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THUS SPAKE RAMANA 

Compiled by Lucy Cornelssen
in Hunting the 'I', 1979

You see, the one who eliminates all the not-I cannot eliminate the ‘I’. To say ‘I am not this’ or ‘I am that’ there must be the ‘I’. This ‘I’ is only the ego or the ‘I’-thought. After the rising up of this ‘I’-thought, all other thoughts arise. The ‘I’-thought is therefore the root-thought. If the root is pulled out, all others are at the same time uprooted. Therefore seek the root-’I’, question yourself ‘Who am I ?‘, find out its source. Then all these will vanish and the pure Self will remain over. (Talks 597)

Only the annihilation of ‘I’ is Liberation. But it can be gained only by keeping the ‘I...I’ always in view. So the need for the investigation of the 'I’-thought. There is only one ‘I’ all along; but what rises up from time to time is the mistaken ‘I’-thought; whereas the intuitive ‘I’ always remains Self-shining, i.e. even before it becomes manifest. (Talks 139)

The ‘I’-thought is only limited ‘I’. The real ‘I’ is un­limited, universal, beyond time and space. They are absent in sleep, and before seeing the objective world, there is a state of awareness which is your pure Self. That must be known (Talks 311)

Soul, mind and ego are words. There are no real entities of the kind. Consciousness is the only truth. (Talks 245)

Just on waking from sleep and before becoming aware of the world there is that pure ‘I.. .I.  Hold it without sleeping or without allowing thoughts to possess you. If that is held firm it does not matter even though the world is seen. The seer remains unaffected by the phenomena. (Talks 196)

How is the ego to be destroyed? Hold the ego first and then ask how it is to be destroyed. Who asks this question? It is the ego. Can the ego ever agree to kill itself? This question is a sure way to cherish the ego and not to kill it. If you seek the ego you will find it does not exist. That is the way to destroy it. (Talks 615).

Your duty is to be; and not to be this or that. ‘I AM THAT I AM’ sums up the whole truth. The method is, summed up in ‘BE STILL’. What does stillness mean? It means ‘destroy yourself’. Because any form or shape is the cause of trouble. Give up the notion ‘I am so and so’. (Talks 363)

The ego is like one’s shadow thrown on the ground. If one attempts to bury it, it will be foolish. The Self is only one. If limited, it is the ego; if unlimited it is the Infinite and is the Reality. (Talks 146)

‘I am that I am’. ‘I am’ is God.. .not thinking, ‘I am God’. Realise ‘I am’ and do not think ‘I am’. ‘Know I am God’... it is said, and not ‘Think I am God’. (Talks 354)

The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractedness; train it to look inward; make this a habit. This is done by ignoring the external world and removing the obstacles to peace of mind. (Talks 26)

Is it the mind that wants to kill itself? The mind cannot kill itself. So your business is to find the real nature of the mind. Then you will know. that there is no mind. When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind. (Talks 146)

Mere book-learning is not of any great use. After realisation all intellectual loads are useless burdens and are thrown overboard as jetsam. Jettisoning the ego is necessary and natural. (Talks 28)

It is in the mind that birth and death, pleasure and pain, in short, the world and ego, exist. If the mind is destroyed all else are destroyed too. Note that it should be annihilated, not just made latent. For the mind is dormant in sleep. It does not know anything. Still, on waking up you are as you were before. There is no end of grief. But if the mind be destroyed the grief will have no background and will disappear along with the mind. (Talks 195)

The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts arise because there is the thinker. The thinker is the ego. The ego, if sought, will vanish automatically. The ego and the mind are the same. The ego is the root-thought from which all other thoughts arise. (Talks 195)

To imagine Muladhara at the bottom, the Heart at the centre or the head at the top or over all these is all wrong. In one word, to think is not you real nature. (Talks 184)

Is not ‘I am’ also a thought?...The egoless ‘I AM’ is ‘not a thought. It is Realisation. The meaning or significance of ‘I’ is God. The experience of 'I am’ is to ‘BE STILL’. (Talks 226).

