Ramana Maharshi's 100 frequently asked question answers

52. Question: How to meditate?

Bhagavan: Being aware of the Self is the real meditation. When the mind gives up its habit of choosing and deciding, it then turns towards its own real nature. At that time, it gets into the fundamental state. When the ego gets or stays more powerful, entry into this state does not take place.

53. Question: What must I do to avoid sleep during my meditation?

Bhagavan: Meditators must not work too much, nor should they fill their stomachs with excessive food. The more one fills the stomach, the lower one's mental state becomes. If the stomach is mostly empty, one will go higher spiritually. One should not tighten the strings of the veena (stringed musical instrument) either too much or too little. The body must be kept like that.

Likewise with sleep. One third of the night has been allotted for sleep. That is, one must go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 2 a.m. One should not sleep during the daytime. There is anbody? How could I feel this in the body?

Bhagavan: You can feel yourself as one with the One that exists: the whole body becomes a mere power, a force-current; your life becomes a needle drawn to a huge mass of magnet; and, as you go deeper and deeper, you become a mere center, and then not even that for you become mere consciousness.


71. Question: Then when you say, "Know thyself" you want me to know this ego-self?

Bhagavan: The moment the ego-self tries to know itself, it changes its character; it begins to partake less and less of the Jada (inert nature) in which it is absorbed, and more and more of the Consciousness of the Self, the Atman.


72. Question: Now be pleased to tell me where it (the Real Self) is in the body.

Bhagavan: You cannot know it with your mind. You cannot realize it by imagination, when I tell you here is the center (pointing to the right side of the chest). The only direct way to realize it is to cease to fancy, and (simply) try to be yourself. Then you realize, automatically feel, that the center is there. This is the center, the Heart spoken of in the scriptures as Hridayaguha (Cavity of the Hearin order to prevent it from running everywhere. Inquiring, "Who Am I?" is a much easier method of controlling the mind.

56. Question: I am often tempted to try other centers (of concentration), such as the base of the mind, the tip of the nose, and the space between the eyebrows. What does Bhagavan think about it?

Bhagavan: When the Heart center is there (is present), why not go directly to it instead of going through other centers? To come to Tiruvannamalai from Madras (in South India), why should you go to Banaras (in North India) first and come down all the way, or why go to Rameswaram (another city further south in India) and come up here. Why not come straight?


57. Question: Some people advise that one should concentrate on the center of the eyebrows. Is this correct?

Bhagavan: What is important is (ones) determination. The source of everython. Accept your true identity with the Real. Be the water and not the froth. That is done by diving in.


65.Question: Sri Bhagavan speaks of the Heart as the seat of Consciousness, and as identical with the Self. What does the Heart signify exactly?

Bhagavan: The question about the Heart arises because you are interested in seeking the source of Consciousness. To all deep thinking minds, the inquiry about the "I" and ? How can the mind be made to over cy toward diffus ' BC^ b2/ ^ b2/ imal state of freedom from thought?

Bhagavan: It is the mind's attachment to objects, constituting the non-self, which makes the mind wander about during meditation. Therefore, the mind should be withdrawn from the non-self, and 63. Question: How can meditation become steady?

ng imagination. Accept your true identity with the Real. Be the water and not the froth. That is done by diving in.


65.Question: Sri Bhagavan speaks of the Heart as the seat of Consciousness, and as identical with the Self. What does the Heart signify exactly?



64. Question: Am I the froth?

Bhagavan: Cease that identification with the unreal and know your real identity. Then you will be firm and no doubts can arise. Because you think that way there is worry. It is a wrong imagination. Accept your true identity with the Real. Be the water and not the froth. That is done by diving in.


65.Question: Sri Bhagavan speaks of the Heart as the seat of Consciousness, and as identical with the Self. What does the Heart signify exactly?

Bhagavan: The question about the Heart arises because you are interested in seeking the source of Consciousness. To all deep thinking minds, the inquiry about the "I" and 0A
62. Question: What books should I read for swadhyaya (introspection, or self study)?

Bhagavan: The Self is the real book. You can glance anywhere in that "book"; nobody can take it away from you. Whenever (or since) you are free, turn towards the Sed know your realou may read whateverwill be firm and no doubts can arise. Because you think that way there is worry. It is a wrong imagination. Accept your true identity with the Real. Be the water and not the froth. That is done by diving in.


65.Question: Sri Bhagavan speaks of the Heart as the seat of Consciousness, and as identical with the Self. What does the Heart signify exactly?



