Christ, Cross, Crucification, Resurrection and Absolute

The Master gave the true significance of the Christian faith thus:
Christ is the ego.
The Cross is the body.
When the ego is crucified, and it perishes, what survives is the Absolute Being (God), (cf. “I and my Father are one”) and this glorious survival is called Resurrection.

Evolution

Devotee: Does Sri Bhagavan believe in evolution?

Ramana Maharishi: Evolution must be from one state to another. When no differences are admitted, how can evolution arise?

Devotee: Why does Sri Krishna say, “After several rebirths the seeker gains knowledge and thus knows Me.” There must be evolution from stage to stage.

Ramana Maharishi: How does Bhagavad Gita begin?” Neither I was not nor you nor these chiefs, etc.” “Neither it is born, nor does it die, etc.” So there is no birth, no death, no present as you look at it. Reality was, is, and will be. It is changeless. Later Arjuna asked Sri Krishna how he could have lived before Aditya. Then Krishna, seeing Arjuna was confounding Him with the gross body, spoke to him accordingly. The instruction is for the one who sees diversity. In reality there is no bondage nor mukti for himself or for others from the jnani’s standpoint.

How can the desires be rendered weaker?

Devotee: How can the desires be rendered weaker?

Ramana Maharishi: By knowledge. You know that you are not the mind. The desires are in the mind. Such knowledge helps one to control them.

Devotee: But they are not controlled in our practical lives.

Ramana Maharishi: Every time you attempt satisfaction of a desire the knowledge comes that it is better to desist. Repeated reminders of this kind will in due course weaken the desires. What is your true nature? How can you ever forget it? Waking, dream and sleep are mere phases of the mind. They are not of the Self. You are the witness of these states. Your true nature is found in sleep.

What about the reference to duality in practice and unity at the end?

Devotee: What about the reference to duality in practice and unity at the end?

Ramana Maharishi: Some people think that one must begin practice with dualistic idea. It refers to them. They say that there is God; the man must worship and meditate; ultimately the jiva merges into God. Others say that the Supreme Being and the jiva are always apart and never merge into each other. Howsoever it may be at the end, let us not trouble ourselves about it now. All are agreed that the jiva IS. Let the man find out the jiva, i.e., his Self. Then there will be time to find out if the Self should merge in the Supreme, is a part thereof, or remains different from it. Let us not forestall the conclusion. Keep an open mind, dive within and find out the Self. The truth will itself dawn upon you.

There is no greater mystery than this - viz., ourselves being the Reality we seek to gain Reality

Devotee: What is it that is discriminative in action?

Ramana Maharishi: Discrimination will be automatic, intuitive.

Devotee: So Intuition alone matters; Intuition develops also.

Ramana Maharishi: Those who have discovered great Truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. The ego is like one’s shadow thrown on the ground. If one attempts to bury it, it will be foolish. The Self is only one. If limited it is the ego. If unlimited it is Infinite and is the Reality. The bubbles are different from one another and numerous, but the ocean is only one. Similarly the egos are many, whereas the Self is one and only one. When told that you are not the ego, realise the Reality. Why do you still identify yourself with the ego? It is like saying, “Don’t think of the monkey while taking medicine” - it is impossible. Similarly it happens with common folk. When the Reality is mentioned why do you continue to meditate Sivoham or Aham Brahmasmi? The significance must be traced and understood. It is not enough to repeat the bare words or think of them. Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method. Whereas all other methods are done, only retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest. There is no greater mystery than this - viz., ourselves being the Reality we seek to gain Reality. We think that there is something hiding our Reality and that it must be destroyed before the Reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now.

Devotee: So it is a great game of pretending?

Ramana Maharishi: Yes. In Yoga Vasishtha it is said, “What is Real is hidden from us, but what is false, is revealed as true.” We are actually experiencing the Reality only; still, we do not know it. Is it not a wonder of wonders? The quest “Who am I?” is the axe with which to cut off the ego.

Different types of yoga methods and their aim

A Devotee was speaking of yoga method.

Ramana Maharshi remarked: Patanjali’s first sutra is applicable to all systems of yoga. The aim is the cessation of mental activities. The methods differ. So long as there is effort made towards that goal it is called yoga. The effort is the yoga. The cessation can be brought about in so many ways.

(1) By examining the mind itself. When the mind is examined, its activities cease automatically. This is the method of jnana. The pure mind is the Self.
(2) Looking for the source of the mind is another method. The source may be said to be God or Self or consciousness.
(3) Concentrating upon one thought make all other thoughts disappear. Finally that thought also disappears; and
(4) Hatha Yoga.

All methods are one and the same inasmuch as they all tend to the same goal. It is necessary to be aware while controlling thoughts. Otherwise it will lead to sleep. That awareness, the chief factor, is indicated by the fact of Patanjali emphasising pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi even after pranayama. Pranayama makes the mind steady and suppresses thoughts. Then why develop further? Because awareness then is the one necessary factor. Such states can be imitated by taking morphia, chloroform, etc. They do not lead to Moksha because they lack  awareness.

If ‘I’ also be an illusion, who then casts off the illusion?

