Ramana Maharshi Says Everyone Must Do What They Have Come For

2-2-46 Morning

A visitor told Bhagavan that he was working for Harijan uplift, that he and his co-workers in the cause had darshan of Mahatma Gandhi and got his blessings, that Mahatma Gandhi told them that if they could bring about marriages between Harijan girls and higher caste gentlemen, such marriages would have his blessings; and that he (visitor) would like to have Bhagavan’s views in the matter.

Bhagavan said, “If Mahatma Gandhi has said so, we will all hear what he has said. What more is there for us to do? He is a distinguished man and is working in that field.What have we to do with that?”

Turning to us, Bhagavan added,“If I open my mouth, something will appear in the papers that so-and-so has also said such-and-such a thing. The next day there will be people to criticise it. Our business is to keep quiet. If we enter into all these, people will naturally ask, and justifiably, ‘Why is he interfering in all these instead of keeping quiet?’

Similarly if Mahatma Gandhi keeps quiet leaving aside all his activities,they will ask, ‘Why is he keeping quiet instead of engaging in all these activities?’ He must do what he has come for. We must do what we have come for.”

Source: DAY BY DAY WITH BHAGAVAN From the Diary of A. DEVARAJA MUDALIAR

Readers interested are requested to read below article as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-says-each-person-had.html

http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-is-skill-in-action.html

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Part 2 - Few Teachings Of Ramana Maharshi

Since even (the gods) Vayu and Agni are unable to lift or burn a blade of grass, (in the presence of God), how can an ego-ridden person accomplish anything whatever (by his own endeavour, unsustained by Grace)? (91)

“There are two Selves; the individual self is one; the Supreme is another,” so think the ignorant ones; the Self is only one, not two; the Supreme One is the Real (Self); the other one is a false appearance, (94)

Though you may not believe all that is said of God, believe at least this much there. There is God. This seed is very potent in its growth. That seed has such great might that you will not see anything other than God – you will not see even yourself. Verily, God is all. (All is One)

Because the sage has already renounced for the sake of humanity his mind and body, he feels no concern under the strain of service of his mind and body to the world. He will not shun the bodily labour and will not be a friend of any suffering. It is the realization of the Peace that gives him such courage and presence of mind. (All in One)

Since the (vital) fire called Kundalini flames upwards, and the moon, namely intellect, flows downwards, the Supreme Self, the Sun Consciousness, who is the (one) Source of bothm dwells between them in the Heart. (Guru Ramana Vachana Mala, 93)

If the vasanas that come forth from the mind, like soldiers from within a fort, are then and there killed by the sword of the quest of the Self, the mind is finally conquered.So long as one single vasana remains, good or bad, so long must we remain unrealized.

The man who is deluded by the conviction ‘I am the body’ thinks that God’s world is outside himself and far away. Really God’s world is inside the Heart. (No world in reality). (92)

Unswervingly worship of God of your Self with the flower of mental peace. Let the children – the mental modes – watch this worship. Gradually they will learn to cast away their childish pranks and desire to delight like yourself. Continue your worship patiently. (All is One)

Unless the thought ‘the bliss of the self’ has not been experienced is completely destroyed, the experience of the self is not revealed. It is not experienced like a sense pleasure with the accompanying false and superficial the activity of the mind. Indeed, the activity of the mind is the obstacle to it. (All is one)

If God – who is in the Heart – does not draw the (Sadhaka’s) mind inwards by the might of His grace, who can attain Peace by diving into the Heart, by the (mere) power of his own mind, which is treacherous? (Guru Ramana Vachana Mala, 89)

The might of God’s grace and the Quest of the Self in the form of (the question) ‘Who am I?’ – these two together lead the seeker (Sadhaka) to the Heart and give him the Supreme State, which is the state of (his own) Real Self. (88)

Bliss is not something to be got. You have only to get rid of your ignorance which makes you think that you are other than bliss. For whom is this ignorance? For the ego. Trace the source of the ego. Then the ego is destroyed and bliss remains ever. It is eternal. (Talk, 106)

Liberation is not to be achieved through endless cycled of time by reading the scriptures or worshipping the gods or by anything else than knowledge of the unity of Brahman and atman. (Viveka Chudamani, Tr. By Sri Bhagavan)

The state of Atmanishta (being fixed in the self) devoid of the individual feeling ‘I’, in the supreme state. In this state there is no room for thinking of objects, nor for this feeling of individual being. There is no doubt of any kind in this natural state of being consciousness.

Nirvana is perfection. In the perfect state there is neither subject nor object, ‘there is nothing to see, nothing to feel, nothing to know. Seeing and knowing are the functions of the mind. In nirvana there is nothing but the blissful pure consciousness ‘I am’ (Talk 406)

Actions are prescribed only for purification of the mind, not for realization of the Self Knowledge of the truth of the Self is obtained only by Self enquiry and not by any number of actions. (Viveka Chudamani, Tr. By Sri Bhagavan)

As God is ever shining as ‘I’ (as one’s own relating) realizing one’s Self without attributes is realizing God Himself. (Upadesa Undhiar, 25)

If the light of the sun is invisible to the owl, it is only the fault of that bind and not of the sun. Similarly, can the unawareness by ignorant persons of the Self, which is always of the nature awareness, be other than their own fault. (Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi)

Hear will be removed by the cool moon, poverty by the celestial wish-fulfilling tree, and sin by taking holy dip in the ganga. But know that all these beginning with heat, will be removed merely by having the darshan of incomparable sadhus. (Ulladu Narpadu – Supplement, 4)

To know the Self is to be Self as the Self (I) is not two. This is (to be the Self) indeed Self-abidance. (Upadesa Undhiar, 26)

Power over all and adorability by all came to God, because He never says ‘I’, even through forgetfulness. (Guru Ramana Vachana Mala, 98)

Since God is verily the Self in the heart, constant meditation on the Truth of oneself is the devotion that is most pleasing to God. (107)

Man is guilty of theft, in thinking himself to be being separate from that Pure indivisible Consciousness, which is the true nature of the Supreme one. (110)

Since the Supreme One Himself shines in the heart of every living being as ‘I-I’, (it needs to be understood that) thus God teaches all, saying “I am the one (Self) in all”. (‘I-I’ is the description of the Real Self, becaue His manifestation as the Self is constant while the ego is not so). (95)

God’s creation surely leads (man), through devotion to the Guru, to the state of Self-Realisation; thus it becomes a means of liberation from bondage, and should therefore be considered as benign. (102)

God’s grace consists in the act that He shines in the heart of everyone as the Self; that power of grace does not exclude anyone, whether good or otherwise. (103)

For those great ones that see in their hearts the lotus-feet of God, arises the Light of Consciousness of the One Real Self, through the extinction of their mental taints. (106)

The (Supreme) Self is described as being smaller than the tiny atom of greater than the greatest, because He is beyond the reach of the mind, which is itself infinite and atomic. (99)

Understand that the truth of the Vermilion powder (Kumkumam, used by some devotees), is the fire of Illumination, by which the delusion ‘I am the body’ is burnt out in the Heart, as the effect of the quest of the Self. (122)

Like the offering of a bit of jaggery, taken off from Lord Ganesa made of jaggery, is the offering of one’s own self to God. Is there any entity called the self, apart from Him? (111)

He that sees the Lord in the temple, the living body, by seeking Him within, can alone see Him, the Infinite, in the temple of the universe, having become the endless Eye. He that has practiced devotion to God like that of monkey, through many lives, attains supreme Illumination by the grace of God, through devotion like that of kitten. (114)

Ignorant ones look upon love as the seventh taste; (the truth is that) it is the first and foremost of all tastes, which gives flavour to all the (so-called) other tastes. (119)

Even if one who has shaken off all fruits and won the divine endowment, has gone forth from the house (as a homeless ascetic) and practiced discipline (tapas), he will not win (complete) happiness, without the company of a (competent) Guru. (126)

The man who has the notion ‘I am the body’ cannot possibly worship God as formless; whatever worship he makes will be worship in form alone, not otherwise. (115)

The grace of the Guru is like an ocean. If you come with a cup, you will only receive a cupful.It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean; the bigger the vessel, the more you will be able to carry.It is entirely upto you.

