Sri Ramana on Reality

[Guest guest]

Beloved Friends,

 

The dawn is lighting the sky to the east and this Blissful Awareness

of the One is profoundly Peaceful. Sri Ramana Maharshi tells it so

simply and so clearly. Abide in the Heart, the Self. Thou art That -

 

 

Reality is only one and that is the Self. For the sage

the standard of reality is reality itself. This reality

of pure consciousness is eternal by its nature and therefore

subsists equally during what you call waking, dreaming and sleep.

To him who is one with the reality there is neither the mind nor its

three states and, therefore, no extroversion.

 

He is the ever-waking state, because he is awake to the eternal Self.

 

He is the ever-dreaming state, because to him the world is no better

than a repeatedly presented dream phenomenon.

 

He is the ever-sleeping state, because he is at all times without

the "body am I" consciousness.

 

Reality is simply the loss of 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. There is no greater mystery

than this - that 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 yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be

on the day you laugh is also here and now.

 

Reality can only be experienced it cannot be explained, it cannot be

caught in the web of the world.

 

Reality must always be real. It has no names or form but it is what

underlies them. It underlies all limitations, being itself limitless.

It is not bound in any way. It underlies unrealities. Being itself

real, it is that which is. It is as it is. It transcends speech and

is beyond description such as being or non-being.

 

The Self is the primal reality. The Self alone is the reality, so

always abide in the Self. Reality is therefore known as being,

consciousness. Reality is pure existence, the Self. The one Self, the

sole reality, alone exists eternally.

 

Reality is only one and that is the Self. All the rest are mere

phenomena in it, of it, and by it. The seer, the objects and the

sight all are the Self only. Can anyone see or hear, leaving the Self

aside?

 

Existence or consciousness is the only reality. That alone is real

which exists by itself, which reveals itself by itself and which is

eternal and unchanging.

 

Reality alone exists as a perfect undivided whole, and you experience

it here and now, whether you think you are aware of it or not.

 

To realise that reality, do you want some other reality? The

awareness of that reality alone is truth. There is no other reality,

or another mind to know that reality, because that reality is in the

form of experience throbbing within you, and that throbbing is your

real Self.

 

Pure awareness is the Self which is Sat-Chit-Ananda -

Existence-consciousness-bliss.

 

Awareness is Self-knowledge, Self-knowledge is wisdom. Wisdom is

eternal and natural.

 

Awareness which already exists within everyone, everywhere, is

imperishable and changeless.

 

Everyone is aware "I am." Leaving aside that awareness one goes about

searching for God.

 

You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are

Awareness there is no need to attain or culitvate it. All that you

have to do is to give up being aware of other things, that is of not-

Self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure awareness alone

remains, and that is the Self.

 

Men love existence because it is eternal awareness which is their own

Self. Why not then hold on to pure awareness right now, while in the

body, and be free?

 

 

LoveAlways,

 

Mazie