Devotee: If ‘I’ also be an illusion, who then casts off the illusion?

Ramana Maharishi: The ‘I’ casts off the illusion of ‘I’ and yet remains as ‘I’. Such is the paradox of Self-Realisation. The realised do not see any contradiction in it. Take the case of bhakti - I approach Iswara and pray to be absorbed in Him. I then surrender myself in faith and by concentration. What remains afterwards? In place of the original ‘I’, perfect self-surrender leaves a residuum of God in which the ‘I’ is lost. This is the highest form of devotion (parabhakti), prapatti, surrender or the height of vairagya.  You give up this and that of ‘my’ possessions. If you give up ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ instead, all are given up at a stroke. The very seed of possession is lost. Thus the evil is nipped in the bud or crushed in the germ itself. Dispassion (vairagya) must be very strong to do this. Eagerness to do it must be equal to that of a man kept under water trying to rise up to the surface for his life.

No effort is necessary to stop thoughts whereas one is necessary for bringing about thoughts

Sri Bhagavan referred to the following passage of Gandhiji in the Harijan of the 11th instant:
“How mysterious are the ways of God! This journey to Rajkot is a wonder even to me. Why am I going, whither am I going? What for? I have thought nothing about these things. And if God guides me, what should I think, why should I think? Even thought may be an obstacle in the way of His guidance. “The fact is, it takes no effort to stop thinking. The thoughts do not come. Indeed there is no vacuum - but I mean to say that there is no thought about the mission.”

Devotee: Is not what Gandhiji describes, the state in which thoughts themselves become foreign?

Ramana Maharishi: Yes, It is only after the rise of the ‘I’ thought that all other thoughts arise. The world is seen after you have felt “I am”. The ‘I-thought’ and all other thoughts had vanished for him.

Devotee: Then the body-sense must be absent in that state.

Ramana Maharishi: The body-sense also is a thought whereas he describes the state in which “thoughts do not come”.

Devotee: He also says, “It takes no effort to stop thinking”.

Ramana Maharishi: Of course no effort is necessary to stop thoughts whereas one is necessary for bringing about thoughts.

Devotee: We are trying to stop thoughts. Gandhiji also says that thought is an obstacle to God’s guidance. So it is the natural state. Though natural, yet how difficult to realise. They say that sadhanas are necessary and also that they are obstacles. We get confused.

Ramana Maharishi: Sadhanas are needed so long as one has not realised it. They are for putting an end to obstacles. Finally there comes a stage when a person feels helpless notwithstanding the sadhanas. He is unable to pursue the much-cherished sadhana also. It is then that God’s Power is realised. The Self reveals itself.

Devotee: If the state is natural, why does it not overcome the unnatural phases and assert itself over the rest?

Ramana Maharishi: Is there anything besides that? Does anyone see anything besides the Self? One is always aware of the Self. So It is always Itself.

Devotee: It is said, because It shines forth, It is directly perceived. I understand from it that It becomes pratyaksha (directly perceived), because It is pradeepta (shining). Since it is not realised by us, I take it to be not shining. It is only pradeepta (shining), and hence admits of obstacles and goes under them. If the atma becomes prakarshena deepta, (very shining) it will shine over the rest. So it seems to be necessary to make it shine more.

Ramana Maharishi: How can it be so? The Atma cannot be dull at one moment and blazing at another. It is unchanging and uniform.

Devotee: But Chudala says to Sikhidhvaja that she simply helped to trim the wick.

Ramana Maharishi: That refers to nididhyasana. By sravana, Knowledge dawns. That is the flame. By manana, the Knowledge is not allowed to vanish. Just as the flame is protected by a wind-screen, so the other thoughts are not allowed to overwhelm the right knowledge. By nididhyasana, the flame is kept up to burn bright by trimming the wick. Whenever other thoughts arise, the mind is turned inward to the light of true knowledge. When this becomes natural, it is samadhi. The enquiry “Who am I?” is the sravana. The ascertainment of the true import of ‘I’ is the manana. The practical application on each occasion is nididhyasana. Being as ‘I’ is samadhi.

Devotee: Although we have heard it so often and so constantly yet we are unable to put the teaching into practise successfully. It must be due to weakness of mind. Is it possible that one’s age is a bar?

Ramana Maharishi: The mind is commonly said to be strong if it can think furiously. But here the mind is strong if it is free from thoughts. The yogis  say that realisation can be had only before the age of thirty, but not the jnanis. For jnana does not cease to exist with age. It is true that in the Yoga Vasishta, Vasishta says to Rama in the Vairagya Prakarana “You have this dispassion in your youth. It is admirable.” But he did not say that jnana cannot be had in old age. There is nothing to prevent it in old age. The sadhak must remain as the Self. If he cannot do so, he must ascertain the true meaning of the ‘I’ and constantly revert to it whenever other thoughts arise. That is the practice. Some say that one must know the ‘tat’ because the idea of the world constantly arises to deflect the mind. If the Reality behind it is first ascertained it will be found to be Brahman. The ‘tvam’ is understood later. It is the jiva. Finally there will be jivabrahmaikya (union of the two). But why all this? Can the world exist apart from the Self? The ‘I’ is always Brahman. Its identity need not be established by logic and practice. It is enough that one realises the Self. It is always the Brahman. According to the other school, nididhyasana will be the thought Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman). That is diversion of thought to Brahman. No diversion should be allowed. Know the Self and there is an end of it. No long process is necessary to know the Self. Is it to be pointed out by another? Does not everyone know that he exists? Even in utter darkness when he cannot see his hand, he answers a call and says “I am here”.

