*WORDS OF WISDOM* - 'The real is as it is always': Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi.

It is false to speak of Realization. What is there to realize? The real is as it is always. We are not creating anything new or achieving something which we did not have before. The illustration given in books is this. We dig a well and create a huge pit. The space in the pit or well has not been created by us. We have just removed the earth which was filling the space there. The space was there then and is also there now. Similarly we have simply to throw out all the age-long samskaras, innate tendencies which are inside us. When all of them have been given up, the Self will shine alone.
Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi.

*POINTS TO PONDER* - BHAGAVAN RAMANA MAHARSHI ON AUROBINDO - The state of Atmanishta [being fixed in the Self], devoid of the individual feeling of ‘I’, is the supreme state. In this state there is no room for thinking of objects, nor this feeling of individual being. There is no doubt of any kind in this natural state of being-consciousness-bliss. So long as there is the perception of name and form in oneself, God will appear with form, but when the vision of the formless reality is achieved there will be no modifications of seer, seeing and seen. That vision is the nature of consciousness itself, non-dual and undivided. It is limitless, infinite and perfect.

Sri Aurobindo believes that the human body is not the last on this earth. Establishment in the Self, according to him, is not perfectly attained in a human body, for Self-knowledge does not operate there in its natural way. Therefore the vijnanamaya sarira [the body made of pure knowledge] in which Self-knowledge can work naturally must be brought down on this earth.
M: Self-knowledge can shine very well in the human body, so there is no need of any other body.
Q: Sri Aurobindo believes that the vijnanamaya sarira will not be attacked by disease, will not grow old, and will not die without one’s desire.
M: The body itself is a disease. To wish for a long stay of that disease is not the aim of the jnani. Anyhow, one has to give up identification with the body. Just as the I-am-the-body consciousness prevents one from attaining Self-knowledge, in the same way, one who has got the conviction that he is not the body will become liberated even if he doesn’t desire it.
Q: Sri Aurobindo wants to bring the power of God into the human body.
M: If, after surrendering, one still has this desire, then surrender has not been successful. If one has the attitude, ‘If the higher power is to come down, it must come into my body’, this will only increase identification with the body. Truly speaking, there is no need of any such descent. After the destruction of the I-am-the-body idea, the individual becomes the form of the absolute. In that state, there is no above or below, front or back.
Q: If the individual becomes the form of the absolute, then who will enjoy the bliss of the absolute? To enjoy the bliss of the absolute, we must be slightly separate from it, like the fly that tastes sugar from a little distance.
M: The bliss of the absolute is the bliss of one’s own nature. It is not born, nor has it been created. Pleasure that is created is destroyed. Sugar, being insentient, cannot taste itself. The fly has to keep a little distance to taste it. But the absolute is awareness and consciousness. It can give its own bliss, but its nature cannot be understood without attaining that state.
Q: Sri Aurobindo wants to bring down to earth a new divine race.
M: Whatever is to be attained in the future is to be understood as impermanent. Learn to understand properly what you have now so that there will be no need of thinking about the future.
Q: Sri Aurobindo says that God has created various kinds of worlds and is still going to create a new world.
M: Our present world is not real. Each one sees a different imaginary world according to his imagination, so where is the guarantee that the new world will be real? The jiva [the individual person], the world and God, all of these are relative ideas. So long as there is the individual sense of ‘I’, these three are also there.
From this individual sense of ‘I’, from the mind, these three have arisen. If you stop the mind, the three will not remain, but Brahman alone will remain, as it remains and abides even now. We see things because of an error. This misperception will be rectified by inquiring into the real nature of this jiva. Even if this jiva enters Super mind, it will remain in the mind, but after surrendering the mind, there will be nothing left but Brahman. Whether this world is real or unreal, consciousness or inert, a place of happiness or a place of misery, all these states arises in the state of ignorance. They are not useful after realization.
The state of 'Atmanishta' [being fixed in the Self], devoid of the individual feeling of ‘I’, is the supreme state. In this state there is no room for thinking of objects, nor this feeling of individual being. There is no doubt of any kind in this natural state of being-consciousness-bliss.
So long as there is the perception of name and form in oneself, God will appear with form, but when the vision of the formless reality is achieved there will be no modifications of seer, seeing and seen. That vision is the nature of consciousness itself, non-dual and undivided. It is limitless, infinite and perfect.
When the individual sense of ‘I’ arises in the body, the world is seen. If this sense is absent, who then will see the world?

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

'Sahaja Samadhi' is nothing but the bliss of 'SELF' ( TRUTH-BEING-EXISTENCE- CONSCIOUSNESS and BLISS ); already attained by everybody, unaware of and readily available for those who seek it earnestly: SWAATHMAA RAAMAN

.."IF YOU SEEK IT EARNESTLY..."

There is no greater mystery than this: being Reality ourselves, we seek to gain Reality. Our real nature is liberation. But we imagine we are bound. We thus make strenuous efforts to become free while all the while, we are free. We will be surprised that we were frantically trying to attain something which we have always been and are.

To be the Self that you really are is the only means to realize the bliss that is ever yours. The Self you seek to know is verily yourself. Bliss is not added to your nature, it is merely revealed as your true and natural state. Bliss of the Self is always with you. And you will find it for yourself, if you seek it earnestly.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.” 'That Kingdom is here and now' :(Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in Talk 487).

'Gradations of Sadhana' - "To make the mind subside, there is no adequate means other than inquiry. If controlled by other means, the mind will remain as if subsided, but will rise again".*GURU VACHAKA KOVAI* - RAMANA MAHARSHI.

If, rather than wasting his days, the jiva takes up the practice of vichara with firm resolve, his life will come to possess great excellence. The idea "I am this wretched body" will cease and the sea of surpassing supreme bliss will surge abundantly within him.

Other than superior Atma-Vichara [Self-Enquiry], there exist no other spiritual practices whatsoever that are capable of quelling the mind. If the mind is subjugated by other methods, it will appear to have subsided, but it will revive and rise again.

Bhagavan in 'Who am I?' :

"To make the mind subside, there is no adequate means other than inquiry. If controlled by other means, the mind will remain as if subsided, but will rise again".

-RAMANA MAHARSHI.

'ATMA VICHARA' - That question, ‘Who is the questioner?’, becoming the invincible Brahmastram, will obliterate the appearance of ‘otherness’ that manifests in the darkness of ignorance: Guru Vachaka Kovai v386

The mind should discontinue its habit of perpetually moving outwards in an unlimited way, pointlessly inquiring ‘Who are you?’ and ‘Who is he?’ It should turn within, holding itself as the object [of attention] and without interruption zealously inquire ‘Who am I?’ This alone will confer the ultimate benefit.
Guru Vachaka Kovai v 384

When one unceasingly inquires ‘Who am I?’ with an acute intellect, the body-ego completely perishes through the attention that penetrates to the center of oneself. There, reality will rise and flourish as ‘I-I’, terminating the differences that, like the azure blue of the sky, are mere appearances.
Guru Vachaka Kovai v 385

By means of the question, ‘Who is the one who questions?, all the questions that one asks, which arise through duality, will die at their very source. That question, ‘Who is the questioner?’, becoming the invincible Brahmastram, will obliterate the appearance of ‘otherness’ that manifests in the darkness of ignorance.
Guru Vachaka Kovai v386

And that 'GOD' is one`s own 'SELF' (Truth-Being-Existence-Consciousness and Bliss) ~ Swaathmaaraaman

"All are seeing God always. But they do not know it" (Sri Ramana).

*POINTS TO PONDER* - 'Ramana Maharshi's reply to his mother.

"The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their 'prarabdhakarma' (destiny to be worked out in this life, resulting from the balance sheet of actions in past lives). Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent".

*Glimpses of Self-Realization* - "Ekatma Panchakam" - By Bhagavan 'Ramana Maharshi'

1. Forgetting the Self, mistaking the body for the Self, going through innumerable births and finally finding and being the Self — this is just like waking up from a dream of wandering all over the world.

2. He who asks ‘Who am I?’ although existing as the Self, is like a drunken man who asks about his own identity and whereabouts.

3. When in fact the body is in the Self, to think that the Self is within the insentient body is like thinking that the cinema screen on which a figure is projected is inside the figure.

4. Has the ornament any existence apart from the gold (of which it is made)? Where is the body apart from the Self? The ignorant mistake the body for the Self, but the Jnani, know er of the Self, perceives the Self as the Self.

5. That one Self, the Reality, alone exists for ever. If even the Primal Guru (Adi Guru, Dakshinamurti) revealed it in silence, who can convey it in speech?

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - ACCEPT THAT THE SELF IS ALWAYS REALIZED: The Self is always realized. There is no seeking to realize what is already - always - realized. For you cannot deny your own existence. That existence is consciousness - the Self ~ Ramana Maharshi

D.: If I dive in, I shall find........
M.: But even without diving in, you are That. The ideas of exterior and interior exist only so long as you do not accept your real identity.

D.: But I took the idea from you that you want me to dive in.

