The Daily Ramana (NO DISCUSSION!)

[Reefs]

In these eventful ascension days I see a lot of folks having trouble staying focused. The main reason for starting this thread is to ensure a bare minimum of continuity regarding the general forum focus on non-duality. I'm probably going to post one or two Ramana quotes per day. That way we will have at least one thread that is always 100% content. Another reason for starting this thread is the heavy focus on Niz here. So Ramana, who has a different style and a different set of words might bring things a little more into balance.

Here are the rules for this thread:

#1) you may not post comments
#2) you may post other Ramana quotes

I would appreciate it if everyone would honor these 2 simple rules. If someone wants to discuss some Ramana quotes posted here, that can be done in a separate thread, "The Daily Ramana (discussion)" thread. There you can praise or criticize who or whatever you like. In the discussion thread anything goes.

good luck..

[Reefs]

15th May, 1935


Question: : Why is it said in scriptures that the Sage is like a child?

Ramana: A child and a Sage (jnani) are similar in a way. Incidents interest a child only so long as they last. It ceases to think of them after they have passed away. So then, it is apparent that they do not leave any impression on the child and it is not affected by them mentally. So it is with a Sage.

[Deleted]

Self-Realisation

In a sense, speaking of Self-Realisation is a delusion. It is only because people have been under the delusion that the not-self is the Self and the unreal the real that they have to be wean and out of it by the other delusion called Self-Realisation; because actually the Self always is the Self and there is no such thing as realising it. Who is to realise what, and how, when all that exists is the Self and nothing but the Self?

[Reefs]

29th September, 1935

Ramana: The mind is only a projection from the Self, appearing in the waking state. In deep sleep, you do not say whose son you are and so on. As soon as you wake up you say you are so and so, and recognize the world and so on. The world is only lokah, lokah = lokyate iti lokah (what is perceived is the world). That which is seen is lokah or the world.

Which is the eye that sees it? That is the ego which rises and sinks periodically. But you exist always. Therefore That which lies beyond the ego is consciousness - the Self. In deep sleep mind is merged and not destroyed. That which merges reappears. It may happen in meditation also. But the mind which is destroyed cannot reappear. The yogi’s aim must be to destroy it and not to sink in laya. In the peace of dhyana, laya ensues but it is not enough. It must be supplemented by other practices for destroying the mind.

Some people have gone into samadhi with a trifling thought and after a long time awakened in the trail of the same thought. In the meantime generations have passed away in the world. Such a yogi has not destroyed his mind. Its destruction is the non-recognition of it as being apart from the Self. Even now the mind is not. Recognize it. How can you do it if not in everyday activities. They go on automatically. Know that the mind promoting them is not real but a phantom proceeding from the Self. That is how the mind is destroyed.

[Reefs]

15th October, 1935

Seeker: How is abhyasa (one-pointedness of mind) to be made?
Ramana: Is there a mind?
Seeker: The mind is only a collection of thoughts...
Ramana: To whom are the thoughts? If you try to locate the mind, the mind vanishes and the Self alone remains. Being alone, there can be no one-pointedness or otherwise.
Seeker: How to turn the mind away from the world?
Ramana: Is there the world? I mean apart from the Self? Does the world say that it exists? It is you who says that there is a world. Find out the Self who says it.

[Reefs]

3rd June, 1936

Ramana: Everyone is the Self by his own experience. Still he is not aware, he identifies the Self with the body and feels miserable. This is the greatest of all mysteries. One is the Self. Why not abide as the Self and be done with miseries? In the beginning one has to be told that he is not the body, because he thinks that he is the body only. Whereas he is the body and all else. The body is only a part. Let him know it finally. He must first discern consciousness from insentience and be the consciousness only. Later let him realize that insentience is not apart from consciousness. This is discrimination (viveka). The initial discrimination must persist to the end. Its fruit is liberation.

[Reefs]

3rd June, 1936

Seeker: How to control the mind?
Ramana: Get hold of the mind.
Seeker: How?
Ramana: Mind is intangible. In fact, it does not exist. The surest way of control is to seek it. Then its activities cease.

[andrew]

Meditation depends upon the strength of mind. It must be unceasing even when one is engaged in work. Meditation helps concentration of the mind. Then the mind is free from thoughts and is in the meditated form. The mind of one meditating on a single object becomes one-pointed. And one-pointedness of mind leads to abidance in the self.

The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts have their root in the I-thought. Whoever investigates the True "I" enjoys the stillness of bliss.

You have to ask yourself the question `Who am I ?' This investigation will lead in the end to the discovery of something within you which is behind the mind. Solve that great problem and you will solve all other problems.

From where does this `I' arise? Seek for it within; it then vanishes. This is the pursuit of wisdom. When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature, it transpires that there is no such thing as mind. This is the direct path for all. The mind is merely thoughts. Of all thoughts the thought `I' is the root. Therefore the mind is only the thought `I'.

Every living being longs always to be happy, untainted by sorrow; and everyone has the greatest love for himself, which is solely due to the fact that happiness is his real nature. Hence, in order to realize that inherent and untainted happiness, which indeed he daily experiences when the mind is subdued in deep sleep, it is essential that he should know himself. For obtaining such knowledge the inquiry 'Who am I?' in quest of the Self is the best means.

God dwells in you, as you, and you don't have to 'do' anything to be God-realized or Self-realized, it is already your true and natural state. Just drop all seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the Heart of your very being. For this to be your own presently lived experience, Self-Inquiry is the one direct and immediate way.

There is no other way to succeed than to draw the mind back every time it turns outwards and fix it in the Self.

[Reefs]

26th January, 1936

No steps to realization

Ramana: Realization is already there. The state free from thoughts is the only real state. There is no such action as realization. Is there anyone who is not realizing the Self? Does anyone deny his own existence? Speaking of realization, it implies two selves - the one to realize, the other to be realized. What is not already realized, is sought to be realized. Once we admit our existence, how is it that we do not know our Self?
Seeker: Because of the thoughts - the mind.
Ramana: It is the mind that stands between and veils our happiness. How do we know that we exist? If you say because of the world around us, then how do you know that you existed in deep sleep?
Seeker: How to get rid of the mind?
Ramana: Is it the mind that wants to kill itself? The mind cannot kill itself. So your business is to find the real nature of the mind. Then you will know that there is no mind. When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind.

[Reefs]

26th January, 1936

No sadhanas necessary

Ramana: Those who have discovered great Truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. The ego is like one’s shadow thrown on the ground. If one attempts to bury it, it will be foolish. The Self is only one. If limited it is the ego. If unlimited it is Infinite and is the Reality.
When told that you are not the ego, realize the Reality. Why do you still identify yourself with the ego? When the Reality is mentioned why do you continue to meditate Shivoham or Aham Brahmasmi? The significance must be traced and understood. It is not enough to repeat the bare words or think of them. Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself.
This is the direct method. Whereas all other methods are done, only retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest. There is no greater mystery than this, ourselves being the Reality we seek to gain reality. We think that there is something hiding our Reality and that it must be destroyed before the Reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now.
Seeker: So it is a great game of pretending?
Ramana: Yes. In Yoga Vasishtha it is said, “What is Real is hidden from us, but what is false, is revealed as true.” We are actually experiencing the Reality only; still, we do not know it. Is it not a wonder of wonders?

[andrew]

“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.”

''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 for trouble. Give up the notion that 'I am so and so'. All that is required to realize the Self is to be still.''

''Know that the eradication of the identification with the body is charity, spiritual austerity and ritual sacrifice; it is virtue, divine union and devotion; it is heaven, wealth, peace and truth; it is grace; it is the state of divine silence; it is the deathless death; it is jnana, renunciation, final liberation and bliss.''

''There is neither creation nor destruction,neither destiny nor free will, neither path nor achievement.This is the final truth.''

[Reefs]

24th April, 1935

No progress in the quest for Self

Seeker: How to know the ‘I’?
Ramana: 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.
Seeker: There is no perceptible progress in spite of our attempts.
Ramana: Progress can be spoken of in things to be obtained afresh. Whereas here it is the removal of ignorance and not acquisition of knowledge. What kind of progress can be expected in the quest for the Self?
Seeker: How to remove the ignorance?
Ramana: While lying in bed in Tiruvannamalai you dream in your sleep that you find yourself in another town. The scene is real to you. Your body remains here on your bed in a room. Can a town enter your room, or could you have left this place and gone elsewhere, leaving the body here? Both are impossible. Therefore your being here and seeing another town are both unreal. They appear real to the mind. The ‘I’ of the dream soon vanishes, then another ‘I’ speaks of the dream. This ‘I’ was not in the dream. Both the ‘I’s are unreal. There is the substratum of the mind which continues all along, giving rise to so many scenes. An ‘I’ rises forth with every thought and with its disappearance that ‘I’ disappears too. Many ‘I’s are born and die every moment. The subsisting mind is the real trouble.

[Reefs]

1st January, 1936

The Self is simply Being

Ramana: The Self is ever-present (nityasiddha). Each one wants to know the Self. What kind of help does one require to know oneself? People want to see the Self as something new. But it is eternal and remains the same all along. They desire to see it as a blazing light, etc. How can it be so? It is not light, not darkness. It is only as it is. It cannot be defined. The best definition is ‘I am that I AM.’ The Shrutis speak of the Self as being the size of one’s thumb, the tip of the hair, an electric spark, vast, subtler than the subtlest, etc. They have no foundation in fact. It is only Being, but different from the real and the unreal; it is Knowledge, but different from knowledge and ignorance. How can it be defined at all? It is simply Being.

[Reefs]

3rd July, 1936

I am

Seeker: Will the study of the sacred books will reveal the truth?
Ramana: That will not suffice.
Seeker: Why not?
Ramana: Samadhi alone can reveal it. Thoughts cast a veil over reality and so it cannot be clear in states other than samadhi.
Seeker: Is there thought in samadhi? Or is there not?
Ramana: There will only be the feeling ‘I am’ and no other thoughts.
Seeker: Is not ‘I am’ a thought?
Ramana: The egoless ‘I am’ is not thought. It is realization. The meaning or significance of ‘I’ is God. The experience of ‘I am’ is to be still.

[Reefs]

18th June, 1936

Deep sleep

Ramana: Deep sleep is only the state of non-duality. Can the difference between the individual and universal souls persist there? Sleep implies forgetfulness of all differences: This alone constitutes happiness. See how carefully people prepare their beds to gain that happiness. Soft cushions, pillows and all the rest are meant to induce sound sleep, that is to say to end wakefulness. And yet the soft bed, etc., are of no use in the state of deep sleep itself. The implication is that all efforts are meant only to end ignorance. They have no use after realization.