How to know the ‘Real I’ as distinct from the ‘false I’?

Devotee:  How to know the ‘Real I’ as distinct from the ‘false I’?

Ramana Maharishi:  Is there anyone who is not aware of himself? Each one knows, but yet does not know, the Self.  A strange paradox.  The Master added later, “If the enquiry is made whether mind exists, it will be found that mind does not exist. That is control of mind.  Otherwise, if the mind is taken to exist and one seeks to control it, it amounts to mind controlling the mind, just like a thief turning out to be a policeman to catch the thief, i.e., himself. Mind persists in that way alone, but eludes itself.”

Bliss and misery are only modes of mind; but the weak mode is not easily interchangeable with the strong mode.

Ramana Maharishi:  The essence of mind is only awareness or consciousness. When the ego, however, dominates it, it functions as the reasoning, thinking or sensing faculty. The cosmic mind being not limited by the ego, has nothing separate from itself and is therefore only aware. This is what the Bible means by “I am that I AM”. The ego-ridden mind has its strength sapped and is too weak to resist the torturing thoughts. The egoless mind is happy in deep, dreamless sleep. Clearly therefore Bliss and misery are only modes of mind; but the weak mode is not easily interchangeable with the strong mode. Activity is weakness and consequently miserable; passivity is strength and therefore blissful. The dormant strength is not apparent and therefore not availed of.  The cosmic mind, manifesting in some rare being, is able to effect the linkage in others of the individual (weak) mind with the universal (strong) mind of the inner recess. Such a rare being is called the GURU or God in manifestation.

Bring sleep into the waking state (jagrat sushupti) and you will be all right.

Devotee:  But I am imperfect.

Ramana Maharishi:  Why bring in imperfection? Why are you not perfect? Did you feel imperfection in your sleep? Why do you not remain so even now? Bring sleep into the waking state (jagrat sushupti) and you will be all right. Ya nisa sarva bhootanam ... pasyato muneh … (That which is night for the ignorant is day for the wise).

All that is immaterial to one’s spiritual uplift. First realise the Self and then see what lies further.

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

Ramana 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.

Ramana 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.

Ramana Maharishi:  There are three methods of approach in Advaita vada.
(1) The ajatavada is represented by no loss, no creation, no one bound, no sadhaka, no one desirous of liberation, no liberation. This is the Supreme Truth. (Mandukya Karika, II - 32). According to this, there is only One and it admits of no discussion.
(2) Drishti Srishtivada is illustrated thus:- Simultaneous creation. There  are two friends sleeping side by side. One of them dreams that he goes to Benares with his friend and returns. He tells his friend that both of them have been in Benares. The other denies it. That statement is true from the standpoint of one and the denial from that of the other.
(3) Srishti Drishtivada is plain (Gradual creation and knowledge of it).

How do we know that action is ours or not?

Devotee:  “How do we know that action is ours or not?”

Ramana Maharishi:  If the fruits of actions do not affect the person he is free from action.

What does samyamana mean in Patanjali Yoga Sutra?

Devotee:  What does samyamana mean in Patanjali Yoga Sutra?

Ramana Maharishi:  One-pointedness of mind.

Devotee:  By such samyamana in the Heart, chitta samvit is said to result. What does it mean?

Ramana Maharishi:  Chitta samvit is Atma jnana i.e., Knowledge of the Self.

After the substratum is held what does it matter if the world appears or disappears?

Devotee:  Is the jagat (world) perceived even after Self-Realization?

Ramana Maharishi:  From whom is this question? Is it from a Jnani or from an ajnani?

Devotee:  From an ajnani.

Ramana Maharishi:  Realise to whom the question arises. It can be answered if it arises after knowing the doubter. Can the jagat or the body say that it is? Or does the seer say that the jagat or the body is? The seer must be there to see the objects. Find out the seer first. Why worry yourself now with what will be in the hereafter?

Sri Bhagavan continued: vWhat does it matter if the jagat is perceived or not perceived? Have you lost anything by your perception of jagat now? Or do you gain anything where there is no such perception in your deep sleep? It is immaterial whether the world is perceived or not perceived. The ajnani sees the Jnani active and is confounded. The jagat is perceived by both; but their outlooks differ. Take the instance of the cinema. There are pictures moving on the screen. Go and hold them. What do you hold? It is only the screen. Let the pictures disappear. What remains over? The screen again. So also here. Even when the world appears, see to whom it appears. Hold the substratum of the ‘I’. After the substratum is held what does it matter if the world appears or disappears? The ajnani takes the world to be real; whereas the Jnani sees it only as the manifestation of the Self. It is immaterial if the Self manifests itself or ceases to do so.

The Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only.

Devotee:  This method seems to be quicker than the usual one of cultivating qualities alleged necessary for salvation (sadhana chatushtaya)?

Ramana Maharishi:  Yes. All bad qualities centre round the ego.  When the ego is gone Realisation results by itself. There are neither good nor bad qualities in the Self.  The Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only. It is beyond quality.  If there is unity, there will also be duality. The numeral one gives rise to other numbers.  The truth is neither one nor two.  IT is as it is.

We have forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is that wrong identity that gives rise to misery

Devotee:  There is more pleasure in dhyana than in sensual enjoyments. Yet the mind runs after the latter and does not seek the former. Why is it so?

Ramana Maharishi:  Pleasure or pain are aspects of the mind only. Our essential nature is happiness. But we have forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is that  wrong identity that gives rise to misery What is to be done? This vasana is very ancient and has continued for innumerable past births. Hence it has grown strong. That must go before the essential nature, viz., happiness, asserts itself.

Whenever thoughts arise remember they are all modes of Perumal and they cannot be otherwise, this is enough; this is the surrender of the mind.

Devotee:  How long will it be before Self-Realisation?

Ramana Maharishi:  First know what Self means and also what Realisation means: then you will know all.

Devotee:  The mind must realise in the Heart.

Ramana Maharishi:  Be it so. What is mind?

Devotee:  Mind, Heart are all avatars of Perumal (Vaishnavite term for incarnate God).

Ramana Maharishi:  If so no need to worry ourselves.

Devotee:  On this basis how can we realise?

Ramana Maharishi:  Surrender the mind to Perumal (God). His avatar cannot remain independent of Him. Render unto Him what is His and be happy.

Devotee:  How to do so?

Ramana Maharishi:  How is the mind known to us? Owing to its activities, namely, thoughts. Whenever thoughts arise remember they are all modes of Perumal and they cannot be otherwise, this is enough; this is the surrender of the mind. Can anything exist independent of Perumal? All is Perumal alone. He acts through all. Why worry ourselves?

If you are the body there is the gross world also. If you are spirit all is spirit alone.

Devotee:  Why is the world so wrapped up in ignorance?

Ramana Maharishi:  Take care of yourself. Let the world take care of itself. See your Self. If you are the body there is the gross world also. If you are spirit all is spirit alone.

Devotee:  It will hold good for the individual, but what of the rest?

Ramana Maharishi:  Do it first and then see if the question arises afterwards.

The ever-present Self needs no efforts to be realised, Realisation is already there. Illusion alone is to be removed.

Ramana Maharishi:  Everyone is aware of the eternal Self. He sees so many dying but still believes himself eternal. Because it is the Truth. Unwillingly then natural Truth asserts itself. The man is deluded by the intermingling of the conscious Self with the insentient body. This delusion must end.

Devotee:  How will it end?

Ramana Maharishi:  That which is born must end. The delusion is only concomitant with the ego. It rises up and sinks. But the Reality never rises nor sinks. It remains Eternal. The master who has realised says so; the disciple hears, thinks over the words and realises the Self. There are two ways of putting it. The ever-present Self needs no efforts to be realised, Realisation is already there. Illusion alone is to be removed. Some say the word from the mouth of the Master removes it instantaneously. Others say that meditation, etc., are necessary for realisation. Both are right; only the standpoints differ.

How meditation could become steady?

Devotee:  How meditation could become steady?

Ramana Maharishi:  What is meditation? It consists in expulsion of thoughts. All the present troubles are due to thoughts and are themselves thoughts. Give up thoughts. That is happiness and also meditation.

Devotee:  How are thoughts given up?

Ramana Maharishi:  The thoughts are for the thinker. Remain as the Self of the thinker and there is an end of thoughts.

So long as one does not think of samsara, he is not a samsari

Devotee:  Can a sanyasi remain in the midst of samsara?

Ramana Maharishi:  So long as one thinks that he is a sanyasi, he is not one, so long as one does not think of samsara, he is not a samsari; on the other hand he is a sanyasi.

The Master is not outside you as you seem to imagine. He is within, is in fact the Self.

Ramana Maharishi:  The Master is not outside you as you seem to imagine. He is within, is in fact the Self. Recognise this truth. Seek within you and find Him there. Then you will have constant communion with Him. The message is always there; it is never silent; it can never forsake you: nor can you ever move away from the Master.
Your mind is outgoing. Because of that tendency it sees objects as being outside and the Master among them. But the Truth is different. The Master is the Self. Turn the mind within and you will find the objects within. You will also realise that it is the Master who is your very Self and there is nothing but Him. Because you identify yourself with the body you have accepted objects as being outside you. But are you the body? You are not. You are the Self. There are all the objects and the whole universe. Nothing can escape the Self. How then can you move away from the Master who is your very Self? Suppose your body moves from place to place; does it ever move away from your Self? Similarly, you can never be without the Master.
…..
The Master being the Self. Grace is inseparable from the Self.

The circuit round the temple of Arunachala is equally good; and selfcircuit (i.e., turning round and round) is as good as the last.

Ramana Maharshi:  Pradakshina (the Hindu rite of going round the object of worship) is “All is within me.” The true significance of the act of going round Arunachala is said to be as effective as circuit round the world. That means that the whole world is condensed into this Hill. The circuit round the temple of Arunachala is equally good; and selfcircuit (i.e., turning round and round) is as good as the last. So all are contained in the Self. Says the Ribhu Gita: “I remain fixed, whereas innumerable universes becoming concepts within my mind, rotate within me. This meditation is the highest circuit (pradakshina).”

See for whom the blankness appears.

Devotee:  “There is a blankness intervening,” it is said in the book.

Ramana Maharishi:  Yes. Do not stop there. See for whom the blankness appears.

Devotee:  For devotees there is no blankness, it is said.

Ramana Maharishi:  Even there, there is the latent state, laya; the mind wakes up after some time.

Leave the thought-free state to itself.

Devotee:  The difficulty is to be in the thought-free state.

Ramana Maharishi:  Leave the thought-free state to itself. Do not think of it as pertaining to you. Just as when you walk, you involuntarily take steps, so too in your actions; but the thought-free state is not affected by your actions.

Experience is non-terminal, eternal

Sri Bhagavan said: “How do you say ‘I am’? Do you take a light to find yourself? Or did you come to know it on reading books? How?”

The questioner said: “By experience.”

Ramana Maharishi:  Yes. Experience is the word. Knowledge implies subject and object. But experience is non-terminal, eternal.

One should go beyond such relative knowledge and abide in the Self.

Ramana Maharishi:  Relative knowledge pertains to the mind and not to the Self. It is therefore illusory and not permanent. Take a scientist for instance. He formulates a theory that the Earth is round and goes on to prove it and establish it on an incontrovertible basis. When he falls asleep the whole idea vanishes; his mind is left a blank; what does it matter if the world remains round or flat when he is asleep? So you see the futility of all such relative knowledge. One should go beyond such relative knowledge and abide in the Self. Real knowledge is such experience and not apprehension by the mind.

If one remains desireless anything will be forthcoming.

Ramana Maharishi:  If one goes on wanting, one’s wants cannot be fulfilled. Whereas if one remains desireless anything will be forthcoming. We are not in the wife, children, profession, etc.; but they are in us; they appear and disappear according to one’s prarabdha.