Days, planets, astrological ‘yogas;, time-periods, and constellations, are all auspicious for practicing devotion to the Most Auspicious, for those that have (sincere) devotion (to Him). (118)

Perfect devotion is just the persistence of identity with the One all-embracing Reality, which shines forth when the false ‘I’ is destroyed utterly in the Heart, by the process of seeking the Self. (123)

The seeker of illumination should approach (as a disciple), not the bound one who (merely) knows the sense of the sacred love, (but) the Jivanmukta, the one that is in the Supreme Silence, who is happy in unity with the Reality. (124)

Whatever one does in the world is worship of God, if he has the conviction that difference does not really exist, since all forms are only manifestation of God.(117)

(But) he that is unqualified for the formless obtains by the grace of God in the end the Illumination of the Real Self, by worshipping Him with form. (116)

He that has (himself) crossed the ocean of relativity can (alone) help other men to cross (the same); an unenlightened person elected (as Guru) by another unenlightened one is like a blind guide to another blind one. (125)

The One (Real Self) becomes threefold; to the devotee He is God; to the seeker of illumination He becomes the Guru; when the mind still in the heart He Himself becomes (manifest as) the Real Self. (120)

Offering of the self to that which is the reality of God in the Heart, through the extinction of the ego, is the final outcome of sustained devotion to Him. (113)

The act of making the ego serve as the food of God, by stilling the mind in the Heart, by the power of devotion to God in his real nature (as the Self), is real offering to Him. (112)

That auspicious and immortal Reality which remains over as the residue, when the individual (false) self is cremated in the fire of Illumination, is the real meaning of the ‘holy ash’, (vibhuti). (121)

It is said that Hari gives Liberation, and that Hara gives Illumination; but Illumination is the true nature of Liberation; hence Hari and Hara are one and the same. (100)

Those who serve God (Siva) for the sake of objects desired do not (really) serve God; they serve the desired objects; hence they do not win the (true) reward of devotion. (105)

That God prompted Kannapa, the great devotee, to offer (to Himself) his own eyes, was in order to confer on him His own state through the extinction of his ego. (104)

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Part 1 - Few Teachings Of Ramana Maharshi

The truth about happiness and suffering, which has been correctly determined by the wise, is this: Outwardness of the mind is suffering; its inwardness is happiness.

The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their past deeds – their prarabdha karma. Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try how hard you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is for one is to be silent. (Maharshi’s Upadesa to this Mother in 1898)

If one resorts to contemplation of the Self unintermittently, until the Self is gained, that alone would do. As long as there are enemies within the fortress, they will continue to sally forth; if they are destroyed as they emerge, the fortress will fall into our hands. (Who Am I?)

He who gives himself up to the Self that is God is the most excellent devotee. Giving one’s self up to God means remaining constantly in the Self without giving room for the rise of any thoughts other than the thought of the Self. (Who Am I?)

The mind will become quiescent only by the enquiry ‘Who am I?’. The thought ‘Who am I?’ will destroy all other thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself in the end get destroyed. Then, there will arise Self-realization (Who Am I?).

As long as there are impression of objects in the mind, so long the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ is required. As thoughts arise they should be destroyed then and there in the very place of their origin through enquiry. (Who Am I?).

Whatever burdens are thrown on God, He bears them. Since the supreme power of God makes all things move, why should we, without submitting ourselves to it, constantly worry ourselves with thoughts as to what should be done and how, and what should not be done and how not? (Who Am I?)

Just as the pearl-diver ties a stone to his waist, sinks to the bottom of the sea and there takes the pearls, so each one of us should be endowed with non-attachment, dive within oneself and obtain the Self-Pearl. (Who Am I?)


Other than enquiry, there are no adequate means. If through other means it is sought to control the mind, the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again go forth. (Who Am I?)

Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are not different. There is no happiness in any object of the world. We imagine through our ignorance that we derive happiness from objects. (Who Am I?)


Inquiring into the nature of one’s self that is in bondage, and realizing one’s true nature is release. (Who Am I?)

By the strength of meditation (i.e, by the strength of Self attention) abiding in the state of being which transcend meditation, alone is the truth of supreme devotion (pure parabhakti). (Upadesa Undhiar,9)

Through the senses’ gross desires, we have become submerged in a false world of drams. Destroying the mind’s resultant accumulation of suffering in the fire of vigilant awareness, the holy truth of the mantra Sivaya Namaha establishes itself within as we eat in joy and celebrate the blessed Pongal festival. (Sri Ramananubuthi, 240)

Enquiry consists in retaining the mind in the Self, Meditation consists in thinking that one’s self is Brahman, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. (Who AM I?).

Abiding in the Heart of being whence we sprang is the path of action of devotion, of yoga and jnan. (Upadesa Undhiar, 10)

As there is no consciousness (chit) other than existence (sat) to know Existence itself is being consciousness. So we are verily consciousness. (Upadesa Undhiar, 23)

What is called the world is only thought. When the world disappears, i.e., when there is no thought, the mind experiences happiness; and when the world appears, it goes through misery. (Who Am I?)

Remaining quiet is that is called wisdom-insight. To remain quiet is to resolve the mind in the Self. Telepathy, knowing past, present and future happenings and clairvoyance do not constitute wisdom-insight. (Who Am I?)

When one enquires the form of mind without forgetfulness or slackness of attention, it will be found that there is no such thing as mind. This is the direct path for all (types of sadhakas). (Upadesa Undhiar, 17)

It is true wisdom for the mind to twin away from worldly objects and behold its own form of light (its true of effulgent consciousness the real Self). (Upadesa Undhiar, 16)

Desirelessness is wisdom. The two are not different’ they are the same. Desirelessness is refraining from turning the mind towards any object. Wisdom means the appearance of no object. In other words, not seeking what is other than the Self is detachment or desirelessness; not leaving the Self is wisdom. (Who Am I?)

All the texts say that in order to gain release one should render the mind quiescent; therefore their conclusive teaching is that the mind should be rendered quiescent; once this has been understood there is no need for endless reading. In order to quieten the mind one has only to inquire within oneself what one’s Self is; how could this search be done in books? One should know one’s Self with one’s own eye of wisdom. (Who Am I?)

Rather then viewing God as different from one contemplation that is done with the conviction. ‘He is I’ is indeed the best of all the various kinds of meditation (Upadesa Undhiar, 8)

Keeping the mind fixed in the Self at all times is called Self-enquiry whereas thinking oneself to be Brahman, which is sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss), is meditation. Eventually, all the one has learnt will have to be forgotten. (Who Am I?)

The Self is within the five sheaths; but books are outside them. Since the Self has to be inquired into by discarding the five sheaths, it is futile to search for it in books. There will come a time when one will have to forget all that one has learned. (Who Am I?)

Through the control of breath also, the mind will become quiescent; but it will be quiescent only so long as the breath remains controlled, and when the breath resumes the mind also will again start moving and will wander as impelled by residual impressions. The source is the same for both mind and breath. (Who Am I?)

As thoughts arise, destroying them utterly a without any residue in the very place of their origin is non-attachment. (Who Am I?)

I am pure existence, I am not the body nor the senses, mind nor life, nor ignorance for, all these things are quite insentient and so, unreal.

We know that the train carries all loads, so after getting on it why should we carry our small luggage on our head to our discomfort, instead of putting it down in the train and feeling at ease? (Who Am I?)

Thought, indeed, is the nature of the mind. The thought ‘I’ is the first thought of the mind; and that is egoity. It is from the whence egoity originates that breath also originates. Therefore, when the mind becomes quiescent, the breath is controlled, and when the breath is controlled the mind becomes quiescent. (Who Am I?)

Of all the thoughts that arise in the mind, the ‘I-thought’ is the first. It is only after the rise of this that the other thoughts arise. It is after the appearance of the first personal pronoun that the second and third personal pronouns appear; without the first personal pronoun there will not be the second and third. (Who Am I?)

The Self is that where there is absolutely no ‘I’ thought. That is called ‘Silence’. The Self itself is the world. The Self itself is ‘I’; the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self. (Who Am I?)

What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world, the individual soul and God are appearances in it. Like silver in mother-of-pearl, these three appear at the same time and disappear at the same time. (Who Am I?)

That which rises as ‘I’ in this body is the mind. If one enquires as tow here in the body the thought ‘I’ rises first, one would discover that it rises in the Heart. That is the place of the mind’s origin. Even if one thinks constantly ‘I’ ‘I’, one will be led to that place. (Who Am I?)

The consciousness (I am) where there is neither knowing nor not-knowing is the True Knowledge. There is no object to be known (outside the consciousness) there. (Upadesa Undhiar, 27)


One should, with faith, hand over to Iswara all of the burdens, such as the family and the body, which naturally appear, and then remain without anxiety. Otherwise, one cannot perform, with a one-pointed mind, either devotion or Self-enquiry. (Ulladu Narpadu – Supplement, 17)

It is a matter of ridicule to say either I have not realized myself. Or I have realized myself. Why? Are there two selves, one self to become an object known (by the other)? ‘I am one’ is the truth that is the experience of everyone (Ulladu Narpadu – Supplement, 33)

In truth, God and the Guru are not different. Just as the prey which has fallen into the jaws of a tiger has no escape, so those who have come within the ambit of the Guru’s gracious look will be saved by the Guru and will not get lost; yet, each one should, by his own effort pursue the path shown by God or Guru and gain release. (Who AM I?)