M.: Yes, quite right. It was said because you are identifying yourself with the froth and not the water. Because of this confusion the answer was meant to draw your attention to this confusion and bring it home to you. All that is meant is that the Self is infinite inclusive of all that you see. There is nothing beyond It nor apart from It. Knowing this, you will not desire anything; not desiring, you will be content.
The Self is always realized. There is no seeking to realize what is already - always - realized. For you cannot deny your own existence. That existence is consciousness - the Self.

'There is no entity by the name Mind' (Sri Ramana).

The 'Mind' is 'No-mind', when there is constant 'SELF-INQUIRY'.
-SWAATHMAA RAAMAN.

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - And that light is nothing but the self-effulgent light of 'CONSCIOUSNESS' or 'BRAHMAN' - SWAATHMAARAAMAN

Take no notice of the ego and its activities but see only the light behind it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

*POINTS TO PONDER*

*POINTS TO PONDER* - Progress is measured by the degree of removal of the obstacles to understanding that the Self is always realized. So thoughts must be checked by seeking to whom they arise. So you go to their Source ~ 'BHAGAVAN RAMANA MAHARSHI'

"See where from the thought arises. It is the mind. See for whom the mind or intellect functions. For the ego. Merge the intellect in the ego and seek the source of the ego. The ego disappears. ‘I know’ and ‘I do not know’ imply a subject and an object. They are due to duality.

The Self is pure and absolute, One and alone. There are no two selves so that one may know the other. What is duality then? It cannot be the Self which is One and alone. It must be non-Self. Duality is the characteristic of the ego. When thoughts arise duality is present; know it to be the ego, and seek its source.

The degree of the absence of thoughts is the measure of your progress towards Self-Realization. But Self-Realization itself does not admit of progress; it is ever the same. The Self remains always in realization. The obstacles are thoughts. Progress is measured by the degree of removal of the obstacles to understanding that the Self is always realized. So thoughts must be checked by seeking to whom they arise. So you go to their Source.


RAMANA MAHARSHI (TALKS , no 618)

MERGING INTO THE DIVINE SELF - The Self is like a powerful magnet within us. It draws us gradually to Itself, though we imagine we are going to It of our own accord: RAMANA MAHARSHI

The Self is like a powerful magnet within us. It draws us gradually to Itself, though we imagine we are going to It of our own accord:
when we are near enough, It puts and end to our activities, makes us still, and then swallows up our personal current, thus killing our wrong personality. It overwhelms the intellect and over floods the whole being. We think we are meditating upon It and developing towards It, whereas the truth is that we are iron filings and It is the Atman-magnet that is pulling us towards Itself. Thus the process of finding the Self is a form of Divine magnetism.

In direct knowing, you can feel yourself one with the One that exists. The whole body becomes a mere power, a force-current. Your life becomes a needle drawn to a huge mass of magnet; and, as you go deeper and deeper, you become a mere center and then not even that; for you become a mere consciousness. There are no thoughts or cares any longer, they were shattered at the threshold. It is an inundation. You are a mere straw, you are swallowed alive, but it is very delightful. For you become the very thing that swallows you. This is the union of the individual with the Absolute, self with Reality, the loss of ego in the real Self, the destruction of falsehood, the attainment of Truth.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - 'GOD IS NOT INTERESTED IN THOSE WHO PROMOTE THEIR OWN GREATNESS' ~ RAMANA MAHARSHI

‘It is natural for a person to think that he should be well-known to the people of the world and be praised by them. But if this thought is present one cannot attain true greatness or happiness. God is not interested in those who promote their own claims to greatness. One who is not satisfactory to God is an inferior person, not a great one. If anyone dedicates both his mind and his body to God in every possible way, God will make him be famous and praised by people all over the world.’

Bhagavan then supported his remarks by quoting a verse from Vairagya Satakam: ‘O mind, you are thinking how to make the people of the world regard you as great. The ever-existing God alone is the one who bestows bondage and liberation. What is the use of others knowing your greatness? O mind, perform the rare tapas of surrendering to the holy golden feet of God. Then God will make you so great that the world will know your greatness and praise you. Know thus.’

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

*POINTS TO PONDER* - THE JNANI ACTING IN PEACE - RAMANA MAHARSHI

Questioner: Our everyday life is not compatible with such efforts.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Why do you think you are active? Take the gross example of your arrival here. You left home in a cart, took a train, alighted at the railway station here, got into a cart there and found yourself in this ashram. When asked, you say that you traveled here all the way from your town. Is it true? Is it not a fact that you remained as you were and there were movements of conveyances all along the way? Just as those movements are confounded with your own, so also are the other activities. They are not your own, they are God’s activities.

