BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA'S TALKS
IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND BHAGAVAN
RAMANA IF YOU READ THE QUESTIONS PUT TO HIM AND THE ANSWERS GIVEN BY HIM,
SLOWLY, CONCENTRATING ON EACH WORD ATTENTIVELY WITH INVOLVEMENT AND INTEREST TO
LEARN.- It is made simple for you. So you will
enjoy profusely. J.k.Sivan
Devotee.:
There are said to be sadeha mukta (liberated in body) and videha mukta (liberated without body).
Maharishi:
There is no liberation, and where are muktas?
D.:
Do not Hindu sastras speak of mukti?
M.:
Mukti is synonymous with the Self. Jivan mukti (liberation while
alive)
and videha mukti (liberation after the body falls) are all for the
ignorant.
The Jnani is not conscious of mukti or bandha (bondage).
Bondage,
liberation and orders of mukti are all said for an ajnani
in
order that ignorance might be shaken off. There is only mukti
and
nothing else.
D.:
It is all right from the standpoint of Bhagavan. But what about us?
M.:
The difference between ‘He’ and ‘I’ are the obstacles to jnana.
D.:
But it cannot be denied that Bhagavan is of a high order whereas
we
are limited. Will Bhagavan make me one with Him?
M.:
Were you aware of limitations in your sleep?
D.:
I cannot bring down the state of my sleep in the present state and
speak
of it.
M.:
You need not. These three states alternate before the unchanging
Self.
You can remember your state of sleep. That is your real state.
There
were no limitations then. After the rise of the ‘I-thought’ the
limitations
arose.
D.:
How to attain the Self?
M.:
Self is not to be attained because you are the Self.
D.:Yes.
There is an unchanging Self and a changing one in me. There
are
two selves.
M.:
The changefulness is mere thought. All thoughts arise after the
arising
of the ‘I-thought’. See to whom the thoughts arise. Then
you
transcend them and they subside. This is to say, tracing the
source
of the ‘I-thought’, you realise the perfect ‘I-I’. ‘I’ is the
name
of the Self.
D.:
Shall I meditate on “I am Brahman” (Aham Brahmasmi)?
M.:
The text is not meant for thinking “I am Brahman”. Aham (‘I’) is
known
to everyone. Brahman abides as Aham in everyone. Find out
the
‘I’. The ‘I’ is already Brahman. You need not think so. Simply
find
out the ‘I’.
D.:
Is not discarding of the sheaths mentioned in the sastras?
M.:
After the rise of the ‘I-thought’ there is the false identification
of
the ‘I’ with the body, the senses, the mind, etc. ‘I’ is wrongly
associated
with them and the true ‘I’ is lost sight
of. In order to shift
the
pure ‘I’from the contaminated ‘I’this discarding is mentioned.
But
it does not mean exactly discarding of the non-self, but it means
the
finding of the real Self.
The
real Self is the Infinite ‘I-I’, i.e., ‘I’ is perfection. It is eternal.
It
has no origin and no end. The other ‘I’ is born and also dies. It is
impermanent.
See to whom are the changing thoughts. They will be
found
to arise after the ‘I-thought’. Hold the ‘I-thought’.They subside.
Trace
back the source of the ‘I-thought’. The Self alone will remain.
