Ramana Maharshi says Mere book learning is of no use

[Guest guest]

Once some very learned Sanskrit scholars were sitting in the old hall discussing portions of the Upanishads and other scriptural texts with Bhagavan. Bhagavan was giving them proper explanations and it was a sight to remember and adore! At the same time, I felt genuinely in my heart, ‘Oh, how great these people are and how fortunate they are to be so learned and to have such deep understanding and be able to discuss with our Bhagavan. Compared with them, what am I, a zero in scriptural learning?’ I felt miserable. After the pundits had taken leave Bhagavan turned to me and said, “What?”, looking into my eyes and studying my thoughts. Then, without even giving me an opportunity to explain, he continued, “This is only the husk! All this book learning and capacity to repeat the scriptures by memory is absolutely no use. To know the Truth, you need not undergo all this torture of learning. Not by reading do you get the Truth. BE QUIET, that is Truth, BE STILL, that is God”.

Then very graciously he turned to me again and there was an immediate change in his tone and attitude. He asked me, “Do you shave yourself?” Bewildered by this sudden change, I answered, trembling, that I did.

“Ah, for shaving you use a mirror, don’t you? You look into the mirror and then shave your face; you don’t shave the image in the mirror. Similarly all the scriptures are meant only to show you the way to realization. They are meant for practise and attainment. Mere book learning and discussions are comparable to a man shaving the image in the mirror”. From that day onwards the sense of inferiority that I had been feeling vanished once and for all.

Source: RAMANA SMRTI Book

-- Love And Love AloneOm Namo Bhagavate Sri RamanayaPrasanth Jalasutram

[Guest guest]

advaitajnana , Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth

wrote:

>

> Once some very learned Sanskrit scholars were sitting in the old hall

> discussing portions of the Upanishads and other scriptural texts with

> Bhagavan. Bhagavan was giving them proper explanations and it was a sight to

> remember and adore! At the same time, I felt genuinely in my heart, `Oh, how

> great these people are and how fortunate they are to be so learned and to

> have such deep understanding and be able to discuss with our Bhagavan.

> Compared with them, what am I, a zero in scriptural learning?' I felt

> miserable. After the pundits had taken leave Bhagavan turned to me and said,

> " What? " , looking into my eyes and studying my thoughts. Then, without even

> giving me an opportunity to explain, he continued, " This is only the husk! All

> this book learning and capacity to repeat the scriptures by memory is

> absolutely no use. To know the Truth, you need not undergo all this torture

> of learning. Not by reading do you get the Truth. BE QUIET, that is Truth,

> BE STILL, that is God " .

>

> Then very graciously he turned to me again and there was an immediate change

> in his tone and attitude. He asked me, " Do you shave yourself? " Bewildered

> by this sudden change, I answered, trembling, that I did.

>

> " Ah, for shaving you use a mirror, don't you? You look into the mirror and

> then shave your face; you don't shave the image in the mirror. Similarly all

> the scriptures are meant only to show you the way to realization. They are

> meant for practise and attainment. Mere book learning and discussions are

> comparable to a man shaving the image in the mirror " . From that day onwards

> the sense of inferiority that I had been feeling vanished once and for all.

>

> Source: RAMANA SMRTI Book

>

> --

> Love And Love Alone

>

> Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

> Prasanth Jalasutram

 

Edg: This quote is dangerous, yes?

 

When one cuts and pastes bits and pieces of Ramana's entire output of words, it

is all too easy to slip into an agenda and without even knowing you've stepped

onto a slippery slope, you find yourself cherry picking the quotes to further

some point of view that is artificially veneered onto the " Ramana credo. "

 

The present quote seemingly can be the foundation for an anti-scholarship from

which springs disrespect for scriptures and the minds that created them. Ramana

used words like bait on a hook. The unenlightened love concepts, and so

Ramana's lifetime of lecturing stands as the above quote's anti-quote. If not

for his words, or the words of others who were realized, who would do inquiry?

Without a mirror who would know they needed to shave off an ego?

 

To me, unless one has read Ramana's words, again, and again, and again, it is

rare that anyone would be intuitive enough in today's gross world to discern how

unassailable are the Advaitan axioms. It takes a lot of mulling and dwelling

with the words for them to saturate the nervous system enough such that a global

grasp of the concepts becomes knee-jerk, automatic, integrated.

 

Until such a clarity dawns, it is all too easy to attach to one quote or another

of Ramana's and lose sight of the fact that he can also be found to be

paradoxically anti-quoting himself such that one begins to not read his words

for meaning -- instead, one reads the words and knows they are like hugs from

Mom -- no explanation needed for a hug -- that hug is Ramana's vibe of

unshakable confidence that " all is good, all is perfect, no rush, no urgency, no

special mental or heart talents needed, no examination must be passed with an

A+, God so loved the world that he created you for his final artistic touch upon

the canvas of creation. " And on and on. Ramana's heart is found between every

word he ever uttered.

 

Ramana's quote warns us of indulging the intellect and pretending it is a

spiritual tool that is ultimately potent. It is but one instance of neti -- he

can be equally found to be doing neti on bhakti approaches to evolution's end

point. He negated the ultimate meaningfulness of all things, actions, thoughts,

but in doing neti with such passion and clarity -- a lifetime of service unto

the world -- his word-neti actions revealed the endlessness of the endeavor and

by dint of that he " honored the image in the mirror because, illusory that it

is, it is a mirage of such a grand, infinite, vastness. " that the phrase " the

Absolute " begins to beguile and one feels the allure of

silence-that-says-everything.

 

I say that one should engage the intellect and the heart -- that's the chopping

of wood and the carrying of water. Invest in the illusion until you pierce its

veil by inquiry. Never in scriptures do we find anyone suggesting that we spit

on the image in the mirror even though it is worthless by most regards.

 

Honor life as you find it. Bow to it as a sacred gift.

 

See the sidewalk artist with a dozen paintings leaning up against a wall and

sitting on his canvas chair watching the passersby? When someone stops and

gazes deeply at a painting, then does the artist get up and say, " hello. " Just

so, honor the Artist of You by stopping EVERYTHING WITH INQUIRY -- that is:

stop, look, listen for the " hello " soon to come.

 

The painting to study is you.

 

Edg