Inward seeking is the path to be gained by man’s intellect. The intellect itself realises after continuous practice that it is enabled by some Higher Power to function. It cannot itself reach this Power. So it ceases to function after a certain stage. Then the Supreme Power is still left there all alone. That is Realisation; that is finality; that is the goal... It is thus plain that the purpose of the intellect is to realise its own dependence upon the Higher Power and its inability to reach the same. So it must annihilate itself before the goal is reached. (Talks 502)

Why is intellect developed? It has a purpose. The purpose is that it should show the way to realise the Self. It must be put to that use. (Talks 644)

The mind becomes peaceful for a short while and again emerges forth. What is to be done ?. . .The peace often gained must be remembered at other times. That peace is your natural and permanent state. By continuous practice it will become natural. That is called the ‘current’. That is your true nature. (Talks 303)

People think that freedom (moksha) is somewhere yonder and should be sought out. They are wrong. Freedom is only knowing the Self within yourself. Concentrate and you will get it. (Talks 31)

‘Be still and know that I am God’. To be still is not to think.’ Know, and not think, is the word! (Talks 131)

Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in the forest but still be unable to control his mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is a function of the mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in solitude. (Talks 20)

You can never find the mind through mind. Pass beyond it in order to find it non-existent. (Talks 473)

All thoughts are inconsistent with realisation. The correct state is to exclude thoughts of ourselves and all other thoughts. Thought is one thing and realisation is quite another. (Talks 30)

It must be clearly understood that meditation is not prohibited in the absence of asanas or prescribed times or any accessories of the kind. (Talks 17)

There is no jnana as it is commonly understood. The ordinary ideas of jnana and ajnana are only relative and false. They arc not real and therefore not abiding. The true state is the non-dual Self. It is eternal and abides whether one is aware or not. (Talks 499)

Jnana, once revealed, takes time to steady itself. The Self is certainly within the direct experience of everyone, but not as one imagines it to be. It is only as It is. (Talks 141)

Experience is said to be temporary or permanent. The first experience is temporary and by concentration it can become permanent. In the former the bondage is not completely destroyed; it remains subtle and reasserts itself in due course. But in the latter it is destroyed root and branch, never to appear again. (Talks 95)

There is no investigation into the Atman. The investigation can only be into the non-Self. Elimination of the non-Self is alone possible. The Self being always self-evident will shine forth of itself. (Talks 78)

Jnana-marga and bhakti-marga are one and the same. Self-surrender leads to realisation just as enquiry does. Complete self-surrender means that you have no further thought of ‘I’. Then all your vasanas are washed off and  you are free. You should not continue as a separate entity at the end of either course. (Talks 31)

Surrender unreservedly. One of the two things must be done: either surrender because you admit your inability and also require a Higher Power to help you; or investigate into the cause of misery, go to the source and merge into the Self. Either way you will be free from misery. God never forsakes one who has surrendered. (Talks 363)

Surrender is to give oneself up to the original source of one’s being. Do not delude your self by imagining such source to be some God outside you. One’s source is within oneself. Give yourself up to it. That means that you should seek the source and merge in it. If on the other hand you merge in the Self there will be  no individuality left. You will become the Source itself. In that case...what is surrender? Who is to surrender and to whom? This constitutes devotion, wisdom and investiga­tion. (Talks 208). 

The ‘Gita’ starts saying that you are not the body, that you are not therefore the doer. So one should act without thinking that oneself is the actor. The actions go on despite this egolessness. The person has come into manifestation for a certain purpose. That purpose will be accom­plished whether he considers himself the actor or not. (Talks 643)

How do we know that actions are ours or not?... If the fruits of actions do not affect the person, he is free from action. (Talks 40)

The one infinite Unbroken Whole (plenum) becomes aware of Itself as ‘I’. This is the original name. All other names e.g. OM, are later growths. Liberation is only to. remain aware of the Self. The Mahavakya ‘I am Brahman’ is its authority. Though the 'I' is always experienced, yet one’s attention has to be drawn to it. Then only knowledge dawns. Thus the need for the instruction of the Upanishads and of wise sages. (Talks 92)

The ultimate Truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said. (Talks 96)

Reality is one only. How can it be realised? Realisation is thus an illusion. Practice seems to be necessary. ‘Who is to practise? Looking for the doer, the act and the accessories disappear. Moreover, if Realisation is not present here and now, how can it, newly got, be of any use? Realise what is present here and now. The sages did so before and still do that only: Hence they say that it looks as if newly got. Once veiled by ignorance and later revealed, Reality looks as if newly realised. But it is not new. (Talks 439)

Dvaita and advaita are relative terms. They are based on the sense of duality. The Self is at It is. There i.s neither dvaita nor advaita. I AM THAT I AM. Simple Being is the Self. (Talks 433)

