*WORDS OF WISDOM*- "Why do you mourn the loss of our parents? I shall tell you where they are; they are only within ourselves and are ourselves.

Ramana Maharshi

Maharshi then read out from the Tamil version of 'Yoga Vasishta' the story of 'Deerga Tapasi' who had two sons, 'Punya' and 'Papa'. After the death of the parents the younger one mourned the loss and the elder brother consoled him as follows: "Why do you mourn the loss of our parents? I shall tell you where they are; they are only within ourselves and are ourselves. For the life-current has passed through innumerable incarnations, births and deaths, pleasures and pains, etc., just as the water current in a river flows over rocks, pits, sands, elevations and depressions on its way, but still the current is unaffected. Again the pleasures and pains, births and deaths, are like undulations on the surface of seeming water in the mirage of the ego. The only reality is the 'Self' from where the 'ego' appears, and runs through thoughts which manifest themselves as the universe and in which the mothers and fathers, friends and relatives appear and disappear. They are nothing but manifestations of the Self so that one's parents are not outside the Self. So there is no reason to mourn. Learn it, realize it and be happy."

(From 'Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi' 16 [19.1.1935])

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - Is it not foolish to hold on to so many efforts and so many disciplines that are said to be necessary for eradicating the non-existent ignorance? ~Ramana Maharshi

T. K. Sundaresa Iyer and Ramana Maharshi

As the days passed, he was often filled with doubts. Once, he asked Bhagavan, “What is that one thing Bhagavan, knowing which all doubts are resolved?” 

Bhagavan replied, “Know the doubter; if the doubter be held, the doubts will not arise. Recognize for certain that all are jnanis, all are realized beings. But only a few are aware of this fact. Therefore, doubts arise. Doubts must be uprooted. This means, that the doubter must be uprooted. When the doubter ceases to exist, no doubts will rise. Here, the doubter means the mind.” 

TKS asked, “What is the method, Bhagavan?”

 Bhagavan answered sharply, “Inquire „Who am I?‟ This investigation alone will remove and uproot the doubter mind and thus establish one in the Self, the transcendental state.”

On another occasion, TKS had another doubt. He was a pundit, a traditional man, who had read many scriptures. Thus, the six chakras, the psychic centres, kundalini and so on, fascinated him. He asked Bhagavan about them and Bhagavan replied, 

“The Self alone is to be realized. Kundalini shakti, visions of God, occult powers and their spell binding displays are all in the Self. Those who speak of these and indulge in these have not realized the Self. Self is in the Heart and is the Heart itself. All other forms of manifestations are in the brain. The brain itself gets its power from the Heart. Remaining in the Heart is realizing the Self. Instead of doing that, to be attracted by brain oriented forms of disciplines and methods is a sheer waste of time. Is it not foolish to hold on to so many efforts and so many disciplines that are said to be necessary for eradicating the non-existent ignorance?”
From Ramana Periya Puranam

*WORDS OF WISDOM*- Sri Ramana Maharshi

There is no one who does not say `I am'. The wrong knowledge of `I am the body' is the cause of all the mischief. This wrong knowledge must go. That is realization. Realization is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage.
The ultimate truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said.

Sri Ramana

Be As You Are

And that 'LORD' is the omnipresent - omnipotent - all pervading - transcendental - self effulgent - 'TRUTH' - BEING - EXISTENCE - CONSCIOUSNESS - and 'BLISS'. ~Swaathmaaraaman

Beyond all speech, beyond all names,
Beyond the subtlest of all subtle things;
Beyond mind, intellect, and the five senses,
The stainless Lord of the universe remains ever One.

~ Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut (2.10) —

*Glimpses of Self-Realization*- 'Ramana Maharshi'

*WORDS OF WISDOM*

*Glimpses of Self-Realization*- Horizontally, religions are mutually exclusive, but not really contradictory. Bhagavan was concerned rather with the vertical mode, the paths to realisation, and therefore his teaching clashed with no religion.

Strictly speaking, 'Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi' was not exclusively a Hindu or subject to Hindu ritual, since Hinduism recognizes that one who is established in constant, conscious identity with the Self is above all religions; he is the mountain peak towards which the various paths converge. Bhagavan had many followers who were not Hindus -- Christians, Muslims, Parsis and others -- and none was ever recommended to change his religion.

A religion involves two modes of activity; what might be called the horizontal and the vertical. Horizontally it harmonizes and controls the life of the individual and society in conformity with its faith and morality, giving opportunity and incentive for a good life leading to a good death. Vertically it provides spiritual paths for those who strive to attain a higher state or realize the ultimate truth during this life on earth. Horizontally, religions are mutually exclusive, but not really contradictory. Bhagavan was concerned rather with the vertical mode, the paths to realisation, and therefore his teaching clashed with no religion. He guided those who would follow him on the most direct and central path, the quest of the Self; and for this any religion could serve as a foundation. He approved of every religion and if some devotees came to him who followed no formal religion, he did not insist they should do so. When asked about the different religious practices, he would stress their deeper meaning, and about different religions their basic unity.

-Source: The Teachings of 'Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi' in His Own Words