“Let what comes come.  Let what goes go. Find out what remains”

~ Shri Ramana Maharaj

“Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the

world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude.

Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to control his mind.

He cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is a function of the

mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he

may be; a detached man is always in solitude.”

~ Ramana Maharshi

From: Talks With Shri Ramana Maharshi – pg 15

Self - Enquiry

D: Is the aforesaid Self-experience possible, even in the state of empirical existence, for the mind

which has to perform functions in accordance with its prarabdha (the past karma which has begun

to fructify)?

M: A Brahmin may play various parts in a drama; yet the thought that he is a Brahmin does not

leave his mind. Similarly, when one is engaged in various empirical acts there should be the firm

conviction “I am the Self”, without allowing the false idea “I am the body, etc.” to rise. If the mind

should stray away from its state, then immediately one should enquire, “Oh! Oh! We are not the

body etc.! Who are we?” and thus one should reinstate the mind in that (pure) state. The enquiry

“Who am I?” is the principal means to the removal of all misery and the attainment of the supreme

bliss. When in this manner the mind becomes quiescent in its own state, Self-experience arises of

its own accord, without any hindrance. Thereafter sensory pleasures and pains will not affect the

mind. All (phenomena) will appear then, without attachment, like a dream. Never forgetting one’s

plenary Self-experience is real bhakti (devotion), yoga (mind-control), jnana (knowledge) and

all other austerities. Thus say the sages.

~ Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

Q:  “Why is it said that the knowledge born of hearing is not firm, whereas that born of

contemplation is firm?”

M.: On the other hand it is said that hearsay knowledge (paroksha) is

not firm, whereas that born of one’s own realization (aparoksha)

is firm.  It is also said that hearing helps the intellectual understanding of the

Truth, that meditation makes the understanding clear, and finally

that contemplation brings about realization of the Truth.

Furthermore, they say also that all such knowledge is not firm and

that it is firm only when it is as clear and intimate as a gooseberry

in the hollow of one’s palm.

There are those who affirm that hearing alone will suffice,

because a competent person who had already, perhaps in previous

incarnations, qualified himself, realizes and abides in peace as soon

as he hears the Truth told him only once, whereas the person not

so qualified must pass through the stages prescribed above, before

falling into samadhi.

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi - pg 19

Q:  Who am I? How is it to be found?

M.: 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.

~ Ramana Maharashi

Excerpt from: Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

D.: Taking the first part first, how is the mind to be eliminated or relative consciousness transcended?

M.: The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit. This is done by ignoring the external world and removing the obstacles to peace of mind.

D.: How is restlessness removed from the mind?

M.: External contacts - contacts with objects other than itself - make the mind restless. Loss of interest in non-Self,

(airagya) is the first step. Then the habits of introspection and concentration follow. They are characterised by control of external senses, internal faculties, etc. (sama, dama, etc.) ending in samadhi (undistracted mind).

D.: How are they practised?

M.: An examination of the ephemeral nature of external phenomena leads to vairagya (dispassion). Hence enquiry (vichara) is the first and foremost step to be taken. When vichara continues automatically, it results in a contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure, etc. The ‘I’ thought becomes clearer for inspection. The source of ‘I’ is the Heart - the final goal. If, however, the aspirant is not temperamentally suited to Vichara Marga (to the introspective analytical method), he must develop bhakti (devotion) to an ideal - may be God, Guru, humanity in general, ethical laws, or even the idea of beauty. When one of these takes possession of the individual, other attachments grow weaker, i.e., dispassion (vairagya) develops. Attachment for the ideal simultaneously grows and finally holds the field. Thus ekagrata (concentration) grows simultaneously and imperceptibly - with or without visions and direct aids.  In the absence of enquiry and devotion, the natural sedative pranayama (breath regulation) may be tried. This is known as Yoga Marga. If life is imperilled the whole interest centres round the one point, the saving of life.  If the breath is held the mind cannot afford to (and does not) jump at its pets - external objects.  Thus there is rest for the mind so long as the breath is held. All attention being turned on breath or its regulation, other interests are lost. Again, passions are attended with irregular breathing, whereas calm and happiness are attended with slow and regular breathing. Paroxysm of joy is in fact as painful as one of pain, and both are

accompanied by ruffled breaths. Real peace is happiness. Pleasures do not form happiness. The mind improves by practice and becomes finer just as the razor’s edge is sharpened by stropping. The mind is then better able to tackle internal or external problems. If an aspirant be unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods and circumstantially (on account of age) for the third method, he must try the Karma Marga (doing good deeds, for example, social service). His nobler instincts become more evident and he derives impersonal pleasure. His smaller self is less assertive and has a chance of expanding its good side. The man becomes duly equipped for one of the three aforesaid paths.  His intuition may also develop directly by this single method.

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Excerpt from:  Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

pg 26

Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. ‘I am that I am’ sums up the whole truth.

The method is summed up in the words ‘Be Still’.  What does stillness mean?  

It means destroy yourself.  Because any form or shape is the cause of trouble.

Give up the notion that ‘I am so and so’.  All that is required to realize the Self is to be still.

What can be easier than that?  Hence atmavidya [Self-knowledge] is the easiest to attain.