When the triads disappear due to the destruction of the base, fooling ego, and when the states of waking and dream are thus completely destroyed, the pure broad day-light (Self) that then shines like a hundred suns is the Night of Siva (Sivaratri). (The Garland if Guru’s Sayings, 459)

How is that Atma Vidya (Self Knowledge) is said to be the easiest?
Sri Bhagavan: Any other Vidya requires a knower, knowledge and the object to be known whereas this does not require any of them. It is the Self. Can anything be so obvious as that? Hence it is the easiest. All that you need to do is to enquire ‘Who am I?’ (Talk 551)

Q: How is meditation to be practiced?
Sri Bhagavan: Meditation is, truly speaking Atmanishta (to be fixed as the Self). But when thoughts cross the mind and an effort is made to eliminate them, the effort is usually termed meditation. Atmanishta is your real nature. Remain as you are. That is the aim. (Talk, 294)

Realizing that which remains after the ‘I’ has ceased to exist, that alone is excellent Tapas’ – Thus said Lord Ramana. (Upadesa Undhiar, 30)

The way shown by the Master is final, straight and makes for unity; it is well-tried, natural free of fancy, and free from travail. When you are following the way shown by the Master doubts will not arise, there will be no fear. Fear and doubt are the characteristics of darkness. If you follow the path shown by the Master it will convince you that it is the right One. (All is One)

Only the one, whose mind is ripened by supreme devotion to Him, can attain Deliverance through zeal for the Quest of the Self and inward turning of the mind. (Guru Ramana Vachana Mala, 87)

If the duties fulfilled according to the injunctions (of the scared lore) fail to generate devotion to the Supreme Being, then all such activity is vain; it is (even) equal to sinful conduct, since it creates (fresh) bondage. (90)

Q: if I go on rejecting thoughts can I call it Vichara?
Sri Bhagavan: It may be a stepping stone. But really vichara beings when you cling to your self and are already off the mental movement, the thought-waves.

The truth of the Supreme Being is the one Infinite Reality transcending all relativity, which is the fundamental Substance of the ‘I’, which is the basis of the world. (Guru Ramana Vachana Mala, 86)

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 4

Verse 4

Ram doot atulit bal dhama
Anjani-putra Pavan sut nama

Meaning:

You are the divine messenger of Shri Ram. The repository of immeasurable strength, though known only as Son of Pavan (Wind), born of Anjani.

Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

Here lord hanuman was praised as divine messenger of Lord Shri Ram.Also Lord hanuman is praised of having immeasurable strength.

In this verse Tulsidas shows the importance of lord capabilities when descended as a human avatar.

Though god comes as a human avatar and comes from a women's womb we should never under-estimate the capabilities of god/guru.

We should always treat our guru equal to god and should have immense faith in him.

As ramakrishna paramahamsa says,

Blood and semen are thin liquids, and yet out of them comes such a big creature as man. Everything is possible for God.

One who is an acharya should give up 'woman and gold';otherwise people will not take his advice.

It is not enough for him to renounce only mentally; he should also renounce outwardly. Only then will his teaching bear fruit. Otherwise people will think,"Though he asks us to give up 'woman and gold',he enjoys them himself in secret."

Sri Ramakrishna says many times Guru Will Let You Know Who You Are And What Your Real Nature Is.

Bhagavan Ramana used to tell one story:

Once two persons were sleeping in a hall.Both were poor.During the sleep, one man was dreaming.He dreamt that he is a very rich person and he has stacked all the gold and currency in a cupboard.And a thief comes and takes away all the gold and currency, and runs away.The dreaming man shouts in shock: "O! the thief is running away with all my wealth.

Please catch him, please catch him...."

The other man woke up. He was not dreaming anything, neither the thief, nor the gold and currency. What shall he do? Will he run out to the front yard to catch the thief? Will he rush to the police station to complain? He will simply wake that wailing man from sleep and dream.

The Guru is like the man who wakes us, the dreaming men, up.The only difference is that the Guru is within your Heart.

The state where "I-thought" is not there, even in a trice,is Swarupam. This is called as Silence. I am Swarupam.The world is Swarupam. Isvara is Swarupam. All are Siva-Swarupam."

As my spiritual friend Subramanian garu says,

There is an elephant in the forest.The elephant is scared about the Lion in the forest.The Lion has not appeared before the elephant in recent times. It was once sighted and the elephant became totally afraid of lion. One night, the elephant dreamt of the Lion, it got scared even its dream about the Lion. It woke up with a huge cry.There was not Lion. Only it was there. The elephant got self realized.

All are dreams. But unlike the elephant's dream, our dream about Bhagavan Ramana is a pleasant dream. But this dream should also end one day, when you would really wake up.That waking is the realization.


Sources:

1) http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

2) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-this-life-itself-is-dream-then-does.html

3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-one-who-is-acharya.html

4) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/11/sri-ramakrishna-says-world-does-not.html

5) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-guru-will-let-you.html

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 3

Verse 3

Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar
Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar

Meaning:

Victory to thee, O'Hanuman! Ocean of Wisdom-All hail to you O'Kapisa! (fountain-head of power,wisdom and Shiva-Shakti) You illuminate all the three worlds (Entire cosmos) with your glory.

Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

Here god is glorified which reminds us that bhakthi bhava towards god is very important.It is only by the power of the god that all the three worlds are illuminated.

Here three worlds that are referred are devaloka (world of the celestials), manusyaloka(this world of ours), and naraka (hell).

The first has nothing but pleasure; in the second it is a mixture of happiness and sorrow; and in the third there is nothing but pain and sorrow. According to our sastras a man who has committed terrible sins goes through torments of hell before taking lowly birth again in this world.

It is only here that we have some freedom and we may earn merit or demerit by our actions. We may use our hands to perform puja - or we may use them to hurt others. We may sing the praises of Isvara - or we may speak ill of people. We have the power to do good and evil in this world. For each of our faculties of action ( karmendriya ) God has given us this twin capacity.

Other worlds are like hotels where the denizens eat what we harvest here. There you may enjoy the fruits you have merited here by your actions in proportion to the punya you have earned or the papa you have piled up.

In Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam's 50 divine thoughts it says

Bhakti alone can give us the capacity to put up with sorrows. Temples are the agencies for developing that Bhakti. Hence, the need for temples at all places. All offerings to the deities in the temples are tokens of our gratitude to God.

As known Sri RamaKrishna Paramahamsa has shown outstanding bhakthi bhava towards Divine Mother Kali.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana has made it quite clear that people who have had no literary education could also attain the highest knowledge through both the ways enumerated above,but people of an emotional nature will benefit themselves more by bhakti and people of a reflective mood will have better appeal to jnana.

He says,The path of devotion is the easiest of all. Meditate on God or on some mental or material image of Him. This will slow down your mind and it will get controlled of its own accord."

In "Ellam Ondre" Chapter III Verse 9 says,

Practice with faith in the period of ignorance is called Bhakti; the same, with knowledge, is called Jnana. Of the two divisions of Bhakti, the one is devotion to God with name and form, and the other is karma which is love for all. Of the two divisions of Jnana, the practice of the true way shown by the Master is called yoga and the resulting state is called Jnana. It is natural for all to believe in something which is not seen and then to find it. Those who do not believe can never find. Therefore, the believers will gain something sometime or other and the unbelievers never gain anything. You can believe even for the simple reason that faith in God is not harmful. Thereby you can share the good effects. This world is meant only for creating faith in you. This is the purpose of creation. Have faith and you can reach God.


Sources:

1) http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

2) http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part16/chap3.htm

3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/part-2-ellam-ondre-all-is-one.html

4) http://www.kamakoti.org/miscl/divine50.html

5) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-categories-of-teachings-of-bhagavan.html

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Ramana Maharshi Says Intellect Cannot Help To Know What Is Beyond Itself

1st February, 1939

Talk 618.

A gentleman from Hardwar: When I go on analysing myself I go beyond the intellect, and then there is no happiness.

M.: Intellect is only an instrument of the Self. It cannot help you to know what is beyond itself.

D.: I understand it. But there is no happiness beyond it.

M.: The intellect is the instrument wherewith to know unknown things.But you are already known, being the Self which is itself knowledge;so you do not become the object of knowledge. The intellect makes you see things outside, and not that which is its own source.

The intellect is useful thus far, it helps you to analyse yourself, and no further. It must then be merged into the ego, and the source of the ego must be sought. If that be done the ego disappears. Remain as that source and then the ego does not arise.

D.: There is no happiness in that state.

M.: ‘There is no happiness’ is only a thought. The Self is bliss, pure and simple. You are the Self. So you cannot but be bliss; being so,you cannot say here is no happiness. That which says so cannot be the Self; it is the non-Self and must be got rid of in order to realise the bliss of the Self.

D.: How is that to be done?

M.: See wherefrom the thought arises. It is the mind. See for whom the mind or intellect functions. For the ego. Merge the intellect in the ego and seek the source of the ego. The ego disappears. ‘I know’ and ‘I do not know’ imply a subject and an object. They are due to duality. The Self is pure and absolute, One and alone. There are no two selves so that one may know the other. What is duality then?

It cannot be the Self which is One and alone. It must be non-Self.Duality is the characteristic of the ego. When thoughts arise duality is present; know it to be the ego, and seek its source.

The degree of the absence of thoughts is the measure of your progress towards Self-Realisation. But Self-Realisation itself does not admit of progress; it is ever the same. The Self remains always in realisation.

The obstacles are thoughts. Progress is measured by the degree of removal of the obstacles to understanding that the Self is always realised. So thoughts must be checked by seeking to whom they arise. So you go to their Source, where they do not arise.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

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Ramana Maharshi Describes The Way Doubts Are To Be Cleared

1st February, 1939

Talk 618.

D.: Doubts are always arising

M.: A doubt arises and is cleared; another arises and that is cleared,making way for another, and so it goes on. So there is no possibility of clearing away all doubts. See to whom the doubts arise. Go to their source and abide in it. Then they cease to arise. That is how doubts are to be cleared. Atma samstham manah krtva na kinchidapi chintayet.

D.: Grace alone can help me to it.

M.: Grace is not exterior. In fact your very desire for grace is due to grace that is already in you.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 2

Verse 2

Budhi Hin Tanu Janike
Sumirau Pavan Kumar
Bal budhi Vidya dehu mohe
Harahu Kalesa Vikar

Meaning:

Fully aware of the deficiency of my intelligence, I concentrate my attention on Pavan Kumar and humbly ask for strength, intelligence and true knowledge to relieve me of all blemishes, causing pain.

Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

In this verse complete surrender to god is recommended.As ramana maharshi says surrender of our mind/ego is really like surrending to god.

We completly surrender to god to gain strength,intelligence which will help us to remove our ignorance and to attain atma-jnana which can ultimately relieve us from this cycle of birth and death.

Verse 468 Of Guru Vachaka Kovai Says,

In ancient days the chaste lady [Draupadi] had her honour saved and her sari lengthened by the Grace of Lord Krishna only when at last, letting go of her own hold on her sari, she lifted up both her hands in complete surrender to Him; and the strong wicked one [Duchasana] who was stripping her fell down abashed.

This incident is pointed out there in order to instruct us that we should give up the sense of doership and should thus surrender to God completely and unreservedly.

As ramana maharshi says,

There are only two ways to conquer destiny or to be independent of it. One is to enquire whose this destiny is and to discover that only the ego is bound by it and not the Self, and that the ego is non-existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, realising one’s helplessness

Complete surrender does imply that we should have no desire of our own, that God’s will alone is our will and we have no will of your own.

In Nan-yar Paragraph Thirteen Ramana Maharshi Says,

Being completely absorbed in atma-nishtha [self-abidance, the state of just being as we really are],giving not even the slightest room to the rising of any thought other than atma-chintana selfcontemplation,the 'thought' of our own real self], is giving ourself to God. Even though we place whatever amount of burden upon God, that entire amount he will bear. Since one paramesvara sakti [supreme power of God] is driving all activities [that is, since it is causing and controlling everything that happens in this world], why should we always think, 'it is necessary [for me] to act in this way; it is necessary [for me] to act in that way', instead of being [calm, peaceful and happy] having yielded [ourself together with our entire burden] to that [supreme controlling power]? Though we know that the train is carrying all the burdens, why should we who travel in it suffer by carrying our small luggage on our head instead of leaving it placed on that [train]?


Sources:

1) http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

2) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-about-complete.html

3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-draupadis-sari.html

4) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/nan-yar-who-am-i-from-original-tamil.html

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Ramana Maharshi Says Ego Will Develop If One Thinks That One Knows Everything

31st December, 1945

During the first week of last month, on one morning, an ignorant traveller came to the Ashram and, after staying here for two or three days, and in accordance with the saying “satra bhojanam matha nidra” (eating in choultries, sleeping in mutts)
went away to eat and stay elsewhere, but was all the same coming here for some days enjoying the bliss of staying near and having the darshan of Bhagavan. Before leaving this town he approached Bhagavan one day with great hesitation and said, in humble tones, “Swami, the people sitting here always ask you something and you give them some replies. When I see that, I also feel tempted to enquire, but I do not know what to ask you. How then can I get mukti?”

Bhagavan, looking at him endearingly and smiling, said,“How do you know that you do not know anything?” He said,“After I came here and heard the questions asked by all these people and the replies Bhagavan is pleased to give them, the feeling that I do not know anything has come upon me.” “Then it is all right. You have found out that you do not know anything; that itself is enough. What more is required?” said Bhagavan. “How to attain mukti by that much alone, Swami?” said the questioner. “Why not? There is some one to know that he does not know anything. It is sufficient if you could enquire and find out who that someone is. Ego will develop if one thinks that one knows everything. Instead of that, isn’t it much better to be conscious of the fact that you do not know anything and then enquire how you could gain moksha?”

He felt happy at that and went his way. That questioner might or might not have understood the essence of that Bhagawathvani (the voice of the Lord) but, for us people here,those words were echoing in our heart of hearts like mantraksharas (letters of the gospel).

Sources:

1) Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

2) Arunacha's Ramana Volume V Book

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Ramana Maharshi Confirms "Bhramarakita Nyaya" Belief

Meanings of few technical terms in the article

grub - A soft thick wormlike larva of certain beetles and other insects

hives - A structure that provides a natural habitation for bees; as in a hollow tree

wasp - Insects having two pairs of membranous(similar) wings and an ovipositor(organ) specialized for stinging(biting) or piercing

offal - Viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal often considered inedible by humans


Talk 592.

The Punjabi gentleman referred to the popular belief of a worm being metamorphosed to a wasp (bhramarakita nyaya) which Sri Bhagavan had mentioned to the ladies in the course of conversation yesterday.

Sri Bhagavan recalled some interesting reminiscences:

“I had previously heard of this bhramarakita nyaya. After I came to Tiruvannamalai, when I was staying in Gurumoortham, I noticed a red wasp construct a hive in which it placed five or six grubs and then flew away. My curiosity was roused and I wanted to test the truth of the oftquoted nyaya. I waited some days, maybe ten days. I then tapped the hive. It broke and there I found that all the five or six grubs had united
together and taken the shape of a wasp, but it was white.

Later when I was in Virupaksha Cave, I saw a red wasp construct five or six hives in each of which it placed five or six grubs and flew away. After about ten days, a black beetle, smaller than the wasp,buzzed round the hives and closed each of then, with a little black mud and flew away. I was wondering at the intrusion of the beetle
on the hive of the wasp. I waited a few days and then gently opened one of the hives. Five or six black bodies came out and each of them was a black beetle. I thought it strange.

Again when I was in Pachyamman Temple, I saw a red wasp constructing five or six hives on a pillar in the temple. It placed five or six grubs in each of them and buzzed away. I watched it for several days. The wasp did not return. There was no black beetle also.After about fifteen days, I opened one of the hives. All the grubs had united into a white mass of wasp-like form. It dropped down and was stunned by the fall. After a few minutes, it began to crawl. Its colour was gradually changing. In a short time, there were two little specks on its sides which grew into wings as I watched and the full-grown wasp flew away from the ground.

I had also seen the flies carrying tiny grubs on their legs which they deposited on offal. The grubs later flew away as flies.”

D.: They may be eggs laid by the flies.

M.: But they move and struggle and then shape themselves as flies.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Atma Bodha verse 49 discusses more on this "bhramarakita nyaya"

Verse 49

In order to be liberated while yet alive, the sage should completely avoid the adjuncts (upadhis), and thus gain the real nature of Being-Consciousness-Bliss, like the maggot that turns into a wasp.

Note:

Upadhis are like thinking "i am body", "i am thin", "i am rich", "i am mind".

maggot means(insect) and wasp means (butterfly).Butterfly normally picks one insect and then keeps it in hole and starts bites it.Finally maybe insect also gets butterfly qualities and starts flying.

AtmaBodha Pravacham By Sri Sundara Chaitanya Swami Volume15 gives more details regarding this verse.

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Ramana Maharshi About Priya, Moda And Pramoda

26th October, 1938

Talk 566

Atma is always Sat-Chit-Ananda. Of these, the first two are experienced in all the states, whereas the last one is said to be experienced in sleep only.

The question arises how the true nature of the Self can be lost in the waking and dream states.It is,really speaking,not lost.In sleep there is no mind and the Self shines as Itself,whereas in the other two states what shines forth is the reflected light of the Self.

Ananda is felt after the cessation of thoughts in sleep. It is also manifest on
other occasions as love, joy, etc., priya, moda and pramoda. But they are all chitta vrittis (modes of mind).

