Bhagavan: Where can we see the soul? ...

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Question: Where can we see the soul? How can we know it?Bhagavan: Where can we see the soul? This question is like staying in Ramanasramam and asking 'Where is Ramanasramam?' The soul is at all times in you and everywhere, and to imagine that it is somewhere far off and to search for it is like performing Panduranga bhajan. This bhajan commences in the first quarter of the night with tinkling bells tied to the feet of the devotees, and with a brass lamp-stand placed in the centre of the house. The devotees go round and round the lamp-stand, dancing rhythmically to the tune, 'Pandharpur is thus far! Pandharpur is thus far! Come on, proceed!', but as they go round and round, they actually do not proceed even half a yard further. By the time the third quarter of the night is reached, they will begin to sing, 'See! See! There is Pandharpur! Here is Pandharpur! See, See!'

During the first quarter of the night they were going round the same lamp as they were in the third quarter. It dawns and they sing, 'We have arrived in Pandharpur. This is Pandharpur.' So saying, they salute the lamp-stand and end the bhajan. It is the same with this also. We go round and round in search of Atma, saying, 'Where is Atma? Where is Atma?' till at last the dawn of jnana drishti (the vision of knowledge) is reached and we say, 'This is Atma. This is me.' Letters from Sri Ramanasramam,