The truth of oneself alone is worthy to be scrutinized and known.  Taking it as the

target of one’s attention, one should keenly know it in the Heart.  This knowledge of

oneself will be revealed only to the consciousness which is silent, clear and free from

the activity of the agitated and suffering mind.  Know that the consciousness

which always shines in the Heart as the formless Self, ‘I’ and which is known by one’s

being still without thinking about anything as existent or non-existent, alone is the

perfect reality.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

Excerpt from “Be As You Are”

The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi – Edited by David Goodman - pg 69

© Sri Ramanasramam, 1985

But when you talk of love, there is duality,

is there not - the person who loves and

the entity called God who is loved?

The individual is not separate from God.

Hence love means one has love towards one's own Self.

Only if one knows the truth of love,

which is the real nature of Self,

will the strong entangled knot of life be untied.

Only if one attains the height of love will liberation be attained.

Such is the heart of all religions.

The experience of Self is only love, which is seeing only love,

hearing only love, feeling only love, tasting only love

and smelling only love, which is bliss.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

“There is happiness when agreeable things are presented to the mind. It is the happiness inherent to the Self, and there is no other happiness. And it is not alien and afar. You are diving into the Self on those occasions which you consider pleasurable; that diving results in self-existent bliss. But the association of ideas is responsible for foisting that bliss on other things or occurrences while, in fact, that bliss is within you. On these occasions you are plunging into the Self, though unconsciously. If you do so consciously, with the conviction that comes of the experience that you are identical with the happiness which is verily the Self, the one Reality, you call it Realization. I want you to dive consciously into the Self, i.e., into the Heart.”

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

‎

“Peace is your natural state.  It is the mind that obstructs the natural state.  If you experience peace it means that your vichara has been made only in the mind.  Investigate what the mind is, and it will disappear.  There is no such thing as mind apart from thought.  Nevertheless, because of the emergence of thought, you surmise something  from which it starts and term that the mind.  When you probe to see what it is, you find there is really no such thing as mind.  When the mind has thus vanished, your realize eternal peace. 

Ramana Maharashi

From:  Be as You Are

"Again people often ask how the mind is controlled.  I say to them 'Show me the mind and then you will know what to do.' The fact is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts.  How can you extinguish it by the thought of doing so or by a desire?  Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind.  The mind is simply fattened by new thoughts rising up.  Therefore it is foolish to attempt to kill the mind by means of the mind.  The only way of doing it is to find its source and hold on to it.  The mind will then fade away of its own accord. "

~ Ramana Maharshi

Whenever a thought arises, do not be carried away by it.
You become aware of the body when you forget the Self.
But can you forget the Self ? Being the Self how can you forget it?
There must be two selves for one to forget the other.  It is absurd.
So the Self is not depressed, nor is it imperfect.  It is very happy.
The contrary feeling is a mere thought which actually has no stamina in it.
Be rid of thoughts. Being the Self one remains always realised.
Only be free from thoughts.

From:  Absolute Consciousness  

Ramana Maharshi  p145

Q: Why is concentration ineffective?

A: To ask the mind to kill the mind is like making the thief the policeman. He will go with you and pretend to catch the thief, but nothing will be gained. So you must turn inward and see from where the mind rises and then it will cease to exist.

Q: In turning the mind inwards, are we not still employing the mind?

A: Of course we are employing the mind. It is well known and admitted that only with the help of the mind can the mind be killed. But instead of setting about saying there is a mind, and I want to kill it, you begin to seek the source of the mind, and you find the mind does not exist at all. The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self.

Q: Should I go on asking ‘Who am I?’ without answering? Who asks whom? Which bhavana [attitude] should be in the mind at the time of enquiry? What is ‘I’, the Self or the ego?

A: In the enquiry ‘Who am I?’, ‘I' is the ego. The question really means, what is the source or origin of this ego? You need not have any bhavana [attitude] in the mind.  All that is required is that you must give up the bhavana that you are the body, of such and such a description, with such and such a name, etc. There is no need to have a bhavana about your real nature. It exists as it always does. It is real and has no bhavana.   ...‘If the enquiry "Who am I?’ were a mere mental questioning, it would not be of much value. The very purpose of self-enquiry is to focus the entire mind at its source. It is not, therefore, a case of one ‘I' searching for another ‘I’. Much less is self-enquiry an empty formula, for it involves an intense activity of the entire mind to keep it steadily poised in pure Self-awareness.

Godman, David; Maharshi, Sri (1991-03-07). Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Arkana) (p. 65 & P. 68). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.

Again people often ask how the mind is controlled. I say to them, ‘Show me the mind and then you will know what to do.’ The fact is that the mind is only a bundle of thoughts. How can you extinguish it by the thought of doing so or by a desire? Your thoughts and desires are part and parcel of the mind. The mind is simply fattened by new thoughts rising up. Therefore it is foolish to attempt to kill the mind by means of the mind. The only way of doing it is to find its source and hold on to it. The mind will then fade away of its own accord.

Investigate the matter and ascertain the truth of the statement. The result will be the conclusion that the objective world is in the subjective consciousness. The Self is thus the only reality which permeates and also envelops the world. Since there is no duality, no thoughts will arise to disturb your peace. This is realisation of the Self. The Self is eternal and so also is realisation. Abhyasa [spiritual practice] consists in withdrawal within the Self every time you are disturbed by thought. It is not concentration or destruction of the mind but withdrawal into the Self.12

Godman, David; Maharshi, Sri (1991-03-07). Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Arkana) (Kindle Locations 1343-1348). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.