Devotee: But that ‘I’ is the ego or the ‘I-thought’ and it is not the Absolute Self that answers the call or is otherwise aware of oneself.

Ramana Maharishi: Even the ego can become aware of itself in the absence of light, sight, etc. Much more so should be the Pure Light of the Self. I am saying that the Self is self-evident. One need not discuss the tattvas to find the Self. Some say there are twenty-four tattvas, others more and so on. Should we know the tattvas, before we admit the existence of the Self? The sastras dilate upon them in order to point out that the Self is untouched by them. But for the seeker he can straightaway admit the Self and try to be That, without having recourse to the study of the tattvas

How to gain peace?

Devotee: Peace is extolled more than anything else. How shall we gain it?

Ramana Maharishi: It is your very nature. Forgetfulness never overtakes the Self. The Self is now confounded with non-self and that makes you speak of forgetfulness of the Self, Peace, etc. Oblivion will never rear up its head if this confusion is put an end to.

Devotee: How is that done?

Ramana Maharishi: Enquiry into the Self. One-pointedness means cessation of mental activities. Forgetfulness must be for the self - well, of what? Of the Self? Are there then two selves? Practice removes the samskaras.

Devotee: But samskaras are infinite and eternal - from beginningless time.

Ramana Maharishi: This itself is a samskara. Give up that idea and all samskaras will disappear at once. That is visranti (repose), santi (peace). Peace is ever present. But you hold it down and rise over it and thus disturb it. Then you say, “I want Peace”.

Devotee: Will Peace be gradual?

Ramana Maharishi: Yes. Make the mind gradually still (Sanaissanaih uparamet) says the Bhagavad Gita.

Tyagaraja

A certain musician came into the hall and began to sing Tyagaraja Kirtanas in Telugu. One of them says: “Find the source of the sound which is transcendental (mooladhara sabda) by diving deep like a pearl-diver diving for pearls.” Then again another song was: “For a man who has controlled his mind where is the use of tapasya? Give up ‘I-am-the-body’ idea and realise ‘I am not; Thou art all’.”

Sri Bhagavan referred to the songs and said: Tyagaraja says well. The mind should be controlled. The question arises “What is mind?” He himself answers in the next couplet, saying that it is the “I-am-the-body” idea. The next question is how the control is effected. He answers again, saying “By complete surrender. Realise that I am not and that all is He.” The song is fine and compact. He also mentions the other method, namely, control of breath.

What are Svadharma and Paradharma?

Devotee: In Srimad Bhagavad Gita there is a passage: One’s own dharma is the best; an alien dharma is full of risks. What is the significance of one’s own dharma?

Ramana Maharishi: It is usually interpreted to mean the duties of the orders and of the different castes. The physical environment must also be taken into consideration.

Devotee: If varnasrama dharma be meant, such dharma prevails only in India. On the other hand the Gita should be universally applicable.

Ramana Maharishi: There is varnasrama in some form or other in every land. The significance is that one should hold on to the single Atman and not swerve therefrom. That is the whole gist of it. sva = one’s own, i.e., of the Self, of the Atman. para = the other’s, i.e., of the non-self, of the anatma. Atma Dharma is inherence in the Self. There will be no distraction and no fear. Troubles arise only when there is a second to oneself. If the Atman be realised to be only unitary, there is no second and therefore no cause for fear. The man, as he is now, confounds the anatma (non-Self) dharma with atma (the Self) dharma and suffers. Let him know the Self and abide in it; there is an end of fear, and there are no doubts. Even if interpreted as varnasrama dharma the significance is only this much. Such dharma bears fruit only when done selflessly. That is, one must realise that he is not the doer, but that he is only a tool of some Higher Power. Let the Higher Power do what is inevitable and let me act only according to its dictates. The actions are not mine. Therefore the result of the actions cannot be mine. If one thinks and acts so, where is the trouble? Be it varnasrama dharma or loukika dharma (worldly activities), it is immaterial. Finally, it amounts to this:
sva = atmanah (of the Self)
para = anaatmanah (of the non-self)
Such doubts are natural. The orthodox interpretation cannot be reconciled with the life of a modern man obliged to work for his livelihood in different capacities.

Devotee: Sarva dharmaan parityajya maamekam saranam vraja (leaving all duties surrender to me only).

Sri Bhagavan: (All) Sarva is only anaatmanah (of the non-self); the emphasis is on ekam (only). To the man who has strong hold of the eka (one) where are the dharmas? It means, “Be sunk in the Self.”

Devotee: The Gita was taught for action.