Question: How can cessation of activity (nivritti) and peace of mind be attained in the midst of household duties that are of the nature of constant activity?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: As the activities of the wise man exists only in the eyes of others and not in his own, although he may be accomplishing immense tasks, he really does nothing. Therefore his activities do not stand in the way of inaction and peace of mind. For he knows the truth that all activities take place in his mere presence and that he does nothing. Hence he will remain as the silent witness of all the activities taking place.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

The language of 'BRAHMA-VIDYA' is 'SILENCE' ~Swaathmaaraaman

AT THE FEET OF 'BHAGAVAN RAMANA' - While Bhagavan’s hands were tapping at the brazier thus, his unfathomable look of grace gave one a glimpse of the ‘beyond’ in silence. It was an unforgettable experience ~ Viswanatha Swami

MY first darshan of Bhagavan Sri Ramana was in January, 1921 at Skandashram, which is on the eastern slope of Arunachala and looks like the very heart of the majestic Hill. It is a beautiful quiet spot with a few coconut and other trees and a perennial crystal-clear spring. Bhagavan was there as the very core of such natural beauty.

I saw in him something quite arresting which clearly distinguished him from all others I had seen. He seemed to live apart from the physical frame, quite detached from it. His look and smile had remarkable spiritual charm. When he spoke, the words seemed to come out of an abyss. One could see immaculate purity and non-attachment in him and his movements. I sensed something very refined, lofty and sacred about him. In his vicinity the mind’s distractions were overpowered by an austere and potent calmness and the unique bliss of peace was directly experienced. This I would call Ramana Lahari, ‘the blissful atmosphere of Ramana’. In this ecstasy of grace one loses one’s sense of separate individuality and there remains something grand and all-pervading, all-devouring. This indeed is the spirit of Arunachala which swallows up the whole universe by its gracious effulgence.

There were about ten devotees living with him there, including his mother and younger brother. One of them was Vallimalai Murugar, who for a while every morning sang the Tamil songs of the Tirupugazh with great fervor. These well-known songs, the remarkable outpourings of the famous devotee, Sri Arunagirinathar, are songs in praise of Subrahmanya. When he sang, Bhagavan used to keep time (tala) by tapping with two small sticks on the two rings of an iron brazier of live coal kept in front of him. Fumes of incense spread out in rolls from the brazier, suffused with the subtle holy atmosphere of Bhagavan. While Bhagavan’s hands were tapping at the brazier thus, his unfathomable look of grace gave one a glimpse of the ‘beyond’ in silence. It was an unforgettable experience.

- Viswanatha Swami

*Glimpses of Self-Realization* - Gleanings from 'Srimad Bhagavatham' for the seekers of 'Self-Realization', 'Sahaja Samadhi' and 'Liberation-in-Life': By one's engaging in the processes of demigod worship, austerities, breath control, compassion, bathing in holy places, strict vows, charity and chanting of various mantras, one's mind cannot attain the same absolute purification as that achieved when the unlimited Personality of Godhead appears within one's heart.

O King, in the age of Kali people's intelligence will be diverted by atheism, and they will almost never offer sacrifice to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme spiritual master of the universe. Although the great personalities who control the three worlds all bow down to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the petty and miserable human beings of this age will not do so.

Terrified, about to die, a man collapses on his bed. Although his voice is faltering and he is hardly conscious of what he is saying, if he utters the holy name of the Supreme Lord, he can be freed from the reaction of his actions and achieve the supreme destination. But still people in the age of Kali will not worship the Supreme Lord.

In the Kali-yuga, objects, places and even individual personalities are all polluted. The almighty Personality of Godhead, however, can remove all such contamination from the life of one who fixes the Lord within his mind.

If a person hears about, glorifies, meditates upon, worships or simply offers great respect to the Supreme Lord, who is situated within the heart, the Lord will remove from his mind the contamination accumulated during many thousands of lifetimes.

Although one may practice the mystic yoga system, his actual spiritual advancement is due to the mercy of the Supreme Lord within the heart; it is not directly the result of his austerity and meditation. If one becomes foolishly proud in the name of yoga, his spiritual position becomes ridiculous.

By one's engaging in the processes of demigod worship, austerities, breath control, compassion, bathing in holy places, strict vows, charity and chanting of various mantras, one's mind cannot attain the same absolute purification as that achieved when the unlimited Personality of Godhead appears within one's heart.

Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme Lord Keśava within your heart. Maintain this concentration upon the Lord, and at the time of death you will certainly attain the supreme destination.

My dear King, the Personality of Godhead is the ultimate controller. He is the Supreme Soul and the supreme shelter of all beings. When meditated upon by those about to die, He reveals to them their own eternal spiritual identity.