When a man is walking in the street his mind is full of fleeting thoughts. Suppose he passes a bazaar where some fine mangoes are for sale. He likes the mangoes and purchases them. He is next anxious to taste them. So he hastens home and eats them and feels happy.

When the fleeting thoughts give way to the pleasure at the sight of mangoes, it is priya, when he gets them as his own, the pleasure is moda; lastly, when he eats them, the pleasure is pramoda.

All the three kinds of pleasure are owing to the disappearance of other thoughts.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Once Swami Vivekananda said,

The idea that the gratification of the senses constitutes enjoyment is purely materialistic.There is not one spark of real enjoyment there; all the joy you find in it is a mere reflection of the true bliss.

Retreat given at the Thousand Island Park, USA. June 25, 1895. Complete Works, 7.16.

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Image Of Ramana Maharshi Devotee Suri Nagamma

Suri Nagamma came to guru Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi at 1941.She was born in guntur district,andhra pradesh in the year 1902.

Below Photo was scanned from Arunachala's Ramana Volume V Book.

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Ramana Maharshi Says Waking State Will Not Appear A Dream Till We Wake Up Into Jnana

8-9-45 Morning

Another Visitor: It is said that our waking life is also a dream, similar to our dream during sleep. But in our dreams we make no conscious effort to get rid of the dream and to awake, but the dream itself comes to an end without any effort on our part and we become awake. Similarly why should not the waking state, which is in reality only another sort of dream, come to an end of its own accord, and without any effort on our part, and land us in jnana or real awakening?

Bhagavan: Your thinking that you have to make an effort to get rid of this dream of the waking state and your making efforts to attain jnana or real awakening are all parts of the dream. When you attain jnana you will see there was neither the dream during sleep, nor the waking state, but only yourself and your real state.

Devotee pressed Bhagavan, “But what is the answer to the question? Why should not the waking state also pass like our dreams without any effort on our part and land us in jnana, as a dream passes off and leaves us awake?”

Bhagavan: Who can say that the dream passed off of its own accord? If the dream came on, as is generally supposed, as the result of our past thoughts or karma, probably the same karma also decides how long it should last and how after that time it should cease.

Devotee was still unsatisfied and, as the result of further talk with Bhagavan,and he feels that the waking state, though a sort of dream,is clearly distinct from the dream during sleep in this, namely that during dream it never occurs to us that it is a dream, whereas in the waking state we are able to argue and understand from books and gurus and from some phenomena that it may be only dream after all. Because of this, it may be our duty to make an effort to wake into jnana.

Bhagavan says that we don’t deem a dream, a dream till we wake up, that the dream looks quite real while it lasts; and that similarly this waking state will not appear a dream till we wake up into jnana.Because of the above difference between the dream and the waking states, our effort is called for.


Source: DAY BY DAY WITH BHAGAVAN By A. DEVARAJA MUDALIAR

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50 Divine Thoughts Courtesy Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Source And Courtesy : http://www.kamakoti.org/miscl/divine50.html

The medicine of Grace to wipe out our sorrows is to develop unshakable faith in God and tolerance is the medicine of Grace to wipe out our sorrows. Bhakti alone can give us the capacity to put up with sorrows. Temples are the agencies for developing that Bhakti. Hence, the need for temples at all places. All offerings to the deities in the temples are tokens of our gratitude to God.

That which is within all, which is seen as "This" is the source. He who is within and sees as "This" is God. It is the reality. It is in yourself. What is limited is Sadhana; what is unlimited is the end.

He alone is an Acharya, who, after clearly understanding the conclusive teachings of the Sastras, makes the people of the world gain their welfare by making them stick to the path shown in the Sastras and also himself does everything according to Sastras and remains in that experience.

Many acts relating to God, like building temples, digging tanks are performed. While executing them, there would be many difficulties. There would come also several kinds of dishonour. Not minding any of these, they would complete their tasks with mental one-pointedness removing impurities from their minds and letting the mind wander. By straightening their mind, they acquire mind control and at the end, they realise the Reality that is to be known. Digging tanks, building temples and such other acts are called poorttam. The performance of sacrifices, etc., is known as ishtam. Combining these two, we have the word Ishtapoortam.

In all that you do, let love be the sole motive. Any need must be with reference to another.Let action be out of love. Passions such as desire and hatred , anger and malice must be totally eschewed. If love becomes the grounding principle of all deeds . then most of the ills of the world will vanish.

We know many faults we commit, even if others do not know them. Sometimes we realise we are doing so many evil things and repent bitterly and feel why we should be born . Our duty is to pray to God -"I have committed so many faults. Will you not, 0 God, give me the will power not do like that in future and will you not purify my mind?" We must note down in a diary every night before we go to bed the faults committed by us and pray to God to give us courage and intelligence not to do so. This must be propagated widely.

Parameswara and Sriman Narayana are one and the same in reality. They are not two. This is the conclusive view of all the sastras. Names differ, forms are different, occupations vary, but the reality which is within Them is one and the same.

What is the purpose of human birth? To earn, to eat, to undergo misery everyday and finally to die? Instead of earning and suffering, can we not die now? The purpose of birth is to avoid re-birth. Except man, all animals grow horizontally. Only man grows vertically. Instead of growing horizontally, it is God's will that he should grow vertically in order to look up. God has given to animals devices for self-protection; to man alone He has given intelligence.By doing nothing, we avoid re-birth; By giving up attachment, we avoid sins.

When any object is consumed by fire, it becomes charred. If that black residue is burnt again, it becomes white ash. White ash continues to remain white even when burnt again. This shows that white is the ultimate and black is proximate to it. Science tells us that diamond and coal are basically one. White and black are not colours. The primary colours get separated from the objects to which they are attached when subjected to the test of fire and ultimately white.Similarly, in the mental and spiritual place, the Ultimate Reality is Siva, who is white and proximate to Him is Parvati, who is dark. When we test everything in the fire of Jnana, or true knowledge, the residue is Siva. Ash in the material plane corresponds to Siva in the spiritual plane.We smear our bodies with the sacred ash to remind ourselves of Siva and the fact that the ultimate goal of life is Siva.

Much is said about the personal God and the impersonal absolute God with attributes and without attributes. It is only when all the colours in the light mix together that we get the colourless rays of the sun. Similarly by the very virtue of being the abode of attributes, God becomes Nirguna, attribute-less.

By education we realise Truth. There are many truths, History is one truth. Geography is one truth, Mathematics is one truth. The content of truth is the greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination. In Geography, we come across names Asia, Africa, Madras, Calcutta, etc. These names were given by us. By imagination, we have given names "plateau" "valley", etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is found to be God. To think of Him with real devotion is the fruit of education.

What is the use of education? Its first use is to develop humility (vinaya). In olden days, the disciple who went to a guru was called "vineyan" meaning a person of humility which is the hall-mark of Instruction he had from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet is changed, the medicine becomes poison. Education has today become merely the means of livelihood. For true education, the student should go to a guru and follow the guru-kula system.

Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must fill one with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self control.

The total surrender to the Lord is a means of learning our insignificance and the transcendent grace of the Lord.

If we engage an inquiry into the Atman, at the end of it, it will be clear that God is in us as our very self. When that stage is reached, we have no use for the devas. Then all karmas will fall away from us. But, until then, we must obligatorily do the karmas directing them to the Gods.

Those who are the leaders of a group, society, or state should not neglect the established religious customs and usages. For themselves the may mot be in need of Church ceremonies, for instance, their advance in spirituality may not require them. But if they begin to neglect them, the people for whom the rituals are really helpful, will also start neglecting them. This would be setting a bad example. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita, the wise one should not unsettle the minds of those who are ignorant, and are attached to action: on the contrary, he should encourage them to perform what they should perform, by himself doing the appropriate actions well and with diligence. It is duty cast upon the leaders and those that are at the top to lead the people from where they are, and not to refrain from participation in the traditional ways of worship.

Of all scriptures, the Gita has acquired a specialty of its own. Like this, there are many other books of wisdom. In the Mahabharata, there are many chapters teaching wisdom. Besides, in the Sivapurana, Vishnupurana, Skandham, etc., there is Jnanopadesa.

So also in agamas. But what is the special importance of Gita due to? Not only in our country but in countries like Java, people follow the Gita. My inference is that because it was born in an atmosphere utterly free from attachment - attachment to life, attachment to body, attachment to kith and kin, but out of attachment only to Reality, it has become so famous.

On deep consideration, ahimsa appears to be good as an ideal or for preaching. But practically speaking, it is difficult to follow fully. First of all, we must love others. But if we love anyone too much, the end is sorrow. Therefore we should love God who always gives happiness and not sorrow. I ask myself if we love God, should we not love anyone else in this world? So long as there is false knowledge which distinguishes God from the rest of the world, there will be differences. If we attain Jnana that God is all, we will develop the same love for all that we have for God; This is the sign of Ahimsa.

For the sake of food, clothing and shelter, everyone is toiling and sorrow-stricken. If sorrow is to be banished and if we are to be ever happy, we must dedicate all our actions to God. If we get His grace, then we need not do anything and can be happy. God is a good master. By praising Him always, we cannot please Him. He is indifferent to our praise or dispraise, action or inaction. But all our actions are ordained by Him and are meant only to purify our minds.

Why so many Gods? Is it not enough to have only one? Other religions speak of one God only and not many. We are assailed by such doubts. We eat to satisfy hunger, the stomach becomes full, there is no trouble or hunger. Then why can't we take cooked rice alone? Why should we eat so many side dishes? So, if we eat, it is just not to fill the stomach, but we want food tasty to the palate and pleasing to the eyes. Whoever is attracted to a particular God he worships that.

By multiplying wants, we only increase poverty. What is essential for life and honour should be made available to all the people of the country. It is for this we want plans. Men of means should live like the poor and should not increase their wants beyond necessities. The rich should share their prosperity with the poor. This is punya, leading to salvation. The more we increase our wants, to that extent, there will be no peace or comfort and it will only produce poverty and sorrow.

Vedanta which is the peak of the Vedas teaches the way for the removal of sorrow. Hatred and desire arise only in respect of the objects other than us. That desire will not arise if those objects are rendered identical with us, if there is nothing other than us, then desire will not arise. If there is no desire, there will be no effort and no sin. When there is no sin, there will be no body and there will be no misery.

We may get many types of sorrow. What seems to be sorrow to all the people of a place may not seem sorrowful to us. If we stay always happy, without wanting to attain anything untouched by sorrow like the lotus-leaf and the Kalakodi - seed, that is called yoga. "Know that to be indicated as yoga which is separation from being united with sorrow, The removal of association with sorrow."

In order to reach one purport, why should the Veda speak of many matters? This question may arise in our minds. It is through many matters that it is possible to understand that one purport which is Reality - yoga, meditation, austerity, sacrifice, performance of karma; when these are accomplished, what they indicate is that one Reality. It is that Reality which is the true purport of the Veda. Other things are of a changing nature. They become woven into a story and then even that story disappears.

What for is the science of medicine? It is for keeping the body strong and healthy. What if the body is not strong and healthy? The body will be subject to diseases. What if there is disease? One will not be able to function properly. He who has given this body is the supreme Self. This is the truth, we should practice several disciplines. We can practice them only if the body is well. In order to keep it well, we must prevent it from becoming a prey to disease. The science of medicine tells us how to prevent diseases. Thus, Ayurveda helps in the realisation of Advaita experience.

Savikapla Samadhi: The mind is steady without any distraction, contemplating its object wholly absorbed therein.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi: This is the goal of yoga. In this, the mind ceases to function and vanishes once and for all, leaving the self to shine forth alone. In Advaita too, the path of meditation is recognised; but here the object of meditation is the distinction-less Brahman.

Sahaja Samadhi: This is realised through the path of enquiry. It is the natural state of Self - realisation and one of utter unconcern for the fleeting phenomena.

There is nothing to feel elated about seeing the people worshipping me. But when I reflect that is worship to the God, who they think are approachable through me, I feel glad that there are so many who believe in a compassionate God who will hear them and remove their misery.

Our religion Hinduism has grown by devotion, meditation and self - purification. The other religions might have grown by propaganda and conflict. The reason for crores of our people remaining within the fold of Hinduism, in spite of powerful propaganda of other religionists, wars, lure of money, etc., is we see a great man (Mahatma) in our midst by whom we are impressed. We develop devotion to him and generate faith in our religion. There is a text in the Veda which says that a flowering tree attracts bees automatically. If we examine ourselves and we find one of use to be perfect, the world will follow him.

A child eats earth. Its hands are tied by the mother. The child gets angry and cries. Is it without reason the mother ties it's hands? We do not know the mercy of Universal Mother. The good or harm coming to us has its source in Her Grace; Suffering - Her Grace for some reason. We must accept whatever comes to us, good or bad, as Her Grace. We do not know why she gives it. Our vision is limited. We do not know what precedes it or follows it. If we are able to look into the past present and future, we will know that God does no harm to us. Other than God, there is no kith or kin for us.

We cannot say that a child or an idiot who keeps quiet without activity like a stone is great. We cannot presume that he has attained jivanmukti. This is the result of sin. He is a Yogi or Jnani whose intellect is very subtle and as sharp as a sword. He has to become like a withered tree, an immovable object with a steady mind. He must understand all that is happening around him. His knowledge should be perfect. He should not be affected by passion or sorrow. He should always be happy. None of us is like that and Iswara is described as Sat-Chit-Ananda.

If God is the ocean of mercy and if He knows everything, He must know what we want. Why should we appeal to Him to do this or that? The reasonable answer is that instead of begging useless people at useless places, we plead before the Highest and the Omniscient. Otherwise, we have no justification to ask Him to give us this or that.

Everything disintegrates on earth and this earth also will vanish one day. The sun will disappear and the whole universe will go. Then there must be some powerful substratum responsible for creation, protection and destruction. We call it God. We have the faculty of thinking and capacity of doing, in smaller or greater measure. This also merges after our death with the omnipotent. Being, from whom we derive this energy. The stable principle which is the cause of creation and destruction of all energy is God, called by any name.

Mother loves her child but later on, an unfaithful sun causes her sorrow. We know of cases where mother starts litigation against sons or sons against mother.If one loves another, and if one of them dies, the bereavement causes sorrow. The bank helps people who have deposited money with them. It is supposed to remove the sorrows of the people in times of need. But when the bank itself is liquidated or closed, the depositors weep. Their sorrows once gave sustenance to the bank. The more we love, the greater the sorrow in consequence. Then, shall we decide that we should not love anyone at all? The object of this birth is to bestow undivided love on someone. The subject of our love should not be quarrelsome or separable. If we say that we should love only the imperishable God, then the question is: can we hate others? Let us learn to love all be realising that God is in all. God is eternal and our love for him should be eternal.

I am prone to come to the conclusion that there lives none without predominantly selfish motives. But with years rolling on, an impression, that too a superficial one, true to my nature, is dawning upon me that there breathe on this globe some souls firmly rooted in morals and ethics who live exclusively for others, voluntarily forsaking not only their material gains and comforts but also their own sadhana towards their spiritual improvements.

It is clear to us that there is birth and there is death.Passion is the cause of birth. Time is the cause of death. What is created by passion is destroyed by time. If passion comes, the seed sprouts. If time comes, the tree dies. Kaalo Jagat Bhakshaka: Even the sun and the moon disintegrate when time comes. If there is no passion, there is no production. If there is no time then there is no destruction. Therefore we have to conquer Kaala and Kaama. Iswara burnt Kaama and kicked time. So if we go to Him, there is neither birth nor death for us. Let us therefore pay to the Universal Father and Mother.

"Jagatha pitarau Vande Paarvati Parameswarau"

A master has two servants. One always flatters the master, the other just performs his duties without any love for the master. If the master is a fool, he would love the flattering servant. If the master is too clever, he will not love either the man working for wages or the flatterer. The master will love more the one who does his job as his own out of devotion. So is the case with the Good Master, God.

Why do we break coconut before Lord Ganesa's idol? He is the Son of Parameswara and asked His Father to sacrifice His head with three eyes because only then, he thought any effort would be crowned with success and without any obstacle. So, instead of the head with three eyes, we are breaking coconut which has three eyes. Ganesa is so powerful as to demand the head of his own father. Whatever is superior to everything else must be sacrificed to God. Symbolically, we are sacrificing the three - eyed coconuts created by God, as ordained by Him. When a sannyasin attains Siddhi, this is done. This practice is in vogue only in Tamil Nadu.

Thinking that God is far away from you, you are wandering in search of Him. So long as you do not know, He is far away. Though you may wander, you cannot see Him, but he is near you. He is distant, yet near. The story of a girl wanting to marry the highest among men, a king, ended, after all the travels, in the discovery of an ordinary man her parents had already selected. The bridegroom was so near. She took a long route to arrive at a point so near.

We see our reflections in a mirror. In a row of mirrors, thousands of reflections are seen. It is only one person who sees all these reflections. The one who resides within us and who sees all this, is God. The seer is the cause of all the seen. That cause is knowledge which is the basis of this world. Where is that knowledge? Within you, what is macroscopic is microscopic in you.

Joy comes in the form of status, money, etc. comes from without. We feel isolated. But it is the smallest fragment of the great joy from within, which is Ananda. Paramatman, the ananda within is not worried whether any joy comes from outside and mixes with it or not. Waters enter into the sea, which though ever being full, is ever motionless.

If we analyse the teachings of the Gita, there may appear to be many contradictory matters regarding bhakti, karma and jnana. But the Lord takes the devotee step by step. We must meditate on the form of God as described in the scriptures. This bhakti will enable us to understand the universal nature of God. Spiritual vision will then make it clear that God without form is the Supreme Reality, which hears without ears, moves without legs. To worship God at the initial stage, metaphysical knowledge is not necessary. The more and more we meditate, bhakti grows and we automatically realise the universal form. There is no distinction between the devotee and the object of devotion.

Our minds should automatically seek and cling to God just as iron filings are attracted by the magnet; the heart of the chaste wife seeks her husband; the creeper embraces the tree; the rivers go to the sea.

Philosophical truths and ordinary people have nothing much in common. Therefore outward garb is useless. The representatives of religion must have real worth, peace - loving nature (shantam), austerity (tapas) and unselfish nature. Hinduism, in spite of its vicissitudes, is surviving even to this day. This is due to the blessings of a succession of saints. If there is one saint among us, the world will prosper.

It is natural that man should seek to satisfy his wants like hunger, thirst, and a place to rest. There are duties which an individual has towards himself, the social group and the nation. Ordinarily, the performance of these duties remains on the level of satisfying the creaturely wants. But there is a way of performing these duties which will elevate everyone concerned spiritually. That is dharma. And it is the duty of the king or the state to see that the citizens are provided every opportunity for spiritual growth and progress. That is the meaning of saying: "Raja Dharmasya Kaaranam".

Upaasana is dhyaana or concentration of meditation. A form is required for concentration. Reality is always the same and changeless. God, as the Ultimate Reality, is Formless. But Upasana of a Form is done with a purpose, namely, the attainment of a given benefit. The purpose to be attained by worshipping or concentrating on a Form differs. The scriptures tell you how to meditate and on what all Forms and with what results. For Upasana, you have to follow the Sastras or Scriptures. The different upasanas are all aids in the path to the ultimate goal, namely, understanding Reality. Scriptures prescribe Upaasana n order to train the mind to concentrate. Upasana is the affair of the individual; there is nothing collective about it.

Neither the raw fruit nor the tree wants to leave each other. But when the fruit becomes ripe, this attachment automatically disappears.Man requires to experience anger, jealousy, passion, etc. just as the fruit had to undergo various stages of growth and taste before it became fully ripe so to get automatically detached from the tree. We cannot overcome these experiences in the beginning. But we must ponder over the fact why we undergo these experiences. Otherwise we will be the losers. We will become slaves of these experiences and can never achieve fulfillment or contentment.

When adversities overtake us, we blame God and complain that He is blind to our misfortunes. But if we indulge in a little introspection, we will realise that our faults are so enormous that we are utterly unworthy of His grace and, in spite of that we are able to get food, shelter and clothing. It is due to the abundant mercy of God. We must consider the difficulties we encounter as a blessing in disguise.

A mother may tie the hands of her child who has the propensity to pick up and eat mud. This seeming cruelty of the mother is for the good of the child. Similarly troubles are verily God's grace to save us. In the entire picture of life, troubles form but a tiny spot. In our inability to visualise the past and the future, we complain when we suffer in the present. A proper perspective will enable us to understand our present plight in its proper setting.

Whenever any honour is done to a person the recipient must remember the divine source from which he derived the qualifications to receive that honour, and feel humble and not elated with a feeling of self - importance.

Cultivate Friendly attitude to conquer the minds of men;
Look at others as yourself;
Give up war; give up jealousy;
Don't commit aggression without reason;
Mother earth is like Kamadhenu to fulfil wishes;
The Lord God is like father showering mercy
People of the World !
Live with discipline;
Live with charity;
Live with mercy;
May all people attain greater well - being

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Hanuman Chalisa - Verse 1

Verse 1

Shri Guru Charan Saroj Raj
Nij mane mukure sudhar
Varnao Raghuvar Vimal Jasu
Jo dayaku phal char

Meaning:

After cleansing the mirror of my mind with the pollen dust of holy Guru's Lotus feet. I Profess the pure,untainted glory of Shri Raghuvar which bestows the four-fold fruits of life.(Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha).

Commentary By Prasanth Jalasutram

So here purification of mind is the preliminary step.There are various ways to purify our mind like association with sages,participating in satsangh like this forum,renounciation of ego,detachment with general mass of people,devotion to god.....

As RamaKrishna Paramahamsa says,

The mind is like a needle covered with mud, and God is like a magnet.The needle cannot be united with the magnet unless it is free from mud. Tears wash away the mud, which is nothing but lust,anger, greed, and other evil tendencies, and the inclination to worldly enjoyments as well.

Let the milk of your mind be turned into the butter of Divine Love by means of religious practices in solitude. The mind then will never get mixed with the water of worldliness, but will rise above and remain unattached to the world. Having attained true knowledge and devotion the mind will stand apart from the world.

Now this is possible with the grace of guru and surrender to guru is very much required.

Now coming to the four fruits of life (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) which we consider four ends or aims of human life.

They are (ordered from least to greatest):

Kama - "wish, desire, love and sensual pleasure"

Artha - "wealth, prosperity, glory"

Dharma - "righteousness, duty, morality, virtue, ethics", encompassing notions such as ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truth)

Moksha - "liberation", i.e. liberation from Saṃsara, the cycle of reincarnation.

So least preference of Kama,Artha should be given and we should always adhere to Dharma and strive for moksa which is detaching from non-Self and absence of ego though complete destruction is not possible as stated by bhagavan ramana.


Sources:

1) http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purusharthas

3) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-mind-is-like.html

4) http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-having-attained.html

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Ramana Maharshi Says Though There Is Diversity In The World A Unity Runs Through The Diversity

22nd August, 1938

Talk 507

D. Devotee
M. Ramana Maharshi

D.: Aurobindo does not approve of castes. Do you approve of them?

M.: As for Aurobindo, you ask him. As for my opinion, how does it matter to you? How will it be of use to you? Have you got any opinion on the matter? That alone will affect you, not the opinion of others.

D.: I do not approve of the caste system. Mahatma’s opinion is valuable as a guidance. I want your blessings in my attempts.

M.: Mahatma has told you to seek and find your Self. You will not do it but require his blessings.

D.: I am trying to follow the instructions. But caste-distinction is painful. It must go.

M.: To whom does it cause pain?

D.: The members of the society...

M.: It is you who say it. There are countries where there are no such distinctions of caste. Are they free from trouble? There are wars,internecine struggle, etc. Why do you not remedy the evils there?

D.: There are troubles here also.

M.: Differences are always there. There are not only human beings, but also animals, plants, etc. The state of affairs cannot be helped.

D.: We do not mind the animals, etc., at present.

M.: Why not? If they could speak they would claim equality with you and dispute your claims no less vigorously than human beings.

D.: But we cannot help it. It is God’s work.

M.: If that is God’s work then the other part is your work, is that so?

D.: It is man-made distinction.

M.: You need not notice these distinctions. There is diversity in the world. A unity runs through the diversity. The Self is the same in all. There is no difference in spirit. All the differences are external and superficial. You find out the Unity and be happy.

The pain of diversity is overcome by the joy of the perception of unity. Moreover, a king may disguise himself as a servant. That makes no difference in the person.

D.: I do not object to differences. But the claims of superiority are wrong.

M.: There are differences in the limbs of one’s body. When the hand touches the foot the hand is not defiled. Each limb performs its function. Why do you object to differences?

D.: The people feel the injustice of caste distinction. It must be rooted out.

M.: You can individually arrive at the state where such distinctions are not perceived and be happy. How can you hope to reform the world? Even if you try you cannot succeed. Kavyakantha Ganapati Sastri offered to initiate Harijans with mantras and make Brahmins of them. But the Harijans did not come forward to accept the offer.
That shows they are themselves afflicted by an inferiority complex.

Remove that complex first before you try to reform others.

Moreover, why do you go to places where such distinctions are observed and cause pain to yourself? Why should you not seek places where they are not observed and be happy there?

Gandhiji also tries to bring about equality. He is also up against the barrier of inferiority complex afflicting the lower orders. He cannot enforce his views on others. He observes non-violence. So matters stand as they are.

D.: We must work to obliterate caste-distinctions.

M.: Then do it. If you have succeeded in the world, then see if the distinctions persist in this place.

D.: This must be the first place where I want to effect the reform.

M.: Why do you exert yourself so much to effect reforms? Go to sleep and see if there are differences. There you obliterate differences without any effort. (Laughter).

External differences are bound to persist, however hard we may try to obliterate them. The attempts of so-called social reformers, to do away with such classes or divisions as varnasrama has created, have not succeeded, but have only created new divisions and added a few more castes or classes to the already existing ones, such as the Brahmo-Samajists and the Arya-Samajists.

