"WHO AM I ?" - Ramana Maharshi

If the mind, which is the instrument of knowledge and is the basis of all activity, subsides, the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases. Unless the illusory perception of the serpent in the rope ceases, the rope on which the illusion is formed is not perceived as such. Similarly, unless the illusory nature of the perception of the world as an objective reality ceases, the vision of the true nature of the Self, on which the illusion is formed, is not obtained.
The mind is a unique power (sakti) in the Atman whereby thoughts occur to one. On scrutiny as to what remains after eliminating all thoughts, it will be found that there is no such thing as mind apart from thought. So then, thoughts themselves constitute the mind.
Nor is there any such thing as the physical world apart from and independent of thought. In deep sleep there are no thoughts: nor is there the world. In the wakeful and dream states thoughts are present, and there is also the world. Just as the spider draws out the thread of the cobweb from within itself and withdraws it again into itself, in the same way the mind projects the world out of itself and absorbs it back into itself.
The world is perceived as an apparent objective reality when the mind is externalized, thereby forsaking its identity with the Self. When the world is thus perceived, the true nature of the Self is not revealed: conversely, when the Self is realized, the world ceases to appear as an objective reality.

"You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you" - Ramana Maharshi

*WORDS OF WISDOM* - Ramana Maharshi

This evening, D.S. Sarma, asked Bhagavan: “In Western mysticism three definite stages are often spoken of — viz., Purgation, illumination and union. Was there any such stage as purgation — corresponding to what we call sadhana — in Bhagavan’s life?”

Bhagavan replied, “I have never done any sadhana. I did not even know what sadhana was. Only long afterwards I came to know what sadhana was and how many different kinds of it there were. It is only if there was any object or anything different from me that I could think of it. Only if there was a goal to attain, I should have made sadhana to attain that goal. There was nothing which I wanted to obtain. I am now sitting with my eyes open. I was then sitting with my eyes closed. That was all the difference.

I was not doing any sadhana even then. As I sat with my eyes closed, people said I was in samadhi. As I was not talking, they said I was in mauna. The fact is, I did nothing. Some Higher Power took hold of me and I was entirely in Its hand.” Bhagavan further added, “The books no doubt speak of sravana, manana, nididhyasana, samadhi and sakshatkara. We are always sakshat and what is there for one to attain karam of that? We call this world sakshat or pratyaksha. What is changing, what appears and disappears, what is not sakshat, we
regard as sakshat.

We are always and nothing can be more directly present pratyaksha than we, and about that we say we have to attain sakshatkaram after all these sadhanas. Nothing can be more strange than this.

The Self is not attained by doing anything, but remaining still and being as we are.”

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