Crumbs from His Table - Self-realization, 1

[Guest guest]

D: Can I get knowledge of the Self, that is can I experience

direct realization of the "Self?"

 

 

Baghavan:

Why? Who is there without a knowledge of the Self?

Everyone has experience of the Self.

 

D. But I do not realize it.

 

B. The fact is that all the while you know the Self. How can the self

not know the Self? Only you, the self, have got into the habit of thinking

that you are this, you are that and you are the other. It is the wrong notion

that produces or constitutes viparita bhavana of the Self at present,

and that is why you say you do not know the Self. What is to be done

is to get rid of that wrong notion of the Self. That then clears up the

Self-knowledge or Self-realization.

 

D. How can I get rid of that viparita bhavana?

Can any ordinary man get rid of it? If so, how?

 

Bhagavan: Yes. That is possible and is being done. There are many ways

- Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, Yoga, etc. are being adopted - all for the removal

of this viparita bhavana. But the main way is simple.

 

D. But I am ignorant of the method and of the "Self".

 

B.: Who is ignorant of what? Ask the question and pursue the enquiry

as to who it is that is said to be ignorant. Once you put the question,

trying to probe into the "I", the "I" dissapears. Then what survives

is Self-knowledge or Self-realization.

 

D. But how to get at that? Isn't a Guru's help needed?

Isn't God's help needed?

 

B.: Why? In practice all this is adopted. But on ultimate enquiry, i.e.,

after reaching the goal, the method and means adopted are found

to be themselves the goal. The Guru turns out ultimately to be God

and God turns out to be your own inner "Self."

 

 

 

 

~~~ CRUMBS FROM HIS TABLE

By Ramanananda Swarnagiri

Fourth Edition, 1969