Devotee: What is the difference between meditation (dhyana) and investigation (vichara)?
Ramana Maharishi: Both amount to the same. Those unfit for investigation must practise meditation. In this practice the aspirant forgetting himself meditates ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am Siva’; thus he continues to hold to Brahman or Siva; this will ultimately end on the residual Being as Brahman or Siva which he will realise to be Pure Being, i.e. the Self. He who engages in investigation starts holding on to himself, asks ‘Who am I?’ and the Self becomes clear to him.
Ramana Maharishi: Both amount to the same. Those unfit for investigation must practise meditation. In this practice the aspirant forgetting himself meditates ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am Siva’; thus he continues to hold to Brahman or Siva; this will ultimately end on the residual Being as Brahman or Siva which he will realise to be Pure Being, i.e. the Self. He who engages in investigation starts holding on to himself, asks ‘Who am I?’ and the Self becomes clear to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment