Ramana Maharshi Spiritual instructions for Seekers

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Question : How should a beginner start this practice?

 

Ramana Maharshi : The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry `Who am

I?' The thought 'Who am I?', destroying all other thoughts, will itself

finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre. If

other thoughts rise one should, without attempting to complete them, enquire

`To whom did they rise?'

 

What does it matter however many thoughts rise? At the very moment that each

thought rises, if one vigilantly enquires `To whom did this rise?', it will

be known `To me'. If one then enquires `Who am I?', the mind will turn back

to its source [the Self] and the thought which had risen will also subside.

By repeatedly practising thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source

increases.

 

Although tendencies towards sense-objects [vishaya vasanas], which have been

recurring down the ages, rise in countless numbers like the waves of the

ocean, they will all perish as meditation on one's nature becomes more and

more intense. Without giving room even to the doubting thought, `Is it

possible to destroy all these tendencies [vasanas] and to remain as Self

alone?', one should persistently cling fast to self-attention.

 

As long as there are tendencies towards sense-objects in the mind, the

enquiry `Who am I ?' is necessary. As and when thoughts rise, one should

annihilate all of them through enquiry then and there in their very place of

origin. Not attending to what-is-other [anya] is non-attachment [vairagya]

or desirelessness [nirasa].

 

Not leaving Self is knowledge [jnana]. In truth, these two [desirelessness

and knowledge] are one and the same. Just as a pearl-diver, tying a stone to

his waist, dives into the sea and takes the pearl lying at the bottom, so

everyone, diving deep within himself with non-attachment, can attain the

pearl of Self. If one resorts uninterruptedly to remembrance of one's real

nature [swarupasmarana] until one attains Self, that alone will be

sufficient.

 

Enquiring `Who am I that is in bondage?' and knowing one's real nature

[swarupa] alone is liberation. Always keeping the mind fixed in Self alone

is called 'self-enquiry', whereas meditation [dhyana] is thinking oneself to

be the absolute [brahman], which is existence-consciousness-bliss

[sat-chit-ananda].

 

Question : The yogis say that one must renounce this world and go off into

secluded jungles if one wishes to find the truth.

 

Ramana Maharshi : The life of action need not be renounced. If you meditate

for an hour or two every day you can then carry on with your duties. If you

meditate in the right manner then the current of mind induced will continue

to flow even in the midst of your work. It is as though there were two ways

of expressing the same idea; the same line which you take in meditation will

be expressed in your activities.

 

Source : from the book " Be As You Are " David Godman

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/ramana-maharshi-spiritual-instruc\

tions.html

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Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prashant Jalasutram