Question contains the Answer

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THE MAHARSHI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September/October 2002Vol. 12 - No. 5

 

 

 

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

 

 

 

Question Contains the Answer

By N. Balarama Reddiar

 

The answer is contained in the question itself, for the answer is always the ever-existing Self and the question is only a modulation of it." This remarkable saying of Sri Bhagavan finds an apt illustration in the following instance.

One of our old devotees, the late Sri. A. Bose, lost his only son, a bright boy of twenty. Upset very much by this loss he had a private interview with Bhagavan, which was arranged during His resting time between twelve and two in the afternoon. At one stage in the interview he asked Bhagavan in what appeared a challenging mood, "What is God?". For such a long-standing devotee, the question seemed incongruous!

Bhagavan kept silent for a while and then gently said, "Your question itself contains the answer: What is, (is) God." This illuminating answer was amazingly the question itself!

One should note here that it is not merely a clever or well thought-out answer. That may be so in the case of ordinary men. A Jnani’s utterances are free from the intermediary action of the mind, which colors and often distorts the truth. In the case of the seers, it is said ‘sense follows speech.’ Also, Bhagavan’s silence before answering the question was evidently meant to prepare the questioner to receive the full impact of the answer.

 

No Mirror Can Ever ShaveBy C. K. Anavema Reddy

 

There is a small piece of conversation from the life of Sri Bhagavan which, as far as I am aware, has not been recorded. Though brief, it has remained very vivid in my memory.

It was in 1940 that one day one of the devotees sitting in the hall raised the topic regarding the utility of reading books on religion and philosophy. In reply Sri Bhagavan said, "You wake up in the morning and look into the mirror and the mirror shows you that you have a growth and that you have to get rid of it. You may go on looking into any number of mirrors; every mirror will tell you the same thing, but no mirror can ever shave you. You have to shave yourself. Instead of wasting time looking into mirror after mirror it is best to start shaving after having looked into the first mirror and known the truth.

"So also all books will tell you the same truth, perhaps in slightly different ways. Instead of wasting time reading book after book why not realize for yourself what was obvious from the very first book."

These words of Sri Bhagavan are pregnant with deep significance and are capable of being elaborately commented upon.

 

(These two articles have been taken from the 1972 issues of the Mountain Path magazine.)

 

 

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