64. Question: Am I the froth?

Bhagavan: Cease that identification with tonsciousness. To all deep thinking minds, the inquiry about the "I" and its nature has an irresistible fascination.

Call it by any name: God, Self, the Heart, or the seat of Consciousness, it is all the same. The point to be grasped is this, that Heart means the very core of one's being, the center without which there is nothing whatever.


66. Question: But Sri Bhagavan has spec
Bhagavan: The question about the Heart arises because you are interested in seeking the source of Consciousness. To all deep thinking minds, the inquiry about the "I" and its nature has an irresistible fascination.

Call it by any name: God, Self, the Heart, or the seat of Consciousness, it is all the same. The point to be grasped is this, that Heart means the very core of one's being, the center without which there is nothing whatever.


66. Question: But Sri Bhagavan has specified a particular place for the Heart within, i.e., a physical place of the Heart within the physical body, which is in the chest two digits to the right from the median.

Bhagavan: Yes, that is the center of spiritual experience according to the testimony of Sages. This spiritual Heart-center is quite different from the blood-propelling, muscular organ known by the same name. The spiritual Heart-center is not an organ of the body. All that you can say of this Heart is that it is the very core of your being. That with which you are really identical (as the word in Sanskrit literally means), whether you are awake, asleep, or dreaming, whether you are engaged in work or immersed in samadhi (absorbed in Self).


67. Question: How can it (the Heart-center) be localized in any part of the body? Fixing a place for the Heart (within the body) would imply setting physiological limitations to that which is beyond space and tf Consciousness. To all deep thinking minds, the inquiry about the "I" astion about the position of the Heart, considers himself as existing within the body. While putting the question now, would you say that your body alone is here but that you are speaking from somewhere else? No, you accept your bodily existence. It is from this point of view that any reference to a physical body is made.


68. Question: You often say that there is the real meaning of "I" in the Heart. What does it mean?

Bhagavan: Yes, when you go deeper within, you lose yourself as it were in the abysmal depths; then the Reality, which is the Self that was behind you all the while, takes hold of you. It is an incessant flash (or current) of I-consciousness, you can be aware of it, feel it, hear it, sense it, so to say; this is what I call the throb (or current) of the "I"-"I."


69. Question: You said that the Atman (the Self) is immutable, self-effulgent, etc. But, if you speak at the same time of the incessant flash (or current) of I-consciousness, does that not imply movement, which cannot be complete realization in which there is no movement?

Bhagavan: What do you mean by complete realization? Does it mean becoming a stone, an inert mass? The thought "I," is different from that which says "I." The former is the activity of the ego, and is bound to lose itself and Aurl (Ullam).


73. Question: Then what is Samadhi?

Bhagavan: In yoga the samadhi term refers to some kind of trance, and there are various kinds of samadhi. However, the samadhi I speak of is different. It is Sahaja Samadhi (state of permanent Realization). For, here you have Samadhana (see all things as the same), you remain calm and composed even while you are active; you realize that you are moved by the deeper Real Self within. You have no worries, no anxieties, no cares.

For, here you come to realize that there is nothing belonging to you. And everything is done by Something with which you get into conscious union.


74. Question: If this is Sahaja Samadhi (the natural state) and the most desirable condition, there is no need for Nirvikalpa Samadhi (highest state of Yoga that sees no differences).

Bhagavan: The Nirvikalpa Samadhi (no differences perceived) of Raja (Royal) Yoga may have its use. But, in Jnana (pure Knowledge), this Sahaja Sthiti (abidance in the natural state) itself is the Nirvikalpa (no concepts) state. For, in this state the mind is free from doubts (and modifications). It has no need to swing between alternatives of possibilities and probabilities. It has noity without any thought is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Permanently abiding in the Selft), Aurl (Ullam).


73. Question: Then what is Samadhi?

Bhagavan: In yoga the samadhi term refers to some kind of trance, and there are various kinds of samadhi. However, the samadhi I speak of is different. It is Sahaja Samadhi (state of permanent Realization). For, here you have Samadhana (see all things as the same), you remain calm and composed even while you are active; you realize that you are moved by the deeper Real Self within. You have no worries, no anxieties, no cares.

For, here you come to realize that there is nothing belonging to you. And everything is done by Something with which you get into conscious union.


74. Question: If this is Sahaja Samadhi (the natural state) and the most desirable condition, there is no need for Nirvikalpa Samadhi (highest state of Yoga that sees no differences).

