Chit is knowledge pure and simple. The mind proceeds from it

Devotee:  It looks all right now; but later it is all forgotten.


Ramana Maharishi:  Your forgetfulness implies knowledge, for you know you forgot; otherwise how can you speak of forgetting it?  So forgetfulness also is Chit-akasa (Chit-ether) only.


Devotee: How then is it not clear to me?


Ramana Maharishi:  Chit is knowledge pure and simple.  The mind proceeds from it; the mind is made up of thoughts.  Darkness or ignorance interposing.  Pure Knowledge seems different from what It really is; the same is seen as ‘I’ and the ‘world’ which are full of desire, attachment, hatred, etc.  Therefore desire, etc., are said to veil the Reality.

We cannot remain independent of this Pure Knowledge. Rather, only IT is!

Devotee:  Well - should we be imagining it in our meditation?


Ramana Maharishi:  Why imagine? We can think of another only if we are independent of it, whereas here we cannot remain independent of this Pure Knowledge. Rather, only IT is! How can It be imagined to be so and so or such and such?


Devotee:  How are we to proceed?


Ramana Maharishi:  Only get rid of the non-self.

Knowledge in its purity remains all alone, One, unique, transcendent Light!

Ramana Maharishi:  Mind - mind what is it? It is a mixture of Chit (intelligence) and sankalpas (thoughts). Therefore it forms all these - the mirror, light, darkness and the reflections.


Devotee:  But I do not see it.


Ramana Maharishi:  Chidakasa (chit-ether) is Pure Knowledge only, It is the source of mind. Just at the moment of rising up, the mind is only light; only afterwards the thought “I am this” rises up; this ‘I-thought’ forms the jiva and the world. The first light is the pure mind, the mind ether or Isvara. Its modes manifest as objects. Because it contains all these objects within itself it is called the mind-ether. Why ether? Like ether containing objects it contains the thoughts, therefore it is the mind-ether.  Again, just as the physical ether though accommodating all the gross objects (the whole universe) is itself the content of the mind-ether, so also the latter is itself the content of Chit-ether. The last one is Chit Itself. There are no things contained in it. It remains as Pure Knowledge only.


Devotee:  Why call it ether? Physical ether is not sentient.


Ramana Maharishi:  Ether denotes not only the insentient physical ether but also Pure Knowledge. Knowledge does not consist in knowing objects: this is relative knowledge. But Knowledge in its purity remains all alone, One, unique, transcendent Light!

Pure Knowledge does not contain objects in it nor reflect objects.

Ramana Maharishi:  Pure ether cannot take reflections; only the ether of water can do so. Glass cannot reflect objects; only a plate of glass with an opaque lining on its back can reflect the objects in front of it. Similarly Pure Knowledge does not contain objects in it nor reflect objects. Only with the limiting adjunct, the mind, it reflects the world. Neither in samadhi nor in deep sleep does the world remain. There cannot be illusion either in bright light or in total darkness. Only in dim light a rope seems a snake. Similarly Pure Consciousness remains light only; it is pure knowledge. The mind rising from it is deluded that the objects remain apart.

Who am I? How is it to be found?

Devotee:  Who am I? How is it to be found?


Ramana Maharishi:  Ask yourself the question. The body (annamaya kosa) and its functions are not ‘I’.  Going deeper, the mind (manomaya kosa) and its functions are not ‘I’. The next step takes on to the question. “Where from do these thoughts arise?” The thoughts are spontaneous, superficial or analytical. They operate in intellect. Then, who is aware of them? The existence of thoughts, their clear conceptions and their operations become evident to the individual. The analysis leads to the conclusion that the individuality of the person is operative as the perceiver of the existence of thoughts and of their sequence.  This individuality is the ego, or as people say ‘I’. Vijnanamaya kosa (intellect) is only the sheath of ‘I’ and not the ‘I’ itself. Enquiring further the questions arise, “Who is this ‘I’? Wherefrom does it come?” ‘I’ was not aware in sleep. Simultaneously with its rise sleep changes to dream or wakefulness. But I am not concerned with dream just now. Who am I now, in the wakeful state? If I originated  from sleep, then the ‘I’ was covered up with ignorance. Such an ignorant ‘I’ cannot be what the scriptures say or the wise ones affirm. ‘I’ am beyond even ‘Sleep’; ‘I’ must be now and here and what I was all along in sleep and dreams also, without the qualities of such states. ‘I’ must therefore be the unqualified substratum underlying these three states (anandamaya kosa transcended). ‘I’ is, in brief, beyond the five sheaths. Next, the residuum left over  after discarding all that is not-self is the Self, Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Reincarnation can be if you are incarnate now

Devotee:  Is there reincarnation?


Ramana Maharishi:  Reincarnation can be if you are incarnate now. Even now you are not born.

If a Higher Power is recognised and surrendered to, how will they obstruct you?

Devotee:  The obstacles are powerful and obstruct meditation.


Ramana Maharishi:  If a Higher Power is recognised and surrendered to, how will they obstruct you? If you say “They are powerful,” the source of their Power must be held so that they do not obstruct you.

Mouna (Silence) is said to be that state which spontaneously manifests after the annihilation of the ego.

Ramana Maharishi:  Mouna is said to be that state which spontaneously manifests after the annihilation of the ego. That state is beyond light and darkness, but still it is called light since no other proper word could be found for it.

Mouna (Silence) is constant speech. Inactivity is constant activity.

Ramana Maharishi:  Mouna is constant speech. Inactivity is constant activity.

When one is not oneself peaceful, how can that one spread peace in the world?

A Devotee asked Sri Bhagavan about the spread of Peace in the world.


Ramana Maharishi:  If one gains the Peace of the Self it will spread itself without any effort on the part of the individual. When one is not oneself peaceful, how can that one spread peace in the world?

That man who is active in the world and yet remains desireless, without losing sight of his own essential nature, is alone a true man.

Ramana Maharishi:  That man who is active in the world and yet remains desireless, without losing sight of his own essential nature, is alone a true man.


This was in answer to the Swami who wanted to retire into a cave for practising meditation.

Loss of individuality can only be after the disappearance of buddhi, good or bad. The question therefore does not arise.

Ramana Maharishi:  What is wanted for gaining the highest goal is loss of individuality. The intellect is co-extensive with individuality. Loss of individuality can only be after the disappearance of buddhi, good or bad. The question therefore does not arise.


Devotee:  But yet one must know the right thing, choose the right path, practise the right dharma and hold fast to it. Otherwise he is lost.


Ramana Maharishi: True strength accrues by keeping in the right direction without swerving from it.

The Self is seen as the mind, the body or the world. That is to say, it becomes whatever you perceive it to be.

Devotee:  But we are advised not to fall into sleep during meditation.



Ramana Maharishi:  That is stupor you must guard against. That sleep which alternates with waking is not true sleep. That waking which alternates with sleep is not true waking. Are you now awake? You are not. You are required to wake up to your real state. You should not fall into false sleep nor keep falsely awake. Hence: Laye sambodhayeccittam vikshiptam samayet punah. What does it mean? It means that you should not fall into any one of these states but remain amidst them in your true unsullied nature.


Devotee:  The states are of our mind only.


Ramana Maharishi:  Whose mind? Hold it and see.


Devotee:  The mind cannot be held. It is that which creates all these. It is known only by its effects and not in its true nature.


Ramana Maharishi:  Quite so. You see the colours of the spectrum. Together they form the white light. But seven colours are seen through the prism. Similarly, the one Self resolves itself into so many phases, mind, world, body, etc. The Self is seen as the mind, the body or the world. That is to say, it becomes whatever you perceive it to be.