My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

"HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE"

'Self-Awareness' (ATHMA-SMRUTHI) results in 'Sahaja Samadhi' and 'Liberation-in Life' -SWAATHMAA RAAMAN

Remain aware of your'Self' and all else will be known. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

*POINTS TO PONDER* - Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self Inquiry or through Bhakti-marga (Self-Surrender) ~ Ramana Maharshi.

There are only two ways in which to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to inquire who undergoes this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by it and not the Self, and that the ego is non-existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one’s helplessness and saying all the time: ‘Not I, but Thou, Oh, my Lord’, and giving up all sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Surrender can never be regarded as complete so long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is love of God for the sake of love and for nothing else, not even for the sake of salvation. In other words, complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self inquiry or through Bhakti-marga               (Self-Surrender).

-Ramana Maharshi

'Conscious Immortality' - Conversations with Sri Ramana Maharshi By Paul Brunton and Munagala Venkataramaiah - A little practice in discovering the source of 'I' will make you think differently. Absolute freedom from thoughts is the state conducive to such recognition of the Self. Mind is but an aggregate of thoughts. Once the 'I'-thought has arisen, all other thoughts follow. The 'I'-thought is therefore the root-thought. If the root is eliminated all others are uprooted. Ask yourself 'Who am I?' Find its source. Then all these will vanish and the pure Self will remain - Ramana Maharshi

1. On Daily Life

Q: Has the body any value to the Self?

M: Yes, it is through the body's help that the Self is realized.

Q: What about diet?

M: Food affects the mind. The right food makes it more sattvic. For the practice of any yoga, vegetarianism is absolutely necessary.

Q: What about those not accustomed to a vegetarian diet?

M: Habit is only adjustment to the environment. It is the mind that matters. The fact is that the mind has been trained to think certain foods tasty. Nourishment may be obtained from vegetarian food no less than from flesh. But the realized person's mind is not influenced by the food eaten. However, get accustomed to vegetarianism gradually.

Q: How can we root out the sex idea?

M: By rooting out the false idea of the body being the Self. There is no sex in the Self. Be the real Self, then there will be no trouble with sex.

Q: What is renunciation?

M: Giving up the ego.

Q: Is it not giving up possessions?

M: The possessor too.

Q: I have committed a sexual sin.

M: Even if you have, it does not matter, so long as you do not think afterwards that you have done so. The Self is not aware of any sin and renunciation of sex is internal, not merely of the body.

3. The Practice of Meditation

Q: How can the mind be controlled?

M: There are two methods. One is to see what the mind is, then it will subside. The second is to focus on something else - the predominant idea will eliminate all others. The object is up to the individual.

It is necessary to be aware while controlling thoughts, otherwise it will lead to sleep. Awareness is the chief factor, as indicated by the emphasis on Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, even after Pranayama. Pranayama makes the mind steady and suppresses thoughts. Why is this not enough? Because awareness then is the one necessary factor. Such states are imitated by taking morphine, chloroform etc, but they do not lead to liberation.

Meditation is one approach that will drive away other thoughts. The one thought of God will dominate others. That is concentration. The object of meditation is thus the same as that of vichara.

Q: What is the difference between meditation and Self-Inquiry?

M: Meditation is possible only if the ego is retained; there is the ego and the object meditated upon. This method is indirect. However, if we seek the ego-source, the ego disappears and what remains is the Self. This method is the direct one.

Q: (On another occasion) What is the difference between meditation and vichara?

M: Meditation can be upon an object, external or otherwise. Thus subject and object differ. In vichara, both subject and object are the same - the Self.

5. The Mind

Q: How can the mind be made to go?

M: No attempt should be made to destroy it. To think or wish is in itself a thought. If the thinker is sought, the thoughts will disappear.

Q: Will they disappear by themselves? It seems so difficult.

M: They will disappear because they are unreal. The idea of difficulty is itself an obstacle to realization. It must be overcome. To remain as the Self is not difficult. This thought of difficulty is the chief obstacle. A little practice in discovering the source of 'I' will make you think differently. Absolute freedom from thoughts is the state conducive to such recognition of the Self. Mind is but an aggregate of thoughts.

Q: I begin to ask myself 'Who am I?' and eliminate the body as not 'I', the prana as not 'I', the mind as not 'I' and I am not able to proceed further.

