Who AM I By Ramana Maharshi

[Guest guest]

If the mind, which is the instrument of knowledge and is the basis of all

activity, subsides, the perception of the world as an objective reality

ceases. Unless the illusory perception of the serpent in the rope ceases,

the rope on which the illusion is formed is not perceived as such.Similarly,

unless the illusory nature of the perception of the world as an objective

reality ceases, the vision of the true nature of the Self, on which the

illusion is formed, is not obtained.

 

Nor is there any such thing as the physical world apart from and independent

of thought. In deep sleep there are no thoughts: nor is there the world. In

the wakeful and dream states thoughts are present, and there is also the

world. Just as the spider draws out the thread of the cobweb from within

itself and withdraws it again into itself, in the same way the mind projects

the world out of itself and absorbs it back into itself.

 

Even when extraneous thoughts sprout up during such enquiry, do not seek to

complete the rising thought but instead,deeply enquire within, ‘To whom has

this thought occurred?’ No matter how many thoughts thus occur to you, if

you would with acute vigilance enquire immediately as and when each

individual thought arises to whom it has occurred, you would find it is to

‘me’. If then you enquire ‘Who am I?’ the mind gets introverted and the

rising thought also subsides. In this manner as you persevere more and more

in the practice of Self-enquiry,the mind acquires increasing strength and

power to abide in its Source.

 

For the subsidence of mind there is no other means more effective and

adequate than Self-enquiry. Even though by other means the mind subsides,

that is only apparently so; it will rise again.

 

For instance, the mind subsides by the practice of pranayama (restraint and

control of breath and vital forces); yet such subsidence lasts only as long

as the control of breath and vital forces continues; and when they are

released, the mind also gets released and immediately, becoming

externalized, it continues to wander through the force of its subtle

tendencies.

 

Firm and disciplined inherence in the Atman without giving the least scope

for the rise of any thought other than the deep contemplative thought of the

Self, constitutes self-surrender to the Supreme Lord. Let any amount of

burden be laid on Him, He will bear it all. It is, in fact, the indefinable

power of the Lord that ordains, sustains and controls everything that

happens. Why then, should we worry, tormented by vexatious thoughts, saying:

‘Shall we act this way? No, that way,’ instead of meekly but happily

submitting to that Power? Knowing that the train carries all the weight, why

indeed should we, the passengers travelling in it, carry our small

individual articles of luggage on our laps to our great discomfort, instead

of putting them aside and sitting at perfect ease?

 

It is pleasant under the shade of a tree and scorching in the heat of the

sun outside. A person toiling in the sun seeks the cool shade of the tree

and is happy under it. After staying there for a while, he moves out again

but, unable to bear the merciless heat of the sun, he again seeks the shade.

In this way he keeps on moving from shade to sun and sun to shade.

 

It is an unwise person who acts thus, whereas the wise man never leaves the

shade: in the same way the mind of the Enlightened Sage (jnani) never exists

apart from Brahman, the Absolute. The mind of the ignorant on the other

hand, entering into the phenomenal world, suffers pain and anguish; and

then, turning for a short while towards Brahman, it experiences happiness.

Such is the mind of the ignorant.

 

This phenomenal world, however, is nothing but thought.When the world

recedes from one’s view — that is when one is free from thought — the mind

enjoys the Bliss of the Self.Conversely, when the world appears — that is

when thought occurs — the mind experiences pain and anguish.

 

Except that the wakeful state is long and the dream state short, there is no

difference between the two. All the activities of the dream state appear,

for the time being, just as real as the activities of the wakeful state seem

to be while awake. Only,during the dream state, the mind assumes another

form or a different bodily sheath. For thoughts on the one hand and name and

form on the other occur simultaneously during both the wakeful and dream

states.

 

There are not two minds, one good and the other evil. It is only the vasanas

or tendencies of the mind that are of two kinds, good and favourable, evil

and unfavourable. When the mind is associated with the former it is called

good; and when associated with the latter it is called evil. However

evil-minded other people may appear to you, it is not proper to hate or

depise them. Likes and dislikes, love and hatred are equally to be eschewed.

It is also not proper to let the mind often rest on objects or affairs of

mundane life. As far as possible one should not interfere in the affairs of

others. Everything offered to others is really an offering to oneself; and

if only this truth were realized, who is there that would refuse anything to

others?

 

If the ego rises, all else will also rise; if it subsides, all else will

also subside. The deeper the humility with which we conduct ourselves, the

better it is for us. If only the mind is kept under control, what matters it

where one may happen to be?

 

Source: Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s WORDS OF GRACE Book

 

--

Om namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram