In the news paper copied from TOI – author Anup Taneja

Link to Original Document

Paul Brenton who visited Ramana Maharishi in 1931, placed before the latter two fundamental

questions: Is it necessary to renounce

the world and move to secluded jungles

or mountains to realise the Truth? What

method should be pursued to attain

Self-realisation?

In response to the first question, the

Maharshi said that solitude is in the

mind of a man. One might be in the

thick of the world and yet maintain

perfect equanimity; such a person is

always in solitude. Another may stay in

the jungle or mountain-top but still be

unable to keep the mind calm. Such a

person cannot be said to be in solitude.

Solitude, thus, is an attitude of

the mind; a detached man is always

in solitude.

Raman Maharshi further said that

the life of action need not be renounced

in case the seeker is able to meditate for

an hour or two every day. This is because

the spiritual currents generated during

meditation will continue to flow even in

the midst of one’s work. Then the seeker

can perform his worldly activities in

that very current at high efficiency

and output levels. Thus, while the seeker is engaged in search of God within’,

‘outer’ worldly activities go on spontaneously.

Replying to the second question, the Maharshi said that the method of Self-inquiry is the simplest and direct method for Self-realisation. He explained that the first and foremost of

all thoughts, the primeval thought in the mind of every man, is the thought ‘i It is only after the birth of this that any other thought can arise at all. The thought ‘I’ is also known as ahankar, ego, feeling of one’s personality.

Therefore, the seeker desirous of attaining nana must constantly ask himself the question, ‘Who am I?’ If you meditate on this question, said Ramana Maharishi, and “‘begin to perceive that neither the body and brain, nor desires are really you, then the very attitude of inquiry will eventually draw the answer to you out of the depths of your own being”

Something else will spontaneously arise from behind your mind and take complete pos-

session of you. That ‘something’ is the

Pure Self – infinite, divine and eternal.

The mind, according to Ramana

Maharshi, is a mere bundle of thoughts

and has no concrete existence. Further,

there can be no thoughts in the absence

of the thinker, the ego. Through

constant self-inquiry, when the seeker

delves deep into the innermost recesses

of his being, the ego gets dissolved and

merges in Pure Consciousness. When

this happens, the seeker attains the

exalted state of Self realisation.

Raman Maharshi illustrated the

process of annihilation of the ego by

giving the example of the stick that is

used in cremating bodies in the

cremation ground. The stick that helps

in pushing the bodies into the funeral

blaze is itself in the end consumed by

the same blaze. The stick is the ego

and the blaze is the fire of jnana,

Pure Consciousness, which abides in

eternity and destroys ignorance.

Therefore, the seeker who wishes to

extricate himself from the vicious cycle

of transmigration, “must retreat into

his impregnable citadel” by realising

his identity with the Pure, Immortal

Self, the One Ultimate Reality.

My thoughts! Below

This came to me through WhatsApp. A very wonderful well wisher sent it to me!

A coincidence – since I was thinking of Ramana Maharishi

A word of caution – this ego is so far within, so deep that when you get there – you realize that ego is a constant force in maya. It is not so easy to overcome. Also , it is a tangible force , not something abstract or imaginary

The tools to destroy it , is – going further deep within ! This is a significant step in conquering maya.

There are more layers above this though ! Ramana Maharishi operated at a higher level than this

The reassuring thing is 1-2 hours of going to this deep deep level is enough to reach Salvation

Ramana Maharishi stayed in that higher state most of his life not just 1-2 hours

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