Regarding the Guru and the Self, Sri Maharshi has said the following:

[Guest guest]

prof laxmi narain (prof_narain)

 

Source and courtesy: Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad

This article was published in Sri Ramana Jyothi,

monthly magazine of the Kendram.

 

Regarding the Guru and the Self, Sri Maharshi has said the following:

" Guru is necessary so long as there is laghu.[ Pun on Guru = heavy;

laghu = light.] Laghu is due to the self-imposed but wrong

limitation of the Self. The Guru, otherwise God, guides the devotee,

saying that God is in you and He is the Self. This leads to

introversion of the mind and finally to realization. " (p.80)

" Because of the false identification of the Self with the body the

Guru is considered to be with body. But from Guru's outlook, the Guru

is only the Self. The Self is one only. He tells that the Self alone

is. Is not then the Self your Guru? Where else will grace come

from? It is from the Self alone. Manifestation of the Self is a

manifestation of the Grace and vice versa.All these doubts arise

because of the wrong outlook and consequent expectation of things

external to oneself. Nothing is external to the Self. " (p.136)

" Isvaro gururatmeti……God is the same as Guru and Self… … A person

begins with dissatisfaction. Not content with the world he seeks

satisfaction of desires by prayers to God; his mind is purified; he

longs to know God more than to satisfy his carnal desires. Then God's

grace begins to manifest. God takes the form of a Guru and appears to

the devotee; teaches him the Truth; purifies the mind by his

teachings and contact; the mind gains strength, is able to turn

inwards; with meditation it is purified yet further, and eventually

remains still without the least ripple. That stillness is the Self.

The Guru is both exterior and interior. From the exterior he gives a

push to the mind to turn inward; from the interior he pulls the mind

towards the Self and helps the mind to achieve quietness. That is

Grace. Hence there is no difference between God, Guru and Self. " (p.

165)

" Guru is the Self. Take Guru to be the Real Self and your self as the

individual self. So long as the duality persists in you the Guru is

necessary. Because you identify yourself with the body you think the

Guru, too, to be some body. You are not the body, nor is the Guru.

You are the Self and so is the Guru. " (p. 240)

:Does the Guru hold you by the hand and whisper something in your

ear? You imagine him to be like yourself. Because you are body you

think that he is also a body in order to do something tangible to

you. His work lies within. How is Guru gained? God in his Grace takes

pity on the loving devotee and manifests Himself as being according

to the devotee's standard. The devotee thinks that he is a man and

expects relationship as between the bodies. But the Guru, who is God

or Self-incarnate, works within, helps the man to see the error to

his ways, guides him in the right path until he realizes the Self

within. " (p.368)

(All quotes are from the Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, available

at the Kendram's bookstore.)