The only solution is for each man to realise his true nature.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers Interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/07/ramana-maharshi-views-about-varnasrama.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/02/civilization-and-transcendence-caste.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-tells-who-is-real.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/swami-vivekananda-about-brahmin.html

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Ramana Maharshi says Objects Existence Are Dependent On Subject

22nd August, 1938

Talk 507

D.: Object existence is independent of the subject.

M.: Do the objects exist in the absence of the subject?

M.: Do you say that they exist, or do they come and announce their existence to you?

D.: I know that they exist.

M.: So it is your knowledge of them only. Their existence is not absolute.

D.: Even if I did not know they will continue to exist.

M.: Do you claim their existence in the absence of your knowledge of them?(Laughter).


Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

More Over In Shankaracharya's Drik Drisya Vivekam it is said

The world we see, being seen by the eye, is drisya (object);the eye which sees it is drik (subject). But the eye, being perceived by the mind is drisya (object) and the mind which sees it is drik (subject). The mind, with its thoughts perceived by the Self, is drisya (object) and the Self is drik (subject).The Self cannot be drisya (object), not being perceived by anything else. The forms perceived are various, blue and yellow, gross and subtle, tall and short, and so on; but the eye that sees them remains one and the same. Similarly, the varying qualities of the eye, such as blindness, dullness and keenness and of the ears and other organs, are perceived by the mind singly. So, too, the various characteristics of the mind, such as desire, determination, doubt, faith, want of faith, courage,want of courage, fear, shyness, discrimination, good and bad,are all perceived by the Self singly. This Self neither rises nor sets, neither increases nor decays. It shines of its own luminosity. It illumines everything else without the need for aid from other sources.

Readers interested are requested to read below article as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/shankaracharyas-drik-drisya-vivekam.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/drik-drishya-vivekam-explains-how-is.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-about-different-types.html

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Ramana Maharshi : How Did We Get The Body

12th July, 1938

Talk 501.

A young Mysorean asked:

D.: How did I get this body?

M.: You speak of ‘I’ and the ‘body’. There is the relationship between the two. You are not therefore the body. The question does not occur to the body because it is inert. There is an occasion when you are not aware of the body - namely, in deep sleep. The question does not arise then. Nevertheless you are there in sleep. To whom does the question arise now?

D.: The ego.

M.: Yes. The body and the ego rise up together and sink together. There is an occasion when you are not associated with the ego in deep sleep.Now you are associated with the ego. Of these two states which is your real state? You are present in sleep and the same “You” is present now too. Why should the doubt arise now and not then? You are right in saying that it is for the ego. You are not the ego. The ego is intermediate between the Self and the body. You are the Self. Find out the origin of the ego and see if the doubt persists.

Sri Bhagavan added after a few minutes: The answer, according to sastras, will be that the body is due to karma. The question will be how did karma arise? We must say “from a previous body” and so on without end. The direct method of attack is not to depend on invisible hypotheses but to ask “Whose Karma is it? Or whose body?” Hence I answered in this manner. This is more purposeful.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-how-did.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/ramana-maharshi-says-only-obstacle-is.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-supports-sanyasa-for.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-says-solitude-is-for.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-to-give-up-all.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-explains-what-is-meant.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/12/ramana-maharshi-says-if-ego-vanishes.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-says-it-is-ego-which.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-unless-one.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-says-one-who-divested.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/self-ego-and-true-self-by-ramana.html

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Vedic Thought

while the fire is engaged in the mega project of burning down wild forests, the air keeps him hearty company as the best friend. But when the same fire tries to keep alive a wick lamp the air haughtily destroys it by putting out the lamp by show of great force. The world is like this. No one wants the friendship of a person when he has become weak.

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Ramana Maharshi Says Unless The Realisation Be Eternal It Cannot Serve Any Useful Purpose

Talk 469

What is Realisation? Is it to see God with four hands, bearing conch, wheel, club, etc.? Even if God should appear in that form,how is the disciple’s ignorance wiped out? The truth must be eternal realisation. The direct perception is ever-present Experience.God Himself is known as directly perceived. It does not mean that He appears before the devotee as said above.

Unless the Realisation be eternal it cannot serve any useful purpose. Can the appearance with four hands be eternal realisation? It is phenomenal and illusory.There must be a seer. The seer alone is real and eternal.

Let God appear as the light of a million suns: Is it pratyaksha? To see it, the eyes, the mind, etc. are necessary. It is indirect knowledge,whereas the seer is direct experience. The seer alone is pratyaksha.

All other perceptions are only secondary knowledge. The present super-imposition of the body as ‘I’ is so deep-rooted, that the vision before the eyes is considered pratyaksha but not the seer himself.No one wants realisation because there is no one who is not realised.

Can anyone say that he is not already realised or that he is apart from the Self? No. Evidently all are realised. What makes him unhappy is the desire to exercise extraordinary powers. He knows that he cannot do so. Therefore he wants God to appear before him, confer all His powers on the devotee, and keep Himself in the background. In short,God should abdicate His powers in favour of the man.

D.: It is all right for mahatmas like Sri Bhagavan to speak out so plainly.Because the Truth does not swerve from you, you consider it easy for all others. Nevertheless, the common folk have a real difficulty.

M.: Then does anyone say that he is not the Self?

D.: I meant to say that no one else has the courage to put things straight like Maharshi.

M.: Where is the courage in saying things as they are?

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/ramana-maharshi-why-do-religions-speak.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-comments-about-lord.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-says-to-find-out-truth.html

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Ramana Maharshi About Explorers(Especially For Some Scientific Purpose)

12th February, 1938

Talk 457.

Mrs. Rosita Forbes was said to be in India. Sri Bhagavan said: The explorers seek happiness in finding curiosities, discovering new lands and undergoing risks in adventures. They are thrilling. But where is pleasure found? Only within. Pleasure is not to be sought in the external world.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Explorers - Someone who travels into little known regions (especially for some scientific purpose)

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Ramana Maharshi Says Due To The Samskaras Of The Jagrat State We Remember Dreams

15th April, l937

Talk 399.

Mr. Bose, the Bengali Engineer, has since read Gaudapada Karikas and Sir S. Radhakrishnan’s Indian Philosophy and so asked questions as follows:

D.: Is there any genuine difference between dream experience and waking state?

M.: Because you find the dream creations transitory in relation to the waking state there is said to be a difference. The difference is only apparent and not real.

D.: Is the waking state independent of existing objects?

M.: Were it so, the objects must exist without the seer; that is to say,the object must tell you that it exists. Does it do so? For example,does a cow moving in front of you say that she is moving? Or do you say of your own accord “There is a cow moving”? The objects exist because of the seer cognising them.

D.: Gaudapada in Mandukya Karikas says that there is no difference between the two states from the standpoint of Reality-Absolute.

M.: Of course not.

D.: I believe Bhagavan also says so. Prof. Radhakrishnan in his Indian Philosophy says that in his Brahma Sutra Commentary Sri Sankara makes a distinction between the two states. Is it a fact? If so, what is it? How can there be any distinction from the viewpoint of reality? So long as the mind exists in any form there will be distinction.But from the standpoint of Atman, non-dual Brahman, can there be any distinction?

M.: The dream is for the one who says that he is awake. In fact,wakefulness and dream are equally unreal from the standpoint of the Absolute.

D.: The dream world is not purposeful as the jagrat world, because we do not feel that wants are satisfied.

M.: You are not right. There are thirst and hunger in dream also. You might have had your fill and kept over the remaining food for the next day. Nevertheless you feel hungry in dream. This food does not help you. Your dream-hunger can be satisfied only by eating dream-food. Dream-wants are satisfied by dream-creations only.

D.: We recollect our dreams in our jagrat but not vice-versa.

M.: Not right again. In the dream you identify yourself with the one now speaking.

D.: But we do not know that we are dreaming as apart from waking as we do now.

M.: The dream is the combination of jagrat(waking state) and sushupti(Deep dreamless sleep). It is due to the samskaras of the jagrat state. Hence we remember dreams at present. Samskaras are not formed contrariwise; therefore also we are not aware of the dream and jagrat simultaneously. Still everyone will recollect strange perplexities in dream. One wonders if he dreams or is awake. He argues and determines that he is only awake. When really awake, he finds that it was all only a dream.

D : Is it a fact that dreams arise because of the impressions received during the waking state?

A. No,it is not true.In your dream you see many new things and many new people whom you have never seen before in your walking state.You may even see a second dream within the dream.After waking up from the second dream,you feel that you have woken up,but that is the waking state of the first dream.In the same way,man wakes up daily,but it is not to a real waking state.


Sources:

1) Ramana Maharshi's introduction and teachings By Swami Rama Thirtha Original in Gujarathi
2) Arunchala's Ramana Volume VI Book

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-nature-of-mind.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/05/michael-james-about-self-enquiry-based.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-process-of-doing.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-why-is-there.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-says-walking-and-dream.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-transition-stage.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answer-to-question-can.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/ramana-maharshi-says-jnanis-walking-and.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-according-to.html

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