Talk 306.

[Guest guest]

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

 

Talk 306.

 

D.: There is something concrete necessary to meditate upon. How

shall we meditate upon ‘I’?

 

Maharshi: We have become rooted in forms and so we require a concrete form for

meditating upon. Only that which we contemplate will in the end remain

over. When you contemplate the other thoughts disappear. So long as

you need to contemplate there are other thoughts, Where are you? You

contemplate because you exist. For the contemplator must contemplate.

The contemplation can only be where he is. Contemplation wards off

all other thoughts. You should merge yourself in the source. At times

we merge in the source unconsciously, as in sleep, death, swoon, etc.

What is contemplation? It is merging into the source consciously. Then

the fear of death, of swoon, etc. will disappear, because you are able

to merge into the source consciously.

 

Why fear death? Death cannot mean non-being. Why do you love

sleep, but not death? Do you not think now? Are you not existing now?

Did you not exist in your sleep? Even a child says that it slept well

and happily. It admits its existence in sleep, unconsciously though. So,

consciousness is our true nature. We cannot remain unconscious. We

however say that we were unconscious in our sleep because we refer

to qualified consciousness. The world, the body, etc., are so embedded

in us that this relative consciousness is taken to be the Self. Does

anyone say in his sleep that he is unconscious? He says so now. This

is the state of relative consciousness. Therefore he speaks of relative

consciousness and not of abstract consciousness. The consciousness

is beyond relative consciousness or unconsciousness.

 

Again reverting to Tiruvachagam, Sri Bhagavan said: All the

four foremost saints have given out their experiences in the

very first stanza. (1) Undifferentiated worship. (2) Never-failing

remembrance. (3) Unrisen thought. (4) The ego is not, the Self is.

All mean the same.

 

D.: But this truth is not realized.

 

Maharshi: It will be realized in due course. Till then there is devotion (bhakti):

“Even for a trice you do not leave my mind.” Does he leave you

any moment? It is you who allow your mind to wander away. He

remains always steady. When your mind is fixed, you say: “He does

not leave my mind even for a trice”. How ridiculous!