Atma Vidya - Ist verse

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Self-knowledge is an easy thing,

The easiest thing there is.

The Self is something that's entirely real

Even for the most ordinary man,

It could be said that a clear gooseberry *

Is an illusion by comparison.

 

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* The fruit mentioned in the Tamil text is the nelli, widely grown in India

but unknown in Europe. It is more or less transparent and hence "as clear as

the nelli in one's hand" is the Tamil equivalent to the English saying: "as

clear as crystal".

(taken from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, edited by Arthur

Osborne)