Ramana Maharishi: What does the Gita say? Arjuna refused to fight. Krishna said, “So long as you refuse to fight, you have the sense of doership. Who are you to refrain or to act? Give up the notion of doership. Until that sense disappears you are bound to act. You are being manipulated by a Higher Power. You are admitting it by your own refusal to submit to it. Instead recognise the Power and submit as a tool. (Or to put it differently), if you refuse you will be forcibly drawn into it. Instead of being an unwilling worker, be a willing one. “Rather, be fixed in the Self and act according to nature without the thought of doership. Then the results of action will not affect you. That is manliness and heroism.”Thus, ‘inherence in the Self’ is the sum and substance of Gita teaching. Finally, the Master Himself added, “If a man be established in the Self these doubts would not arise. They arise only until he is established there.”

Devotee: Then of what use is such reply to the enquirer?

Ramana Maharishi: The words still have force and will surely operate in due course.

How can one be worshipful while engaged in daily work?

Devotee: How can one be worshipful while engaged in daily work?

Sri Bhagavan did not reply. Ten minutes passed. A few girls came for darsan of Sri Bhagavan. They began to sing and dance. Their song was to the effect: “We will churn the milk without losing thought of Krishna.” Sri Bhagavan turned to the Swami and said that there was the reply to his question. This state is called Bhakti, Yoga and Karma.

Why does a man suffer misery?

Devotee: Why does a man suffer misery?

Ramana Maharishi: Misery is due to multifarious thoughts. If the thoughts are unified and centred on a single item there is no misery, but happiness is the result. Then, even the thought, “I do something” is absent; nor will there be an eye on the fruit of action.

Sivananda Lahari

Sri Bhagavan has selected 10 stanzas from the famous work of Sri Sankara - Sivananda Lahari - describing devotion (bhakti):

1. What is bhakti? Just as the falling from the tree rejoins it or a piece of iron is drawn to magnet, so also thoughts, after rising up, lose themselves in their original source. This is bhakti. The original source of thoughts is the feet of the Lord, Isvara. Love of His Feet forms bhakti. (61)
2. Fruit of bhakti:  The thick cloud of bhakti, formed in the transcendental sky of the Lord’s Feet, pours down a rain of Bliss (ananda) and fills the lake of mind to overflowing. Only then the jiva, always transmigrating to no useful end, has his real purpose fulfilled. (76)
3. Where to place bhakti?  Devotion to gods, who have themselves their origin and end, can result in fruits similarly with origin and end. In order to be in Bliss everlasting our devotion must be directed to its source, namely the Feet of the ever blissful Lord. (83)
4. Bhakti is a matter only for experience and not for words:  How can Logic or other polemics be of real use? Can the ghatapatas (favourite examples of the logicians, meaning the pot and the cloth) save you in a crisis? Why then waste yourself thinking of them and on discussion? Stop exercising the vocal organs and giving them pain. Think of the Feet of the Lord and drink the nectar! (6)
5. Immortality is the fruit of Devotion:  At the sight of him who in his heart has fixed the Lord’s Feet, Death is reminded of his bygone disastrous encounter with Markandeya and flees away. All other gods worship only Siva, placing their crowned heads at His feet. Such involuntary worship is only natural to Siva. Goddess Liberation, His consort, always remains part of Him. (65)
6. If only Devotion be there - the conditions of the jiva cannot affect him. However different the bodies, the mind alone is lost in the Lord’s Feet. Bliss overflows! (10)
7. Devotion always unimpaired: Wherever or however it be, only let the mind lose itself in the Supreme. It is Yoga! It is Bliss! Or the Yogi or the Bliss incarnate! (12)
8. Karma Yoga also is Bhakti: To worship God with flowers and other external objects is troublesome. Only lay the single flower, the heart, at the feet of Siva and remain at Peace. Not to know this simple thing and to wander about! How foolish! What misery! (9)
9. This Karma Yoga puts an end to one’s samsara:  Whatever the order of life (asrama) of the devotee, only once thought of, Siva relieves the devotee of his load of samsara and takes it on Himself. (11)
10. Devotion is Jnana:  The mind losing itself in Siva’s Feet is Devotion. Ignorance lost! Knowledge! Liberation! (91)

Silence is never-ending speech

Devotee: Sri Bhagavan’s silence is itself a powerful force. It brings about a certain peace of mind in us.

Ramana Maharishi: Silence is never-ending speech. Vocal speech obstructs the other speech of silence. In silence one is in intimate contact with the surroundings. The silence of Dakshinamurti removed the doubts of the four sages. Mouna vyakhya prakatita tatvam (Truth expounded by silence.) Silence is said to be exposition. Silence is so potent. For vocal speech, organs of speech are necessary and they precede speech. But the other speech lies even beyond thought. It is in short transcendent speech or unspoken words, para vak.

Is it not the occult power marvelous?

A Devotee mentions a yogi in Madras who is said to hold communion with his master in the Himalayas.

Ramana Maharishi: It is not more marvellous than telepathy - so commonly known.  Telepathy cannot exist without the hearer and television without the seer. What is the difference between hearing from far and from near? It is only the hearer who matters. Without the hearer there cannot be hearing; without the seer there cannot be vision.