M: Well, that is as far as the intellect goes. Your process is only intellectual. Indeed all the scriptures mention the process only to guide the seeker to know the truth. The truth cannot be directly pointed out, hence this intellectual process. You see, the one who eliminates all the 'not-I' cannot eliminate the 'I'. To say 'I am not this,' or 'I am that', there must be the 'I'. This 'I' is only the ego or the 'I'-thought. Once the 'I'-thought has arisen, all other thoughts follow. The 'I'-thought is therefore the root-thought. If the root is eliminated all others are uprooted. Ask yourself 'Who am I?' Find its source. Then all these will vanish and the pure Self will remain. The 'I' is always there - there is always the feeling of 'I', otherwise could you deny your existence?

The reality of yourself cannot be questioned. The Self is the primal reality. The ordinary person unconsciously takes reality to be their true inner reality plus everything which has come into their consciousness as pertaining to themselves - body, etc. This they have to unlearn.

11. The Guru and Sagehood

Q: Does the guru have to have a human body?

M: Because you identify yourself with your body you ask this question. Find out if you are the body. The Bhagavad Gita says that those who cannot understand the transcendental nature of Sri Krishna are fools, deluded by ignorance. The master appears in order to dispel that ignorance. As Tayumanavar puts it, he appears to dispel a person's ignorance, just as a deer is used as a decoy to capture another deer in the jungle. The master has to appear with a body in order to eradicate our ignorance, the 'I am the body' idea.

Q: Is a teacher necessary?

M: With any kind of physical and mental training we look for a competent teacher - the same rule applies to spiritual matters.

Q: Is a guru needed for spiritual progress?

M: Yes, but the guru is within you; he is one with your own Self.

Q: Is the guru necessary?

M: Yes, the guru is necessary. He shows the road to the Self and carries a light for you. The guru sees all people as the Self. To him there are none who are ignorant; he finds no difference between them and himself.

Q: Is a guru absolutely necessary?

M: So long as duality persists in you, a guru is necessary. Take the guru to be the Self, and yourself to be the individual self. Because you identify yourself with the body you think the guru is also somebody, but you are not the body and neither is the guru. This knowledge that you are the Self and so is the guru is gained by what you call realization.

Q: How can we meet the appointed guru?

M: Intense meditation brings about the consummation. The sage's glance has a purifying effect. If you understand your own reality, the rishi's reality will be clear to you.

There is only one Master and that is the Self. The One Initiator works through all the gurus in the world, thus there is no difference between them and Him. He bestows His teaching and initiation - which is the highest - in silence.

Q: How can one identify a competent guru?

M: By the peace of mind in his presence and by the sense of respect you feel for him.

12. The Self

Q: How can the all-immanent God reside in the Heart?

M: Do we not reside in one place? Do you not say you are in your body? Similarly, God is said to reside in the Heart. The Heart is not one place. Some name is mentioned for the place of God because we think we are in the body. This kind of instruction is meant for those who can appreciate only relative knowledge. Being immanent everywhere, there is no place for God. Because we think we are in the body, we also believe that we are born. However, we do not think of the body, of God, or of a method of realization in our deep sleep. Yet in our waking state, we hold onto the body and think we are in it. Paramatman is that from which the body is born, in which it lives and unto which it revolves. We, however, think that we reside within the body, hence such instruction is given. The instruction means, 'Look within.' The Heart is not physical. Meditation should not be on the right or the left.

Meditation should be on the Self. Everyone knows 'I am'. Who is the 'I'?

It will be neither within nor without, neither on the right nor the left. 'I am,' that is all. The Heart is the center from which everything springs. Because you now see the world, the body etc, it is said that there is a center for them called the Heart. But when actually in it, the Heart is neither in the center nor at the circumference as then there is nothing else.

13. Realization

Q: If 'I' am always here and now, why don't I feel it?

M: That's is the point! Who says that it is not felt? Does the real 'I' say it or the false 'I'? Examine it. You will find it is the wrong 'I'. The wrong 'I' is the obstruction. It has to be removed in order that the true 'I' might not be hidden.

The feeling, 'I have not realized,' is the obstruction to realization. In fact, you are already realized; there is nothing to realize. If there were, it would have to be something new, not existing so far, that would occur sometime in the future.

What has birth will also die. If realization were not eternal it would not be worth having. Therefore, what we seek is not that which must happen afresh. It is only that which is eternal and which is not known, due to obstructions, that is what we seek. Ignorance is the obstruction. Remove it, and all will be well.

The ignorance is identical with the 'I'-thought. Find its source and it will vanish. The 'I'-thought is like a spirit which is not palpable, and it rises up simultaneously with the body, flourishes on it and disappears with it. The body-consciousness is the wrong 'I'. Give it up! This is done by seeking the source of the 'I'. The body does not say 'I am'. It is you who says, 'I am the body.' Find out who this 'I' is. Seeking its source, it will vanish.

