This ignorance must be traced to its origin. To whom is this ignorance? Of what is one ignorant?

Ramana Maharishi:  There is in fact nothing but the Atman. The world is only a projection of the mind. The mind originates from the Atman. So Atman alone is the One Being.


Devotee:  Yet it is difficult to realise.



Ramana Maharishi:   There is nothing to realise. It is nitya suddha buddha mukta (the Eternal, pure, aware and liberated) state. It is natural and eternal.  There is nothing new to gain. On the other hand a man must loose his ignorance. That is all. This ignorance must be traced to its origin. To whom is this ignorance? Of what is one ignorant? There are the subject and the object. Such duality is characteristic of the mind. The mind is from the Atman.

The ‘I-I’ is always there. There is no knowing it. It is not a new knowledge acquired.

Ramana Maharishi:  The ‘I-I’ is always there. There is no knowing it. It is not a new knowledge acquired. What is new and not here and now will be evanescent only. The ‘I’ is always there. There is obstruction to its knowledge and it is called ignorance. Remove the ignorance and knowledge shines forth. In fact this ignorance or even knowledge is not for Atman. They are only overgrowths to be cleared off. That is why Atman is said to be beyond knowledge and ignorance. It remains as it naturally is - that is all.

Grace is the Self. It is not manifest because of ignorance prevailing

Ramana Maharishi:  Grace is the Self. It is not manifest because of ignorance prevailing. With sraddha, it will become manifest.Sraddha, Grace, Light, Spirit are all synonymous with the Self.

The Real Self is continuous and unaffected.

Devotee:  Is the Buddhist view, that there is no continuous entity answering to the ideas of the individual soul, correct or not? Is this consistent with the Hindu notion of a reincarnating ego? Is the soul a continuous entity which reincarnates again and again, according to the Hindu doctrine, or is it a mere mass of mental tendencies - samskaras?

Ramana Maharishi:  The Real Self is continuous and unaffected. The reincarnating ego belongs to the lower plane, namely, thought. It is transcended by Self-Realisation. Reincarnations are due to a spurious offshoot. Therefore it is denied by the Buddhists. The present state is due to a mixing up of the chit (sentient) with jada (insentient).

What happens after birth in human form, what happens to the jiva?

Devotee:  What happens after birth in human form, what happens to the jiva?

Ramana Maharishi:  Let us know first what we are. We do not understand what we are, and until we know what we are there is no room for such a question. (Bhagavan obviously here refers to the confusion of body as Atman - dehatma buddhi - which is the cause for this confusion of ideas of death and birth, for Atman has no birth or death, it is untainted by the elements of Earth, Fire, Air and Water, etc.) (Gita II, 11) - Asochyam anvosochas tvam, projnavadamscha bhashase, etc. - What is it that had birth? Whom do you call a man? If, instead of seeking explanation for birth, death and after- death matters, the question is raised as to who and how you are now, these questions will not arise. You are the same while asleep (deep sleep), in dream and in waking state. Is the ‘I’ thought jiva, or the body jiva? Is this thought or nature? Or is the experience that we live, etc., our nature? (Quotes the sloka from the Gita: Yada te . . . II, 52.)

How are we to understand this passage in the Gita: “This whole cosmos forms a particle of Me.”

Devotee:  How are we to understand this passage in the Gita: “This whole cosmos forms a particle of Me.”


Ramana Maharshi:  It does not mean that a small particle of God separates from Him
and forms the Universe. His Sakti is acting; as a result of one phase of such activity the cosmos has become manifest. Similarly, the statement in Purusha Sukta, “All the beings form His one foot (Padosya viswa bhutani) does not mean that Brahman is in four parts.


Devotee:  I understand it. Brahman is certainly not divisible.


Ramana Maharshi:  So the fact is that Brahman is all and remains indivisible. He is ever realised. The man does not however know it. He must know it. Knowledge means the overcoming of obstacles which obstruct the revelation of the Eternal Truth that the Self is the same as Brahman. The obstacles form altogether your idea of separateness as an individual. Therefore the present attempt will result in the truth being revealed that the Self is not separate from Brahman.

For God is not separate from you or the cosmos.

Ramana Maharishi:  You now think that you are an individual, there is the universe and that God is beyond the cosmos. So there is the idea of separateness. This idea must go. For God is not separate from you or the cosmos.


The Gita also says:
The Self am I, O Lord of Sleep,
In every creature’s heart enshrined.
The rise and noon of every form,
I am its final doom as well. B. G., X. 20.


Thus God is not only in the heart of all, He is the prop of all, He is the source of all, their abiding place and their end. All proceed from Him, have their stay in Him, and finally resolve into Him. Therefore He is not separate.

See to whom the doubts arise. Go to their source and abide in it. Then they cease to arise.

Devotee:  Doubts are always arising. Hence my question.


Ramana Maharishi:  A doubt arises and is cleared; another arises and that is cleared, making way for another, and so it goes on. So there is no possibility of clearing away all doubts. See to whom the doubts arise. Go to their source and abide in it. Then they cease to arise. That is how doubts are to be cleared. Atma samstham manah krtva na kinchidapi chintayet.

When thoughts arise duality is present; know it to be the ego, and seek its source.

Devotee:  When I go on analysing myself I go beyond the intellect, and then there is no happiness.


Ramana Maharishi:  Intellect is only an instrument of the Self. It cannot help you to know what is beyond itself.


Devotee:   I understand it. But there is no happiness beyond it.


Ramana Maharishi:  The intellect is the instrument wherewith to know unknown things. But you are already known, being the Self which is itself knowledge; so you do not become the object of knowledge. The intellect makes you see things outside, and not that which is its own source.


Devotee:   The question is repeated.


Ramana Maharishi:  The intellect is useful thus far, it helps you to analyse yourself, and no further. It must then be merged into the ego, and the source of the ego must be sought. If that be done the ego disappears. Remain as that source and then the ego does not arise


Devotee:   There is no happiness in that state.


Ramana Maharishi:  ‘There is no happiness’ is only a thought. The Self is bliss, pure and simple. You are the Self. So you cannot but be bliss; being so, you cannot say here is no happiness. That which says so cannot be the Self; it is the non-Self and must be got rid of in order to realise the bliss of the Self.


Devotee:   How is that to be done?


Ramana Maharishi:  See wherefrom the thought arises. It is the mind. See for whom the mind or intellect functions. For the ego. Merge the intellect in the ego and seek the source of the ego. The ego disappears. ‘I know’ and ‘I do not know’ imply a subject and an object. They are due to duality. The Self is pure and absolute, One and alone. There are no two selves so that one may know the other. What is duality then? It cannot be the Self which is One and alone. It must be non-Self. Duality is the characteristic of the ego. When thoughts  arise duality is present; know it to be the ego, and seek its source. The degree of the absence of thoughts is the measure of your progress towards Self-Realisation. But Self-Realisation itself does not admit of progress; it is ever the same. The Self remains always in realisation. The obstacles are thoughts. Progress is measured by the degree of
removal of the obstacles to understanding that the Self is always realised. So thoughts must be checked by seeking to whom they arise. So you go to their Source, where they do not arise.

Your repayment consists in not lapsing into ignorance over again but in continuing in the state of your real Self

Ramana Maharishi:  The Reality is alone and eternal. To understand it is good enough. But the old ignorance should not return. A good watch must be kept lest the present understanding of the Truth suffers later on. A disciple served a master a long time and realised the Self. He was in Bliss and wanted to express his gratitude to the master. He was in tears of joy and his voice choked when he spoke. He said, “What a wonder that I did not know my very Self all these years? I suffered  long and you so graciously helped me to realise the Self. How shall I repay your Grace? It is not in my power to do it!” The master replied: “Well, well. Your repayment consists in not lapsing into ignorance over again but in continuing in the state of your real Self.”