Is it not the "Quest for Self" selfish?

A Devotee expressed his concern for the misery of the world and his opinion that ‘Quest for Self’ looked selfish in the midst of such suffering environments. His solution appeared to be selfless work.

Ramana Maharishi: The sea is not aware of its wave. Similarly the Self is not aware of its ego.

What is the practice?

Devotee: What is the practice?

Ramana Maharishi: Constant search for ‘I’, the source of the ego. Find out ‘Who am I?’ The pure ‘I’ is the reality, the Absolute Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. When That is forgotten, all miseries crop up; when that is held fast, the miseries do not affect the person.

What is the best of different yogas?

Devotee: Which is the best of the different yogas, Karma, Jnana, Bhakti or Hatha?

Ramana Maharishi: See stanza 10 of “Upadesa Sara”. To remain in the Self amounts to all these in their highest sense.

How to practice meditation and how to reconcile work with meditation?

Devotee: How to practice meditation?

Ramana Maharishi: Keep off thoughts.

Devotee: How to reconcile work with meditation?

Ramana Maharishi: Who is the worker? Let him who works ask the question. You are always the Self. You are not the mind. It is the mind which raises these questions. Work proceeds, always in the presence of the Self only. Work is no hindrance to realisation. It is the mistaken identity of the worker that troubles one. Get rid of the false identity.

What is Life?

Maharishi: Moreover, what is life? Life is existence which is your Self. That is life Eternal. Otherwise can you imagine a time when you are not? That life is now conditioned by the body and you wrongly identify your being with that of the body. You are life unconditioned.

These  bodies attach themselves to you as mental projections and you are now afflicted by ‘I-am-the-body’ idea. If this idea ceases you are your Self. Where or how were you before being born? Were you in sleep? How were you? You exist then too without the body. Then the ego arises, and then the mind which projects the body. ‘I-am the- body’ idea is the result. Because the body exists you say that it was born and that it will die, and transfer the idea to the Self saying that you are born and that you will die. In fact you remain without the body in sleep; but now you remain with the body.

The Self can remain without the body, but the body cannot exist apart from the Self. ‘I-am-the-body’ thought is ignorance; that the body is not apart from the Self is knowledge. That is the difference between knowledge and ignorance. The body is a mental projection, the mind is the ego; and the ego rises from the Self. So the body-thought is distracting and strays away from the Self. For whom is the body or the birth? It is not for the Self, the Spirit. It is for the non-self which imagines itself separate. So long as there is the sense of separation there will be afflicting thoughts. If the original source is regained and the sense of separation is put an end to, there is peace.

Consider what happens when a stone is thrown up. It leaves its source and is projected up, tries to come down and is always in motion until it regains its source, where it is at rest. So also the waters of the ocean evaporate, form clouds which are moved by winds, condense into water, fall as rain and the waters roll down the hill in streams and rivers, until they reach their original source, the ocean, reaching which they are at peace. Thus, you see, wherever there is a sense of separateness from the source there is agitation and movement until the sense of separateness is lost.

So it is with yourself. Now that you identify yourself with the body you think that you are separate from the Spirit - the  true Self. You must regain your source before the false identity ceases and you are happy.  Gold is not an ornament, but the ornament is nothing but gold. Whatever shape the ornament may assume and however different the ornaments are, there is only one reality, namely gold. So also with the bodies and the Self.

The single reality is the Self. To identify oneself with the body and yet to seek happiness is like attempting to cross a river on the back of an alligator. The body identity is due to extroversion and the wandering of the mind. To continue in that state will only keep one in an endless tangle and there will be no peace. Seek your source, merge in the Self and remain all alone. Rebirth means discontent with the present state, and desire to be born where there will be no discontent. Births, being of the body, cannot affect the Self. The Self remains over even after the body perishes. The discontent is due to the wrong identity of the Eternal Self with the perishable body. The body is a necessary adjunct of the ego. If the ego is killed the eternal Self is revealed in all its glory.

The body is the Cross. Jesus, the son of man, is the ego or ‘I am-the-body’ idea. When he is crucified, he is resurrected as the Glorious Self - Jesus, the Son of God! — “Give up this life if thou wouldst live”

Jnani's and Ajnani's disposition towards the body

Ramana Maharishi: The Jnani says, “I am the body”; The ajnani says, “I am the body”; what is the difference? ‘I am’ is the truth. The body is the limitation. The ajnani limits the ‘I’ to the body. ‘I’ remains independent of the body in sleep. The same ‘I’ is now in the wakeful state. Though imagined to be within the body, ‘I’ is without the body. The wrong notion is not ‘I am the body.’ ‘I’ says so. The body is insentient and cannot say so. The mistake lies in thinking that ‘I’ is what ‘I’ is not. ‘I’ is not insentient. ‘I’ cannot be the inert body. The body’s movements are confounded with ‘I’ and misery is the result. Whether the body works or not, ‘I’ remains free and happy. The ajnani’s ‘I’ is the body only. That is the whole error. The jnani’s ‘I’ includes the body and everything else. Clearly some intermediate entity arises and gives rise to the confusion.

