Ramana Maharshi says complete eradication of the ego is indeed very hard

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He who has destroyed the ego is alone the true Sannyasin and the true

Brahmin; but, hard indeed is the complete destruction of the heavy burden of

the ego borne by those Sannyasins who feel “I belong to the highest ashrama”

and by those brahmins who feel “I belong to the highest caste”.

 

Sadhu Om: The true Sannyasa is the renunciation of the ego and the true

Brahminhood is the realization of Brahman [i.e., the Self],and thus both the

words Sannyasin and Brahmin mean one who has destroyed the ego. But as

ashramas [orders of life] and varnas [castes] pertain only to the body, only

those who identify themselves with their bodies can feel that they belong to

the highest ashrama [known as Sannyasa] or to the highest varna [known as

Brahminhood]. Such feelings naturally create pride and strengthen the ego,

and therefore the higher the ashrama or varna, the heavier the burden of the

ego, and the harder its eradication.

 

One who sees otherness and multiplicity cannot become a Parppan merely

because he has learnt the four Vedas. But one who sees his own [ego’s] death

is the true Parppan; the other one [i.e. the caste Brahmin] is inwardly

shamed, being despised by the Wise.

 

Michael James: Parppan literally means ‘a seer’, that is, one who knows the

truth, but it is commonly used to mean a caste brahmin.

 

The complete eradication of the ego is indeed very hard when even in the

case of Kannappa, whose love for Lord Shiva was so great that he plucked out

his own eyes and planted them on the Lord’s face, there remained [until that

moment] a trace of body attachment [i.e. ego] in the form of his pride

concerning his beautiful bright eyes.

 

 

Sadhu Om: At times Sri Bhagavan used to reveal some information which was

not given by the scriptures and Puranas such as:

 

a) how, in the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna began His teachings with the

doctrines of Ajata and Advaita, but then condescendingly came down to

various stages of Dwaita, and how He carefully used words which, though

suited to Arjuna’s limited grasping power, also gives room for well-ripened

aspirants to discover, even now, the motive behind those words.

 

b) how at first, Sri Dakshinamurti answered His disciples’ doubts with wise

and convincing replies before he took to his method of teaching through

Silence.

 

c) the following variation on the story of Kannappa: Kannappa was proud of

his eyes, which were very beautiful, so, according to the divine saying, “I

will forcibly deprive my true devotee of all his possessions so that his

mind may always cling to me”,

 

Lord Shiva tested Kannappa by making him offer even his treasured and

enviable eyes to the Lord. Thus even his slight attachment to his body was

removed and he was absorbed in Shiva. As this information about Kannappa’s

attachment to his beautiful eyes was not revealed by the Puranas, but only

by Sri Bhagavan Ramana, we can infer that He is none other than Shiva, who

faced Kannappa at that time.

 

Source: GURU VACHAKA KOVAI The Light of Supreme Truth or THE COLLECTION OF

GURU’S SAYINGS translated from original Tamil By Sadhu Om and Michael James

 

Guru Vachaka Kovai is the biggest collection of Bhagavan’s spoken teachings

that was thoroughly checked and revised by him during his lifetime. As such

it has a unique place in the Ramana literature.

 

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Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram