phenomena are real when experienced as the Self

[Guest guest]

The Teachings of BhagavanSri Ramana Maharshiin His Own WordsCHAPTER ONETHE

WORLD : REAL OR ILLUSION?Bhagavan: Shankara has been criticised for his philosophy of Maya(illusion) without understanding his meaning. He made threestatements: that Brahman is real, that the universe is unreal,and that Brahman is the Universe. He did not stop with thesecond.

The third statement explains the first two; it signifiesthat when the Universe is perceived apart from Brahman, thatperception is false and illusory. What it amounts to is thatphenomena are real when experienced as the Self and illusorywhen seen apart from the Self. 1The Self alone exists and is

real. The world, the individualand God are, like the illusory appearance of silver in the motherof-pearl, imaginary creations in the Self. 2 They appear anddisappear simultaneously. Actually, the Self alone is the world,the `I' and God. All that exists is only a manifestation of theSupreme. 3Devotee: What is reality?B.: Reality

must always be real. It has no names or formsbut is what underlies them. It underlies all limitations, beingitself limitless. It is not

bound in any way. It underlies unrealities,being itself Real. It is

that which is. It is as it is. It transcendsspeech and is beyond description such as being or non-being. 41 Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge by Arthur Osborne (2nd Edition, 2002), p. 92.2 As will appear later, this does

not in fact imply `atheism' any more thanthe previous quotation implies `pantheism'. In fact, labels are not muchuse in trying to understand what is not a system of philosophy but atheoretical basis

for spiritual effort.3 Who Am I?, § 16.4 Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, 140.