Letters from Sri Ramanasramam 33

[Guest guest]

31st January, 1946

 

ASTRAL PATHS — HIGHER WORLDS

 

This morning after reading an article in the newspaper

 

about paths beyond the sun and the higher worlds, Bhagavan

 

said, " They write a lot about the paths beyond the sun and

 

other planets, and the blissful worlds above them. All those

 

worlds also are like this world. There is nothing specially

 

great about them. Here, a song is being transmitted over

 

the radio. Last time, it was from Madras. Now it is from

 

Tiruchirapalli. If you tune again it will be from Mysore. All

 

these places are in Tiruvannamalai, within this short time. It

 

is the same way with the other worlds. You have only to turn

 

your minds to them. You can see them all in one moment.

 

But what is the use? You merely go about from place to

 

place get tired and disgusted. Where is shanti (peace)? If you

 

want it, you must know the eternal truth. If you cannot know

 

that, the mind will not get absorbed in shanti. "

 

Similarly someone enquired of Bhagavan some time back,

 

" People talk of Vaikunta, Kailasa, Indraloka, Chandraloka,

 

etc. Do they really exist? " Bhagavan replied, " Certainly. You

 

can rest assured that they all exist. There also a Swami like

 

me will be found seated on a couch and disciples will also be

 

seated around him. They will ask something and he will say

 

something in reply. Everything will be more or less like this.

 

What of that? If one sees Chandraloka, he will ask for

 

Indraloka, and after Indraloka, Vaikunta and after Vaikunta,

 

Kailasa, and so on, and the mind goes on wandering. Where

 

is shanti? If shanti is required, the only correct method of

 

securing it is by Self-enquiry. Through Self-enquiry Selfrealisation

 

is possible. If one realises the Self, one can see all

 

these worlds within one's self. The source of everything is

 

one's own Self, and if one realises the Self, one will not find

 

anything different from the Self. Then these questions will

 

not arise. There may or may not be a Vaikunta or a Kailasa

 

but it is a fact that you are here, isn't it? How are you here?

 

Where are you? After you know about these things, you can

 

think of all those worlds. "