Bhagavan: The Nirvikalpa Samadhi (no differences perceived) of Raja (Royal) Yoga may have its use. But, in Jnana (pure Knowledge), this Sahaja Sthiti (abidance in the natural state) itself is the Nirvikalpa (no concepts) state. For, in this state the mind is free from doubts (and modifications). It has no need to swing between alternatives of possibilities and probabilities. It has noity without any thought is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Permanently abiding in the Selfadhi (the state of oneness where one experiences the Self) mean that one is unaware of everything?

Bhagavan: No. Meditation will go on without our effort. That is samadhi.


76. Question: Then what is Sahaja Samadhi?

Bhagavan: In that state, meditation will always be going on. In that state the thought, "I am meditating" or "I am not meditating" will not occur.

NOTE: Sahaja Samadhi is the permanent state of Self-Realization in which one functions normally in the world without thought, with no sense of oneness or separateness.

77. Question: In my meditation I am only aware of an all-pervasive blankness. Is that good?

Bhagavan: It is good if meditators meditate with Self-awareness.

78. Question: Can one practice Sahaja Samadhi (the permanent state of Self-Realization in which one functions normally in the world without thought, with no sense of oneness or separateness) right from the beginning?

Bhagavan: Yes.


79. Question: How does one practice Nirvikalpa Samadhi (the state with no perceived differences)? How many different kinds of samadhi are there?

Bhagavan: There is only one kind of samadhi, not many kinds. To remain temporarily subsided in the Reality without any thought is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Permanently abiding in the Self, without forgetting it, is Sahaja Samadhi.


80. Question: God is omnipresent. Why should He become an avatara (one born Enlightened in a physical body) age after age? Couldn't He perform His function just by being present everywhere?

Bhagavan: By the order of Iswara (the Supreme Power, or personal God), authorized, eligible, or qualified beings (adhikarika purushas) along with their devotees are sent to take birth on earth. These beings become avataras in order to give their grace to those who have done nishkamya punya (meritorious acts without any desire), accomplish the mission for which they came, then go back to their own earlier positions. Though different bodies come to the avatara purushas (incarnate divine beings), their experience of the unity of the Self never changes. A man, after being born, undergoes the various stages of life -- childhood, youth, manhood, and old age -- but in all these stages, the thought that he is the same person who was born remains unchanged. Likewise, the avatara purushas knowingly remain as the one Self even though they go through many births. For them, it is rather like seeing ten different dreams in one night.

All these questions will not occur when you know yourself. Without knowing the truth about oneself, it is a waste of time trying to understand the differing teachings of other people.


81. Question: What is the difference between Iswara (personal God) and the liberated one?

Bhagavan: Iswara and the Jnani (liberated being) are one and the same, except that the liberated person was at first forgetful of the Self. Later, by strength of his practice, he eventually came to know the Self. For Iswara, it was not like that. Being the eternally liberated One, God is performing the five-fold functions of creation, preservation and destruction, veiling and grace. The activities, or functioning of Iswara and the Jnani, are one and the same.


82. Question: You have said that the jnani (realized being) can be as active, and deal with men and things. I have no doubt about it now. You say at the same time that he has no differences; to him all is one, he is always in the Consciousness... if so, how does he deal with differences --with men, with things, which are surely different?

Bhagavan: He sees these differences as but appearances. He sees them as not separate from the True, the Real, with which he is one.


83. Question: The jnani (realized being) seems to be more accurate in his expressions; he appreciates the differences better than the ordinary man. If sugar is sweet and wormwood is bitter to me, he too seems to realize it is so. In fact, all forms, all sounds, all tastes, etc., are the same to him as they are to others. If so, how can it be said that these are mere appearances? Do they not form part of his life experience?

Bhagavan: I have said that equality implies the existence of differences. It is a unity that the jnani perceives in all differences, which I call equality. Equality does not mean ignorance of distinctions. When you have the Realization you can see that these differences are very nominal, they are not at all substantial or permanent, and what is essential in all these appearances is the one Truth, and Real. That I call unity... You referred to sound, taste, form, smell, etc. True, the jnani appreciates the distinctions, but he always perceives and experiences the one Real in all of them. That is why he has no preferences. Whether he moves about or talks or acts, it is all the One Real in which he acts or moves or talks. He has nothing apart from the one supreme Truth.


84. Question: Sri Bhagavan has written that one should not show advaita (non-duality) in one's activities. Why so? All are one. Why differences?

