Maharshi's Gospel: Sadhana and Grace 6

[Guest guest]

Disciple: The final state of Realization is said to be according to Advaita

the absolute union with the Divine and according to Visishtadvaita a

qualified union, while Dvaita maintains that there is no union at all.

Which of these should be considered the correct view?

 

Maharshi: Why speculate as to what will happen some time in the future? All

are agreed that the "I" exists. To whichever school of thought he may

belong, let the earnest seeker first find out what the "I" is. Then it will

be time enough to know what the final state will be, whether the "I" will

get merged in the Supreme Being or stand apart from Him. Let us not forstall

the conclusion, but keep an open mind.

 

D: But will not some understanding of the final state be a helpful guide

even to the aspirant?

 

M: No purpose is served in trying to decide now what the final state of

Realization will be. It has no intrinsic value.

 

D: Why so?

 

M: Because you proceed on a wrong principle. Your ascertainment has to

depend on the intellect, which shines only by the light it derives from the

Self. Is it not presumptuos on the part of the inttellect to sit in

judgement over that of which it is but a limited manifestation, and from

which it derives its little light?

How can the intellect, which can never reach the Self, be competent to

ascertain, much less decide, the nature of the final state of Realization?

It is like trying to measure the sunlight at its source by the standard of

the light given by a candle.

Instead of indulging in mere speculation, devote yourself here and now

to the search for the Truth that is ever within you.

 

(From Maharshi's Gospel, published by Sri Ramanasramam and available for

download from http://www.ramana- <http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/>

maharshi.org/ )