Part 1 - Few Talks Of Bhagavan Ramana

"You do not know what you were
before birth, yet you want to know
what you will be after death.
Do you know what you are now?
Birth pertains to the body. You
are identifying the Self with the
body.

It is wrong identification. You
believe that the body was born
and will die, and confound the
phenomena relating to the one
with the other.

Know your real Being
and these questions will not arise."

"Know the Self
and do not be perturbed by doubts."

[from] Talks with Ramana Maharshi

-recorded, Nov 10, 1936-

"Meditation is on a form. That will drive away
other thoughts. The one thought of God will
dominate others. That is concentration. The
object of meditation is thus the same as that
of vichara [inquiry].
God is seen in the mind. The concrete form
may be seen. Still it is only in the devotee's
mind. The form and appearance of God--
manifestation are determined by the mind
of the devotee. But it is not the finality.
There is still the sense of duality. It is like
a dream-vision. After God is perceived,
vichara begins. That ends in Realization
of the Self."

[from] Talks with Ramana Maharshi

-recorded, Sept 29, 1936-


"As for Grace, it is within you.
Were it external, it would be useless.
Grace is the Self.
You are never out of its operation.
Grace is always there.
Is not Grace already there?
Is there a moment when Grace is
not operating in you? Your remembrance
is the forerunner of Grace. That is the
response, that is the stimulus, that is
the Self, and that is Grace.
There is no cause for anxiety."

Destroying through discrimination
The basic error that I am the body,
An object, and rejecting it
And the world as mere mirages false,
The Awareness that surviving shines
Alone as Being, That am I.

"When you adhere to one philosophical system,
you are obliged to condemn the others. That
is the case with the heads of monastery's.
All people cannot be expected to do the same
kind of action. Each one acts according to his
temperament and his natural tendencies.
Wisdom, Devotion, Action are all interlocked.
Meditation on forms is according to one's own
mind. It is meant for ridding oneself of other
forms and confining oneself to one form. It
leads to the goal. It is impossible to fix the
mind in the Heart to start with, so these aids
are helpful initially.
It is certain that each one thinks of God
according to his own degree of advancement.
Should there not be infinite capacities for
God?
Which ever method one follows, that method
is encouraged by the Sages; for it will lead to
the goal."

"The birth of the 'I' thought is one's own birth;
its death is the person's death. After the 'I'
thought has arisen, the wrong identity with
the body arises. Thinking yourself the body,
you give false values to others and identify
them with bodies. Just as your body has been
born, grows, and will perish, so also you think
the other was born, grew up and died.
If you cease to identify yourself with the body,
but see the real Self, this confusion will vanish.
You are eternal.
The others also will be similarly be found to be
eternal. Until this truth is realized, there will
always be this grief due to false values arising
from wrong knowledge and wrong identity."

"That which rises and falls is the transient "I."
That which has neither origin nor end, is the
permanent "I-I" consciousness."

"The world is not external. Because you
identify yourself wrongly with the body,
you see the world outside, and its pain
becomes apparent to you.
Therfore, look within.
See the Self."

".....the world and the pain are within
you. If you look deeply within, there
will be no pain."

"See the Self and Be the Self."

This very year some of your friends may have died. Is the world waiting without going on? Is its current stopped? No, it goes on. So drive out of your mind the idea that you have to do something for the world. The world does not require any help from you.
- Swami Vivekananda

Human body is meant to serve others, not to indulge in selfish deeds. Due to selfishness, one indulges in many sinful activities. Eschew selfishness, take to selfless service. Give up attachment to the body. Become attached to the Self. Understand that the same Atma (Self) exists in everybody. Though you find myriad bulbs glowing, the current that is passing through them is the same. Bodies are like bulbs, the principle of the Atma is the current that is present in them. With such a feeling of oneness, make efforts to alleviate the suffering of your fellowmen.
- Satya sai BABA