Guest guest Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Q: If one holds the Self in remembrance, will one's actions always be right? A: They ought to be. However, such a person is not concerned with the right or wrong of actions. His actions are God's and therefore right. Q: How can my mind be still if I have to use it more than other people? I want to go into solitude and renounce my headmaster's work. A: No. You may remain where you are and go on with the work. What is the undercurrent which vivifies the mind, enables it to do all this work ? It is the Self. So that is the real source of your activity. Simply be aware of it during your work and do not forget it. Contemplate in the background of your mind even whilst working. To do that, do not hurry, take your own time. Keep the remembrance of your real nature alive, even while working, and avoid haste which causes you to forget. Be deliberate. Practise meditation to still the mind and cause it to become aware of its true relationship to the Self which supports it. Do not imagine it is you who are doing the work. Think that it is the underlying current which is doing it. Identify yourself with the current. If you work unhurriedly, recollectedly, your work or service need not be a hindrance. Q: In the early stages would it not be a help to a man to seek solitude and give up his outer duties in life? A: Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to forests or solitary places or giving up one's duties. The main thing is to see that the mind does not turn outward but inward. It does not really rest with a man whether he goes to this place or that or whether he gives up his duties or not. All these events happen according to destiny. All the activities that the body is to go through are determined when it first comes into existence. It does not rest with you to accept or reject them. The only freedom you have is to turn your mind inward and renounce activities there. Q: But is it not possible for something to be a help, especially to a beginner, like a fence round a young tree? For instance, don't our books say that it is helpful to go on pilgrimages to sacred shrines or to get sat-sanga? A: Who said they are not helpful? Only such things do not rest with you, whereas turning your mind inward does. Many people desire the pilgrimage or sat-sanga that you mention, but do they all get it ? Q: Why is it that turning inward alone is left to us and not any outer things? A: If you want to go to fundamentals, you must enquire who you are and find out who it is who has freedom or destiny. Who are you and why did you get this body that has these limitations? ..... Be As You Are, The Teaching of Sri Ramana Maharshi edited bty David Godman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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