One’s efforts are directed only to remove one’s ignorance. Afterwards they cease and The real Self is found to be always  there. No effort is needed to remain as the Self. (Talks 66)

The Truth is that the Self is constant and unintermitted Awareness. The object of enquiry is to find the true nature of the Self as Awareness. Let one practise enquiry so long as separateness is perceived. Once realisation arises there is no further need for enquiry. The question will also not arise. Can Awareness ever think of questioning who is aware? Awareness remains pure and simple. (Talks 454)

The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Being is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. Of all the definitions of God, none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement ‘I am that I am’ in Exodus 3, Verse 14. None is so direct as the name JEHOVAH.. .I AM.. The Absolute Being is what is.. .It is the Self. It is God. Knowing the Self, God is known. In fact God is none other than the Self. (Talks 106)

There is a state beyond our efforts or effortlessness. Until it is realised effort is necessary. After tasting such Bliss, even once, one will repeatedly try to regain it. It is as difficult for a jnani to engage in thoughts as it is for a ajnani to be free from thought. (Talks 141)

Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method whereas all other methods are done only retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest. (Talks 146).

Effortlessness while remaining aware is the state of Bliss; and that is Realisation. (Talks 295)

In a sense, speaking of Self-realisation is a delusion. It is only because people have been under the delusion that the non-Self is the Self and the unreal the Real that they have to be weaned out of it by the other delusion called Self-realisation, because actually the Self always is the Self and there is no such thing as realizing it. Who is to realize what, and how, when all that exists is the Self and nothing but the Self? (Day by Day)

Free-will and destiny are ever-existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned with it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free-will and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But Wisdom (jnana) transcends both. The self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Should anything happen it happens as the resultant of one’s past actions, of divine will and other factors. (Talks 193)

Free-will holds the field in association with individuality. As long as individuality lasts so long there is Free-will. All the scriptures are based on this fact and they advise directing the Free-will in the right channel. Find out to whom Free­will or destiny matters. Abide in it. Then these two are transcended. That is the only purpose of discussing these questions. To whom do they arise? Find out and be at peace. (Talks 426)

Yoga implies prior division and it means later union of one with the other. Who is to be united with whom? You are the seeker, seeking union with something. That some­thing is apart from you. You are aware of the Self. Seek it and be it. That will expand as the Infinite. Then there will be no question of yoga, etc. Whose is the separation (viyoga?) Find it. (Talks 211)

He who instructs an ardent seeker to do this or that is not a true Master. The seeker is already afflicted by his activities and wants Peace and Rest. In other words he wants cessation of his activities. Instead of that he is told to do something in addition to or in place of his other activities. Can that be a help to the seeker? (Talks 601)

Love postulates duality. How can the Self be the object of Love? Love is not different from the Self. Love of an object is of an inferior order and cannot endure. Whereas the Self is Love, in other words, God is Love. (Talks 433)

Turn your vision inwards and the whole world will be full of the Supreme Spirit. The world is said to be illusion. Illusion is really Truth. Even the material sciences trace the origin of the universe to some primordial matter.., subtle, exceedingly subtle... God is the same both to those who say the world is real and to their opponents. Their outlook is different. You need neither subject nor object; there is nothing to see, nothing to
not entangle yourself in such disputations. The goal is one feel, nothing to know. Seeking and knowing are the functions and the same for all. Look to it. (Talks 199)

The Bible says ‘Be still and know that I am God’. Stillness is the sole requisite for the realisation of the Self as God. (Talks 338)

Bramacharya is ‘living in Brahman’. It has no connection with celibacy as commonly understood. A real Brahmachari finds Bliss in the Brahma which is the same as the Self. Why then should you look for other sources of happiness? In fact the emergence from the Self has been the cause of all the misery. (Talks 17)

When there is contact of a desirable sort or memory thereof, and when there is freedom from undesirable contacts or memory thereof, we say there is happiness. Such happiness is relative and is better called pleasure.  But men want absolute and permanent happiness. This does not reside in objects, but in the Absolute. It is Peace, free from pain and pleasure.. .it is a neutral state. (Talks 28)

This is the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven mentioned in the Bible and this world are not two different regions. ‘The Kingdom is within you, says the Bible. So it is. The realised being sees this as the Kingdom of Heaven whereas other see it as ‘this world’. The difference lies only in the angle of vision. (Talks 609)

Nirvana is Perfection. In the Perfect State there is  of the mind. In Nirvana there is nothing but the blissful pure consciousness ‘I am’. (Talks 406)

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