Devotee: Is there a limit to the Self?
Ramana Maharishi: What is the Self?
Devotee: The Individual soul is the Self.
Ramana Maharishi: What is the individual soul? Is there any difference between the two or are they identical? Any new appearances are bound to disappear. Anything created will certainly be destroyed. The eternal is not born nor does it die. We are now confounding appearances with reality. Appearance carries its end in itself. What is it that appears newly? If you cannot find it, surrender to the substratum of appearances unreservedly; then, the reality will be left over as the residue.
Devotee: Who is to ask these questions?
Ramana Maharishi: Exactly - that is it. There is no end to it all.
Devotee: Are we then to keep quiet?
Ramana Maharishi: Doubts cease to afflict when the confusion (moha) is surpassed.
Devotee: Your statements amount to cessation of vichara - investigation.
Ramana Maharishi: If atma-vichara (self-investigation), ceases, loka vichara (worldinvestigation) takes its place. (Laughter in the hall). Engage in Self-investigation, then the non-self will disappear. The Self will be left over. This is self-investigation of the Self. The one word Self is equivalent to the mind, body, man, individual. The Supreme and all else.
Ramana Maharishi: What is the Self?
Devotee: The Individual soul is the Self.
Ramana Maharishi: What is the individual soul? Is there any difference between the two or are they identical? Any new appearances are bound to disappear. Anything created will certainly be destroyed. The eternal is not born nor does it die. We are now confounding appearances with reality. Appearance carries its end in itself. What is it that appears newly? If you cannot find it, surrender to the substratum of appearances unreservedly; then, the reality will be left over as the residue.
Devotee: Who is to ask these questions?
Ramana Maharishi: Exactly - that is it. There is no end to it all.
Devotee: Are we then to keep quiet?
Ramana Maharishi: Doubts cease to afflict when the confusion (moha) is surpassed.
Devotee: Your statements amount to cessation of vichara - investigation.
Ramana Maharishi: If atma-vichara (self-investigation), ceases, loka vichara (worldinvestigation) takes its place. (Laughter in the hall). Engage in Self-investigation, then the non-self will disappear. The Self will be left over. This is self-investigation of the Self. The one word Self is equivalent to the mind, body, man, individual. The Supreme and all else.
No comments:
Post a Comment