Q: What is to be our Sadhana?

M: The sahaja of siddha! Sahaja is the original state so that sadhana amounts to the removal of obstacles for the realization of this abiding truth.

By repeated practice one can become accustomed to turning inwards and finding the Self. One must always and constantly make an effort, until one has permanently realized. Once the effort ceases, the state becomes natural and the Supreme takes possession of the person with an unbroken current. Until it has become permanently natural and your habitual state, know that you have not realized the Self, only glimpsed it.

The soul that realizes the Self may still be connected with a working body, senses, and mind, without identifying itself with that body.

There can be satisfaction only when you reach the source, otherwise there will be restlessness.

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - The inquiry into the source of 'Aham-Vritti' touches the very existence of the ego - RAMANA MAHARSHI

'AHAM' ( I-AM-ness ) AND 'AHAM VRITTI' (EGO)

BHAGAVAN: Self-inquiry by following the clue of 'Aham-Vritti' is just like the dog tracing its master by his scent. The master may be at some distant, unknown place, but that does not at all stand in the way of the dog tracing him. The master’s scent is an infallible clue for the animal, and nothing else, such as the dress he wears, or his build and stature etc., counts. The dog holds on to that scent undistractedly while searching for him, and finally it succeeds in tracing him.

D: Conceding that the 'Aham-Vritti' essentially comprises all the forms of the ego, why should that vritti alone be chosen as the means for Self-inquiry?

M: Because it is the one 'irreducible datum' of your experience; because seeking its source is the only practicable course you can adopt to realize the Self. The ego is said to have a causal body, but how can you make it the subject of your investigation? When the ego adopts that form, you are immersed in the darkness of sleep.

D: But is not the ego in its subtle and causal forms too intangible to be tackled through the inquiry into the source of 'Aham-Vritti' conducted while the mind is awake?

M: No. The inquiry into the source of 'Aham-Vritti' touches the very existence of the ego. Therefore the subtlety of the ego’s form is not a material consideration.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - RAMANA MAHARSHI

The ‘I’ which rises will also subside. That is the individual ‘I’ or the ‘I’- concept. That which does not rise will not subside. It 'IS' and will be for ever. That is the universal ‘I’, the perfect ‘I’, or realization of the Self.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

*Glimpses of Self-Realization* - Realization is nothing to be gained afresh, it is already there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought ‘I have not realized’- RAMANA MAHARSHI

D: How can I attain Self-Realization?
M: Realization is nothing to be gained afresh, it is already
there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought
‘I have not realized’.
Stillness or peace is Realization. There is no moment
when the Self is not. So long as there is doubt or the
feeling of non-realization, the attempt should be
made to rid oneself of these thoughts. They are due
to the identification of the 'Self' with the 'not-Self'.
When the 'not-Self' disappears, the 'Self' alone remains.
To make room, it is enough that the cramping be
removed; room is not brought in from elsewhere.
D: Since Realization is not possible without vasanakshaya,
how am I to realize that State in which the
vasanas are effectively destroyed?
M: You are in that State now!
D: Does it mean that by holding on to the Self, the
vasanas should be destroyed as and when they
emerge?
M: They will themselves be destroyed if you remain as
you are.

-RAMANA MAHARSHI

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - 'EVERYBODY IS A BUDDHA (ENLIGHTENED or SELF-REALIZED) IN DISGUISE, UNAWARE OF - SWAATHMAA RAAMAN

'A Buddha Is Among You'
Spiritual Story by Unknown


The abbot of a once famous Buddhist monastery that had fallen into decline was deeply troubled. Monks were lax in their practice, novices were leaving and lay supporters deserting to other centers. He traveled far to a sage and recounted his tale of woe, of how much he desired to transform his monastery to the flourishing haven it had been in days of yore.

The sage looked him in the eye and said, "The reason your monastery has languished is that the Buddha is living among you in disguise, and you have not honored Him." The abbot hurried back, his mind in turmoil.

The Selfless One was at his monastery! Who could He be? Brother Hua?...No, he was full of sloth. Brother Po?...No, he was too dull. But then the Tathagata was in disguise. What better disguise than sloth or dull- wittedness? He called his monks to him and revealed the sage's words. They, too, were taken aback and looked at each other with suspicion and awe.

Which one of them was the Chosen One?

The disguise was perfect. Not knowing who He was they took to treating everyone with the respect due to a Buddha. Their faces started shining with an inner radiance that attracted novices and then lay supporters.

In no time at all the monastery far surpassed its previous glory.

