Maharshi : Talks - January 19, 1936 - 1

[Guest guest]

Mr. Ellappa Chettiar, a Member of the Legislative Council from Salem,

asked : Is it enough to introvert the mind or should we medidate on "I

am Brahman"?

M. To introvert the mind is the important thing. Buddhists consider the

flow of "I"-thought to be Liberation, whereas we say that such flow

proceeds from its underlying substratum - the only Reality.

Why should we meditating the "I am Brahman"? Only the annihilation

of "I" is liberation. But it can be gained only be keeping the "I-I" always

in view. Hence, the need for investigation of the "I"-thought. If the "I"

is not let go, no blank can result to the seeker [the seeker cannot be

grounded in reality]. Otherwise, medidation will end in sleep.

There has been only one "I" all along, but what arises from time to

time is the false "I"-thought; whereas the intuitive "I" always remains

Self-shining, i.e., even before it becomes manifest.

The birth of the gross body does not amount to one's own birth; on the

other hand, the birth of the ego is one's own birth.

For liberation, nothing new remains to be gained. It is the original state

and this continues unchanged.

 

 

 

----------- taken from ------------------------------

 

 

Talks with Ramana Maharshi ,

InnerDirections Publishing , 2000

page 95

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