Bhagavan: If you saw someone molesting a woman would you just let him go, thinking "All is one?" There is a scriptural story about this. Some people once gathered together to test whether it is true, as said in the Bhagavad Gita, that a jnani (realized being) sees everything as one. They took a Brahmin, (a member of the highest Hindu caste system), a cow, an elephant, and a dog to the court of King Janaka, who was a jnani. When all had arrived, King Janaka sent the Brahmin to the place of Brahmins, the cow to its shed, the elephant to the place allotted to elephants, the dog to its kennel. He then ordered his servants to take care of his guests and feed them all appropriate food. The people asked, "Why did you separate them individually? Is not everything one and the same for you?"

"Yes, all are one," replied Janaka, "but self-satisfaction varies according to the nature of the individual. Will a man eat the straw eaten by the cow? Will the cow enjoy the food that a man eats? One should only give what satisfies each individual person or animal. Although the same man may play the role of all the characters in a play, his actions will be determined by the role that he is playing at each moment. In the role of a king, he will sit on a throne and rule. If the same person takes on the role of a servant, he will carry the sandals of his master and follow him. His real Self is neither increased nor decreased while he plays these roles. The Jnani never forgets that he himself has played all these roles in the past."

85. Question: What is the difference between the bound man and the one liberated?

Bhagavan: From the Heart, the Self-center, there is a subtle passage leading to the mind's center. The ordinary man lives in the brain unaware of himself in the Heart. The enlightened one lives in the Heart. When he moves about and deals with men and things, he knows that what he sees is not separate from the one Supreme Reality, the Brahman, (the impersonal Absolute Reality) which he realized in the Heart as his own Self, the Real.

Question: What about the ordinary man?

Bhagavan: I have just said that he sees things outside himself. He is separate from the world, from his own deeper truth, from the truth that supports him and what he sees. The man who has realized the Supreme Truth of his own existence realizes that it is the one Supreme Reality that is there behind him, behind the world. In fact, he is aware of the One, as the Real, the Self in all selves, in all things, Eternal and Immutable, in all that is impermanent and mutable.


86. Question: Some say that to make an effort for one's liberation is selfish, and that instead of that, one should do good to others by selfless service.

Bhagavan: Those people believe that jnanis (realized beings) are selfish and that they themselves are selfless, but this is not a true belief. The jnani lives in the experience of Brahman (the impersonal Absolute Reality) and the effect of this experience spreads all over the world. A radio transmission is done from one point but its effect can be felt all over the world. Those who would like to benefit from it can do so. Similarly, the Self-realization of the jnani spreads everywhere and whosoever wants can tune into it. This is not a lesser service.


87. Question: How to maintain the thought that all is Brahman (the impersonal Absolute Reality) in the midst of worldly activities?

Bhagavan: When the harmonium is being played there is a constant note that is called the sruti. Along with that, other notes also come out. If the ear is fixed on this note that is constant, then, while listening to the other notes, that original note cannot be forgotten. Actually, that first note gives strength to all the other notes. So, the principle to understand is that the first note is the adhistana (substratum) while the other notes represent worldly activities. During worldly activities, if (awareness of) the note of the adhistana is continuous, whatever is spoken is then done with authority of this adhistana note. But an ordinary man does not keep his attention on the first note, the adhistana. He merely listens to the subsequent notes. Sukhdev (a sage of ancient India) used to keep such attention and maintain his awareness of Brahman. When the attention is fixed properly on the first note, the effect of the other notes will not be felt.


88. Question: How much sleep does a Jnani (realized being) require?

Bhagavan: Sleep is necessary to one who thinks, "I have risen from sleep." But, to those who are ever in changeless Sleep, what need is there for some other sleep? When the eyelids feel strained, it will do to close the eyes for a while. The three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep are for the mind and not for the body.


89. Bhagavan: Now I put a question to you. When a man with luggage gets into a railway carriage, where does he keep it?

Devotee: He keeps it in his compartment or in the luggage car.

90. Bhagavan: So he does not carry his luggage upon his head or in his lap?

Devotee: None but a fool would do so.

Bhagavan: If you call him a fool who keeps it on his head, a thousand times more foolish is it to bear your burden when you get into spiritual life, whether it is vichara-marga (the path of knowledge), or bhaki-marga (the path of devotion)?


91. Question: But can I throw off all my responsibilities, all my commitments?

Bhagavan: Now, look at the temple tower (Gopuram). There are many statues in it, and there is a big statue, one in each corner. Have you seen them? Well, do you think the statues support the temples entrance?

92. Devotee: When you speak like that, it would be as foolish as to think those statues also support the tall towers as well.