And that 'STILLNESS' is the 'ZERO-STATION' of 'SELF-REALIZATION', 'SAHAJA SAMADHI' and 'LIBERATION-IN-LIFE. -SWAATHMAARAAMAN

"All that is required to realize the Self is to “Be Still.”
-RAMANA MAHARSHI.

*POINTS TO PONDER* - 'BUDDHA-HOOD' OR 'ENLIGHTENMENT' IS 'TRANSCENDENTAL', BEYOND 'THE MIND' AND 'NO-MIND' - SWAATHMAARAAMAN

'The Most Important Teaching'
(Spiritual Story by Unknown)

A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the great teaching.

One day he met another monk who was traveling through the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the traveler also had studied under the same Zen master. "Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has been very clear about this. He says that his greatest teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind."

*POINTS TO PONDER* - Absolute Reality is the omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, all-pervading , transcendental and self-effulgent 'SELF' (Truth- Being- Existence- Consciousness and Bliss); beyond space, time and causation, unaffected by birth, growth, disease, old age and death; already attained by everybody, unaware of ; manifesting as the phenomenal world, which is nothing but 'pure consciousness with names and forms'. -Swaathmaaraaman.

  Ramana Maharshi on 'REALITY'


Bhagavan: "What is the standard of reality? That alone is real which exists by itself, which reveals itself by itself and which is eternal and unchanging."
-Maharshi’s Gospel, p. 61

Because the nature of Reality is Whole, Self-radiant Existence, transcending time and space, Jnanis will never deem as real this world, which is destroyed by Time’s Wheel.
- Guru Vachaka Kovai v. 65.

To the ignorant, who believe it to be real and revel in it, the world that appears before them is God’s creation, but to the steadfast jnanis, who have known the bondage-free Self by direct experience, it is merely a deluding and binding concept that is wholly mental.
- Guru Vachaka Kovai v. 21

Understand well that the world-scene of empty names and forms, comprising the objects of the five senses perceived in the perfectly pure swarupa, the Supreme Self, is merely the divine sport of the mind-maya that arises as an imaginary idea in that swarupa, being-consciousness.
- Guru Vachaka Kovai v. 22

Question: Are names and forms real?

Bhagavan: You won’t find them separate from adhistana [the substratum]. When you try to get at name and form, you will find reality only. Therefore attain the knowledge of that which is real in all three states [waking, dreaming and sleeping].
-The Power of the Presence, part one, pp. 251-2

Do not get confused by abandoning the state of clarity, the swarupa perspective, and then pursue appearances, taking them to be real. That which appears will disappear, and hence it is not real, but the true nature of the one who sees never ceases to exist. Know that it alone is real.
- Guru Vachaka Kovai v. 25

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - *SAHAJA SAMADHI* IS THE MATURED FORM OF INNER SAMADHI - The True Being can be realized only in samadhi; what was then is also now. Otherwise it cannot be Reality or Ever-present Being. What was in samadhi is here and now too. Hold it and it is your natural condition of Being - Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, no 465

Sri Bhagavan explained to a retired Judge of the High Court some points in the 'Upadesa Saram' as follows:-
(1) Meditation should remain unbroken as a current. If unbroken it is called Samadhi or Kundalini sakti.
(2) The mind may be latent and merge in the Self; it must necessarily rise up again; after it rises up one finds oneself only as ever before. For in this state the mental predispositions are present there in latent form to re manifest under favorable conditions.
(3) Again the mind activities can be completely destroyed. This differs from the former mind, for here the attachment is lost, never to reappear. Even though the man sees the world after he has been in the samadhi state, the world will be taken only at its worth, that is to say it is the phenomenon of the One Reality. The True Being can be realized only in samadhi; what was then is also now. Otherwise it cannot be Reality or Ever-present Being. What was in samadhi is here and now too. Hold it and it is your natural condition of Being. Samadhi practice must lead to it. Otherwise how can nirvikalpa samadhi be of any use in which a man remains as a log of wood? He must necessarily rise up from it sometime or other and face the world. But in 'sahaja samadhi' he remains unaffected by the world.
So many pictures pass over the cinema screen: fire burns away everything; water drenches all; but the screen remains unaffected. The scenes are only phenomena which pass away leaving the screen as it was. Similarly the world phenomena simply pass on before the Jnani, leaving him unaffected.
You may say that people find pain or pleasure in worldly phenomena. It is owing to superimposition. This must not happen. With this end in view practice is made.
Practice lies in one of the two courses: devotion or knowledge. Even these are not the goals. Samadhi must be gained; it must be continuously practiced until 'Sahaja Samadhi' results. Then there remains nothing more to do.

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, no 465
6th March, 1938