All are dear because of the love of the Self

Devotee began, “After the return of body-consciousness ...”


Ramana Maharishi:  What is body-consciousness? Tell us that first. Who are you apart from consciousness? Body is found because there is body consciousness which arises from ‘I-consciousness’ which again rises from consciousness. Consciousness → ‘I-consciousness’ → body-consciousness →body.  There is always consciousness and nothing but that. What you are now considering to be body-consciousness is due to superimposition. If there is only consciousness and nothing but it, the meaning of the Scripture Atmanastu kamaya sarvam priyam bhavati - (All are dear because of the love of the Self) becomes clear. A question arises, why there should be suicides in that case. Why does one do it? Because he is unhappy and desires to put an end to his unhappiness. He actually does it by ending the association with the body which represents all unhappiness. For there must be a killer to kill the body. He is the survivor after suicide. That is the Self.