What is the best Japa?

A Devotee asked about japa

Ramana Maharishi: The utterance and then remembrance and later meditation are the successive stages finally ending in involuntary and eternal japa. The japakarta (doer of japa) of that kind is the Self. Of all the japas, ‘Who am I?’ is the best.

Two kinds of Ignorance

Ramana Maharishi: Ignorance - ajnana - is of two kinds:

1. Forgetfulness of the Self.
2. Obstruction to the knowledge of the Self.

Aids are meant for eradicating thoughts; these thoughts are the re-manifestations of predispositions remaining in seed-form; they give rise to diversity from which all troubles arise. These aids are: hearing the truth from the master (sravana), etc. The effects of sravana may be immediate and the disciple realises the truth all at once. This can happen only for the well-advanced disciple.

Otherwise, the disciple feels that he is unable to realise the truth, even after repeatedly hearing it. What is it due to? Impurities in his mind: ignorance, doubt and wrong identity are the obstacles to be removed.

1. To remove ignorance completely, he has to hear the truth repeatedly, until his knowledge of the subject-matter becomes perfect;
2. To remove doubts, he must reflect on what he has heard; ultimately his knowledge will be free from doubts of any kind;
3. To remove the wrong identity of the Self with the non-self (such as the body, the senses, the mind or the intellect) his mind must become one-pointed.

All these things accomplished, the obstacles are at an end and samadhi results, that is, Peace reigns. Some say that one should never cease to engage in hearing, reflection and one-pointedness. These are not fulfilled by reading books, but only by continued practice to keep the mind withdrawn. The aspirant may be kritopasaka or akritopasaka. The former is fit to realise the Self, even with the slightest stimulus: only some little doubt stands in his way, it is easily removed if he hears the truth once from the Master. Immediately he gains the samadhi state. It is presumed that he had already completed sravana, reflection, etc. in previous births, they are no more necessary for him. For the others, all these aids are necessary; for him doubts crop up even after repeated hearing; therefore he must not give up aids until he gains the samadhi state. Sravana removes the illusion of the Self being one with the body, etc. Reflection makes it clear that Knowledge is Self. One pointedness reveals the Self as being Infinite and Blissful.

Why do religions speak of Gods, heaven, hell, etc.?

Devotee: Why do religions speak of Gods, heaven, hell, etc.?

Maharishi: Only to make the people realise that they are on a par with this world and that the Self alone is real. The religions are according to the view-point of the seeker. Take the Bhagavad Gita for instance: When Arjuna said that he would not fight against his own relatives, his elders,  etc., in order to kill them and gain the kingdom, Sri Krishna said, “Not that these, you or I, were not before, are not now, nor will not be hereafter. Nothing was born, nothing was dead, nor will it not be so hereafter” and so on. Later as he developed the theme and declared that He had given the same instruction to the Sun, through him to Ikshvaku, etc. Arjuna raised the doubt, “How could it be? You were born a few years ago. They lived ages ago.” Then Sri Krishna understanding Arjuna’s standpoint, said: “Yes. There have been so many incarnations of myself and yourself, I know them all but you do not know.” Such statements appear contradictory, but still they are correct according to the viewpoint of the questioner. The Christ also declared that He was even before Abraham.

Devotee: What is the purpose of such descriptions in religions?

Maharishi: Only to establish the Reality of the Self.

Devotee: Bhagavan always speaks from the highest standpoint.

Sri Bhagavan (with a smile): People would not understand the simple and bare truth - the truth of their every day, ever-present and eternal experience. That Truth is that of the Self. Is there anyone not aware of the Self? They would not even like to hear it (the Self), whereas they are eager to know what lies beyond - heaven, hell, reincarnation. Because they love mystery and not the bare truth, religions pamper them - only to bring them round to the Self. Wandering hither and thither you must return to the Self only. Then, why not abide in the Self even here and now? The other worlds require the Self as a spectator or speculator. Their reality is only of the same degrees as that of the spectator or thinker.  They cannot exist without the spectator, etc. Therefore they are not different from the Self. Even the ignorant man sees only the Self when he sees objects. But he is confused and identifies the Self with the object, i.e., the body and with the senses and plays in the world. Subject and object - all merge in the Self. There is no seer nor objects seen. The seer and the seen are the Self. There are not many selves either. All are only one Self.

Does happiness depend on external causes and possessions?

Maharishi: If a man thinks that his happiness is due to external causes and his possessions, it is reasonable to conclude that his happiness must increase with the increase of possessions and diminish in proportion to their diminution. Therefore if he is devoid of possessions, his happiness should be nil. What is the real experience of man? Does it conform to this view?  In deep sleep the man is devoid of possessions, including his own body. Instead of being unhappy he is quite happy. Everyone desires to sleep soundly. The conclusion is that happiness is inherent in man and is not due to external causes. One must realise his Self in order to open the store of unalloyed happiness.

How long is a Guru necessary for Self-Realisation?

Devotee: How long is a Guru necessary for Self-Realisation?

