Part4 -- Talks of Ramana Maharshi

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“Look how every person believes in his own existence. Does he look in the

mirror to see his being? His awareness of his existence gives him the

assurance of it. But he compares it with the body, etc. Why should he do

that? Is he aware of his body in sleep? He is not, yet he does not cease to

exist while in sleep. He has therefore only to be aware of his being and

this will be evident to him.” -- Talks 363

 

“You speak of the vision of Siva. Vision is always of an object, which

implies the existence of the subject.Whatever appears must also disappear. A

vision can never be eternal. But Siva is eternal. He is the consciousness.

He is the Self.“TO BE is to realise — hence I AM THAT I AM. I AM is Siva.

Nothing can be without Him. Therefore enquire ‘Who am I?’ Sink deep and

abide as the Self. That is Siva as BEing.Do not expect to have visions of

Him.” -- Talks 450

 

“There is no being who is not conscious and therefore who is not Siva. Not

only he is Siva but also all else. Yet he thinks in sheer ignorance that he

sees the universe in diverse forms. But if he sees the Self he will not be

aware of his separateness from the universe. Siva is then seen as the

universe. But (unfortunately) the seer does not see the background. Think of

the man who sees only the cloth and not the cotton of which it is made, or

the pictures and not the screen; or the letters which he reads and not the

paper on which they are written. Siva is both the Being assuming the forms

in the universe as well as the consciousness that sees them. That is to say

Siva is the background underlying both the subject and the object — Siva in

repose and Siva in action. Whatever it is said to be, it is only

Consciousness, whether in repose or in action.” -- Talks 450

 

“The Cosmic Mind, being not limited by the ego, has nothing separate from

itself and is therefore only aware. This is what the Bible means by ‘I am

that I Am’.” -- Talks 187

 

“There is the peaceful mind which is the supreme. When the same becomes

restless, it is afflicted by thoughts. Mind is only the dynamic power

(shakti) of the Self. There is no difference between matter and spirit.

Modern science admits that all matter is energy. Energy is power or force

(shakti). Therefore all are resolved in Siva and Shakti, i.e., the Self and

the Mind.” -- Talks 268

 

“Should I meditate on the right chest in order to meditate on the Heart?”

Bhagavan: “The Heart is not physical. Meditation should not be on the right

or the left. It should be on the Self. Everyone knows “I am”. It is neither

within nor without, neither on the right nor the left: ‘I am’ — that is

all.” -- Talks 273

 

“The silence of solitude is forced. Restrained speech in society amounts to

silence. For the man then controls his speech. If the speaker is engaged

otherwise speech becomes restrained. Introverted mind is otherwise active

and is not anxious to speak.” -- Talks 60

 

Bhagavan says that going to places of solitude for the purpose of

cultivating the habit of silence is not of much value; for it is a forced

state for lack of company; whereas control of the tongue in society is true

silence, and thus true self-control.

 

“Mouna as a disciplinary measure is meant for limiting the mental activities

due to speech. If the mind is otherwise controlled disciplinary mouna is

unnecessary. For mouna becomes natural.” -- Talks 60

 

Note: Why do sadhakas cultivate silence? In order to silence the mind. But

this is holding the stick by the wrong end; for it is not speech that causes

thinking, but thinking that causes speaking. Conversation, no doubt,

provokes thinking and therefore talking, but if the mind has not been

brought under control, even if there is no one to talk to, the mind will

talk to itself; memory in particular will surge up and will fill the mind

with thoughts of the dead past. The mind in solitude will then be in a far

worse condition than in society. Memory is a more dangerous companion than

the society of sattvic friends, who may sometimes talk on irrelevant

matters, but this may prove a help to the sadhaka,in that it serves to break

his brooding over a chain of unhappy events which are dead and gone, and

whose resuscitation may depress the mind, which he endeavours to keep

cheerful for the sake of a successful sadhana.

 

.... To Be Contined

 

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Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram