Sri Ramana: The Jnani and the World #3

January 16, 2003

Snipped:

D: There was an anxious search for the photo, which, in the end, could not be found. How does Bhagavan view the mysterious disappearance of the photo just at the moment when it was wanted?

M: Suppose you dream that you are taking me to your distant country, Poland. You wake up and ask me, "I dreamt so and so. Did you also have some such dream or know in some other way that I was taking you to Poland? What significance will you attach to such an inquiry?

D: But, with regard to the missing photo, the whole incident took place in front of Sri Bhagavan.

M: The seeing of the photo, its disappearance, as well as your present inquiry, are all mere workings of mind.

There is a story in the Puranas which illustrates the point. When Sita was missing from the forest hermitage, Rama went about in search of her ,wailing, "O Sita, Sita!" It is said that Parvati and Parameshvara saw from above what was taking place in the forest. Parvati expressed her surprise to Shiva and said, "You praised Rama as the perfect being. See how he behaves and grieves at the loss of Sita!" Shiva replied, "If you are skeptical about Rama's perfection, then put him to the test yourself. Through your yoga-maya transform yourself into the likeness of Sita and appear before him." Parvati did so. She appeared before Rama in the very likeness of Sita, but to her astonishment Rama ignored her presence and went on as before, calling out, "O Sita, O Sita!" as if he were blind.

D: I am unable to grasp the moral of the story.

M: If Rama were really searching for the bodily presence of Sita, he would have recognized the person who was standing in front of him as the Sita he had lost. But no, the missing Sita was just as unreal as the Sita that appeared before his eyes. Rama was not really blind; but to Rama, the jnani, the prior being of Sita in the hermitage, her disappearance, his consequent search for her as well as the actual presence of Parvati in the guise of Sita, were all equally unreal. Do you now understand how the missing photo was viewed?

D: I cannot say it is all clear to me, Is the world that is seen, felt, and sensed by us in so many way something like a dream, and illusion?

M: There is no alternative for you but to accept the world as unreal, if you are seeking the Truth and the Truth alone.

D: Why so?

M: For the simple reason that unless you give up the idea that the world is real your mind will always be after it. If you take the appearance to be real you will never know the Real itself, although it is the Real alone that exists. This point is illustrated by the analogy of the snake and the rope. As long as you see the snake, you cannot see the rope as such. The non-existent snake becomes real to you, which the real rope seems wholly nonexistent as such.

To be hopefully continued.

"The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi..Shambala press.