Maharishi: Guru is necessary so long as there is the laghu. (Pun on Guru = heavy; laghu = light). Laghu is due to the self-imposed but wrong limitation of the Self.  God, on being worshipped, bestows steadiness in in devotion which leads to surrender.  On the devotee surrendering, God shows His mercy by manifesting as the Guru. The Guru, otherwise God, guides the devotee, saying that God is in you and He is the Self. This leads to introversion of the mind and finally to realisation.  Effort is necessary up to the state of realisation. Even then the Self should spontaneously become evident. Otherwise happiness will not be complete. Up to that state of spontaneity there must be effort in some form or another.

What are Gunas - Satva, Rajas and Tamas?

Maharishi:Satva is the light, Rajas is the subject, and Tamas is the object.  Even the satva light is only reflected light. Were it pure, original Light, there would be no modification in it. The manokasa (mind-ether) is reflected as bhootakasa (element-ether) and objects are seen as being separate from the subject.

Why are there good and evil?

Devotee: Why are there good and evil?

Maharishi: They are relative terms. There must be a subject to know the good and evil. That subject is the ego. Trace the source of the ego. It ends in the Self. The source of the ego is God. This definition of God is probably more concrete and better understood by you.

Where is God?

Maharishi:Asked if ‘I’ is not directly perceived, they get confused, because ‘I’ does not announce itself as an object in front and only the perception with the senses can be recognised by them as knowledge: this habit is so strong with them. A stanza in Thevaram says: “O sages, eager to get over all misery, worry not about inferences and examples! Our Light is ever shining forth from within! With mind clear, live in God!” This is direct perception. Will the common people admit it? They want God to appear in front of them as a bright Being mounted on a bull. Such a vision once originated must also end. It is therefore transient. Thevaram speaks of the Eternal and Ever-experienced Being. This Thevaram takes one directly to the Reality.

How to get rid of fear?

Devotee: How to get rid of fear?

Maharishi: What is fear? It is only a thought. If there is anything besides the Self there is reason to fear. Who sees the second (anything external)? First the ego arises and sees objects as external. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second (nothing external). For anything external to oneself implies the seer within. Seeking it there will arise no doubt, no fear - not only fear, all other thoughts centred round the ego will disappear along with it.

Are you in the house or is the house in you?

Devotee: I have no pleasure in the house. There remains nothing for me to do in the family. I have finished doing what I had to do. Now there are grandsons and granddaughters. May I remain in the house, or should I leave it and go away?

Maharishi: You should stay just where you are now. But where are you now? Are you in the house, or is the house in you? Is there any house apart from you? If you get fixed in your own place, you will see all things have merged into you, and there will be no cause for such questions as these.

Devotee: Yes. Then it seems as if I may remain at home.

Maharishi: You must remain in your real state.

Unenduring Peace and the nature of Self

A Devotee said that he felt peace in His presence which lasts some time after. He added: “Why is it not enduring?”

Maharishi: That Peace is the Real nature. Contrary ideas are only superimpositions. This is true bhakti, true Yoga, true Jnana. You may say that this peace is acquired by practice. The wrong notions are given up by practice. This is all. Your true nature always persists. These flashes are only signs of the ensuing revelation of the Self. In reply to the first question Bhagavan said: The Heart is the Self. It is not within or without. The mind is Its sakti. After the emergence of the mind, the universe appears and the body is seen to be contained in it. Whereas all these are contained in the Self and they cannot exist apart from the Self.

Birth and Death of (false) I

Maharishi: An ‘I’ rises forth with every thought and with its disappearance that ‘I’ disappears too. Many ‘I’s are born and die every moment. The subsisting mind is the real trouble. That is the thief according to Janaka. Find him out and you will be happy.

Wisdom transcends Destiny and Free-will

Maharshi: Free-will and destiny are ever-existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned with it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free-will and Destiny last as long as the body lasts. But wisdom (jnana) transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Should anything happen, it happens as the result of one’s past actions, of divine will and of other factors.

Birth and Death

Maharishi: The birth of the ‘I-thought’ is one’s own birth, its death is the person’s death. After the ‘I-thought’ has arisen the wrong identity with the body arises. Thinking yourself the body, you give false values to others and identify them with bodies. Just as your body has been born, grows and will perish, so also you think the other was born, grew up and died. Did you think of your son before his birth? The thought came after his birth and persists even after his death. Inasmuch as you are thinking of him he is your son. Where has he gone? He has gone to the source from which he sprang. He is one with you. So long as you are, he is there too. If you cease to identify yourself with the body, but see the real Self, this confusion will vanish. You are eternal. The others also will similarly be found to be eternal. Until this truth is realised there will always be this grief due to false values arising from wrong knowledge and wrong identity.

Nature of the Reality

Devotee: What is the nature of the Reality?

Maharishi: 
(a) Existence without beginning or end - eternal.
(b) Existence everywhere, endless, infinite.
(c) Existence underlying all forms, all changes, all forces, all matter and all spirit.  The many change and pass away (phenomena), whereas the One  always endures (noumenon).
(d) The one displacing the triads, i.e., the knower, the knowledge and the known. The triads are only appearances in time and space, whereas the Reality lies beyond and behind them. They are like a mirage over the Reality. They are the result of delusion.

God and the Self

Devotee: How shall I realise God?

Maharishi: God is an unknown entity. Moreover He is external. Whereas, the Self is always with you and it is you. Why do you leave out what is intimate and go in for what is external?

Devotee: What is this Self again?

Maharishi: The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. Of all the definitions of God, none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement “I AM THAT I AM” in EXODUS (Chap. 3). There are other statements, such as Brahmaivaham, Aham Brahmasmi and Soham. But none is so direct as the name JEHOVAH = I AM. The Absolute Being is what is - It is the Self. It is God. Knowing the Self, God is known. In fact God is none other than the Self

Attitude towards the world and the way to perform actions

Devotee: Should we understand the world as transient (anitya)?

Maharishi: Why so? Because you are now considering it to be permanent (nitya) the Scriptures tell you that it is not so in order to wean you from wrong ideas. This should be done by knowing yourself to be eternal (nitya) and not by branding the world as transitory (anitya).

Devotee: We are told to practise indifference (udasina) which is possible only if the world is unreal.

Maharishi: Yes. Oudasinyam abhipsitam. Indifference is advised. But what is it? It is absence of love and hatred. When you realise the Self on which these phenomena pass, will you love or hate them? That is the meaning of indifference.

Devotee: That will lead to want of interest in our work. Should we do our duty or not?

Maharishi: Yes - certainly. Even if you try not to do your duty you will be perforce obliged to do it. Let the body complete the task for which it came into being. Sri Krishna also says in the Gita, whether Arjuna liked it or not he would be forced to fight. When there is work to be done by you, you cannot keep away; nor can you continue to do a thing when you are not required to do it, that is to say, when the work allotted to you has been done. In short, the work will go on and you must take your share in it - the share which is allotted to you.

Devotee: How is it to be done?

Maharishi: Like an actor playing his part in a drama - free from love or hatred.

Desire and Acceptance of Equanmity

Devotee: Is it bad to desire something?

Maharishi: One should not be elated on having his desire fulfilled or disappointed on being frustrated To be elated on the fulfilment of desire is so deceitful. A gain will certainly be lost ultimately. Therefore elation must end in pain at a future date. One should not give place to feelings of pleasure or pain, come what may. How do the events affect the person? You do not grow by acquiring something nor wither away by losing it. You remain what you always are.

Devotee: We worldly men cannot resist desire.

Maharishi: You may desire but be prepared for any eventuality. Make effort, but do not be lost in the result. Accept with equanimity whatever happens. For pleasure and pain are mere mental modes. They have no relation to the objective realities.

Devotee: How?

Maharishi: There were two young friends in a village in South India. They were learned and wanted to earn something with which they might afford relief to their respective families. They took leave of their parents and went to Benares on a pilgrimage. On the way one of them died. The other was left alone. He wandered for a time, and in the course of a few months he made a good name and earned some money. He wanted to earn more before he returned to his home. In the meantime he met a pilgrim who was going south and would pass through the native village of the young pandit. He requested the new acquaintance to tell his parents that he would return after a few months with some funds and also that his companion had died on the way. The man came to the village and found the parents. He gave them the news, but changed the names of the two men. Consequently the parents of the living man bemoaned his supposed loss and the parents of the dead man were happy expecting the return of their son bringing rich funds as well. You see therefore that pleasure and pain have no relation to the actualities but are mere mental modes.

Wage-earning activity and just Be-ing

Maharishi:  .....The Self is only Be-ing, not being this or that. It is simple Being. Be - and there is an end of the ignorance. Enquire for whom is the ignorance. The ego arises when you wake up from sleep. In deep sleep you do not say that you are sleeping and that you are going to wake up or that you have been sleeping so long. But still you are there. Only when you are awake you say that you have slept. Your wakefulness comprises sleep also in it. Realise your pure Be-ing. Let there be no confusion with the body. The body is the result of thoughts. The thoughts will play as usual, but you will not be affected. You were not concerned with the body when asleep; so you can always remain.

Devotee: How can anyone reconcile such activity with the wage-earning which is a necessity for worldly people?

Maharishi:  Actions form no bondage. Bondage is only the false notion. “I am the doer.” Leave off such thoughts and let the body and senses play their role, unimpeded by your  interference.

Atma and Paramatma Realization

Mr. N. Subba Rao: The Visishtadvatins say that Atma Sakshatkara (Self-Realisation) is preliminary to Paramatma Sakshatkara (God-Realisation). The difficulty seems to be considerable.

Maharishi: What is Atma Sakshatkara? Are there two Atmas that one realises the other? There are not two selves. First get Atma Sakshatkara and then judge what follows.

Devotee: The Bhagavad Gita says there is God whose body is made up of all the souls.

Maharishi: All are agreed on the annihilation of the ego. Let us get to business on the agreed point. Nanajivatva (different individualities) are mentioned by some Advaitins also. All that is immaterial to one’s spiritual uplift. First realise the Self and then see what lies further.