Bhagavan: Yes. Likewise, the Lord of the Universe carries the entire burden of this world. You imagine you do. You can hand all your burdens over to His care. Whatever you have to do, you will be made an instrument for doing it at the right time. Do not think you cannot do it unless you have the desire to do it. Desire does not give you the strength for doing. The entire strength is the Lord's.


93. Question: Am I to understand that you are giving me the essence of Karma Yoga (the way of action)?

Bhagavan: It is the essence of Karma Yoga (the path of action), of Bhakti Yoga (the way of devotion), even of Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge or wisdom); for even though the paths may differ in the beginning, they all eventually lead to this same position.


94. Question: How is sadbuddhi (Pure Intellect) to be steadily kept up?

Bhagavan: All living beings are aware of their surroundings; and, therefore, intellect must be surmised in all of them. At the same time, there is a difference between the intellect of man and that of other animals because man not only sees the world as it is and acts accordingly, but also seeks fulfillment of desires. He extends his vision far and wide, and yet he turns away dissatisfied. He then begins to think and reason out. The desire for permanency of happiness and for peace bespeaks such permanency of his own nature. Therefore, he seeks to find and regain his own nature, i.e., his Self. That found, all is found.

Such inward seeking is the path to be gained by man's intellect. The intellect itself realizes after continuous practice that it is enabled by some Higher Power to function. It cannot itself reach that Power. So it ceases to function after a certain stage. When it thus ceases to function, the Supreme Power is still left there all alone. That is Realization; that is the finality; and that is the goal. It is thus plain that the purpose of the intellect is to realize its own dependence on the Higher Power and its inability to reach the same.


95. Question: What is Sat Sanga (Keeping Conscious Company or Association)

Bhagavan: Sat Sanga means only Self Sanga (association with the Self). Only those who cannot practice that, are to practice being in the company of Realized Beings, or sadhus (holy men)


96. Question: When does one get the company of a Satguru? (Spiritual Master living in Reality)

Bhagavan: The opportunity to be in the company of a Satguru comes effortlessly to those who have performed worship of God, japa (repetition of a name of God), tapas (burning off one's impurities by intense spiritual practice), pilgrimages, etc., for long periods in their previous births. There is a verse by Tayumanavar (a great Indian saint) which points out the same thing; "O Lord of the first and last, those who properly start the worship of idols, holy places, and sacred waters will meet the Satguru who will tell them the words of Truth."

Only he who has done plenty of nishkamya karmas (actions performed without any thought of a reward or consequence) in previous births will get abundant faith in the Guru. Having faith in the Guru's words, such a man will follow the path and reach the goal of liberation.


97. Question: In the supplement to Ulladu Narpadu (a poem of forty-two verses, composed by Bhagavan in Tamil, which explains the nature of Reality and the means of discovering it), it is said that the look of a "Mahatma (great soul) is far more effective than any number of pilgrimages, worship, and other devotional practices." I have already stayed here for some months but I do not feel any change in myself. Why?

Bhagavan: The purification by the look of a Mahatma is not visible. Coal takes time to ignite, but charcoal is proportionately quicker, while gunpowder ignites immediately. So it is with men under the powerful influence of a jnani (a realized being).


98. Question: How can one have a vision of God?

Bhagavan: Seeing God implies that he is not there now but will come later, is it not? That which appears and disappears is not permanent. Can one place faith in that which is impermanent? Is it not better to abide in God, instead of merely seeing Him? Self-abidance is what one should seek, not visions. It is only when the ego is merged in its source, the Heart, that true knowledge of one's identity with God will dawn.


99. Question: The fact is that God guides us. Then what is the use of these instructions to people?

Bhagavan: They are for those who seek instructions. If you are firm in your belief in the guidance of God, stick to it, and do not concern yourself with what happens around you. Furthermore, there may be happiness or misery. Be equally indifferent to both and abide in the faith of God. That will be so only when one's faith is strong that God looks after all of us.


100. Question: Does not God work His Will through some chosen person?

Bhagavan: God is in all and works through all. But His presence is better recognized in purified minds. The pure ones reflect God's actions more clearly than the impure minds. Therefore, people say that they are the chosen ones. However, the "chosen" man does not himself say so. If he thinks that he is the intermediary, then it is clear that he retains his individuality and that there is not complete surrender.


101. Question: How is "I-I" consciousness felt?

Bhagavan: As an unbroken awareness of "I." It is simply consciousness. You are that even now. There will be no mistaking it, when pure.