get the joke, people used to chant “What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!” at protest marches against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. A good illustration of Self-enquiry: Cartoons by Dan Piraro and Waymo. See their website Bizzaro.com.
Why I believe in auras
A friend asked today if I believe that some people can see auras. Although I can’t see them, yes I do. Here’s why. This is a true story. When I was a child my father barely survived a heart attack. From that day on I lived with the expectation that at any moment he might […]
My experiment in the New York City subway
The subject of external aids (videos, satsangs, music, chanting, books, etc.) came up in a comment yesterday. These things can be very helpful by reminding us, inspiring us, and transmission. Incidentally, if you’ve never been in a large hall, especially a large wooden hall, where hundreds of people are chanting, try to arrange it at […]
A childhood with Ramana
These two videos with Kitty Osborne, who spent her childhood in Ramana’s ashram, are extraordinary. I thought I knew a lot about Ramana from reading a bazillion books about him but wow, was I missing some major parts of the picture. I cried the whole time I watched these, but there is plenty of food […]