Let
there be peace and love among all beings of the universe. OM
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
"The
illusion created by the mind must be destroyed by the mind
itself."
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OUR
duty
is to be and not to be this or that. "I am that I
am" sums up the whole Truth. The method is summed
up in the words "Be still". Stillness means
"destroy yourself". Every name and form is the
cause of trouble. Give up the notion that "I am so
and so".
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2.
All that we have to do is to give up identifying
the Self with the body, with forms and limits, and
then we shall know ourselves the Self that we
always are.
3. Do not associate with the mind that rises
like the goddess who smites men with love. Destroy
it by abiding in the Self. Should you succumb to
its spell and embrace it, alas, it will destroy
your life by drowning you in the intoxication of
pride. That demoness, the mind, is extremely adept
at amorously caressing you with false pretences.
Heed this warning! From now on, stay away from that
utterly sinful woman, without even mentioning her
name. That woman, the mind, is a great demoness
whose embrace brings death to all. She somehow
deceives everyone and brings them under her spell.
She is an extremely cunning woman, a thief who
practises deception. This murderess, this beautiful
and seductive woman, is a despicable sinner who has
totally ruined the lives of many an aspirant. She
is an evil low-born woman who hates and torments
your lawfully wedded wife, peace.
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4. He who
is forgetful of the Self, mistaking the physical
body for it, and goes through innumerable births,
is like one who wanders all over the world in a
dream. Thus realising the Self would only be like
waking up from the dream-wanderings.
5. Know that the path of knowledge and the
path of devotion are interrelated. Follow these
inseparable two paths without dividing one from the
other.
6. The lazy state wherein you exist
motionlessly and shine is the natural state. In
that Supreme state you have become That. It cannot
be attained except by direct, excellent and rare
austerities. You should therefore honour those who
are established in that laziness as holy
beings.
7. One who asks himself "Who am I?" and
"Where am I?", though existing all the while as the
Self, is like a drunken man who inquires about his
own identity and whereabouts.
8. Bliss is a thing which is always there
and is not something that comes and goes. That
which comes and goes is a creation of the mind and
you should not worry about it.
9. An "I" rises forth with every thought and
with its disappearance that "I" disappears too.
Many "I"s are born and die every moment. The
subsisting mind is the real trouble. That is the
thief according to Janaka. Find him out and you
will be happy.
10. During worldly activity, if your
attention is fixed on the fundamental Reality,
there is no difficulty. But ordinary people forget
the Reality and take the name alone to be real. The
different "I"s are not real. There is only one "I".
The separate "I" is like a watchman in a fort. He
is like the protector of the body. The real owner
in everybody is only the one real "I". So, when the
separate "I" surrenders to the real "I", then
because the idea of a separate self who "owns" the
body disappears, "I" and "mine" are eliminated. The
true state comes into existence when, after sorting
out what belongs to whom, the ego "I" surrenders
itself to the real owner.
11. While in fact the body is in the Self,
he who thinks that the Self is within the
insentient body is like one who considers the cloth
of the screen which supports a cinema picture to be
contained within the picture.
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12. Many
fear that with the destruction of the mind, they
themselves will cease to exist. But destruction of
the mind is nothing to be feared. What we conceive
of now as mind is only a combination of
restlessness and dullness. By their elimination,
the mind becomes pure. Such a mind is one's own
real nature. The activities of one whose mind has
been purified by Self-attention will continue to be
done. He will even appear to do the work with
greater attention and involvement. Yet he is
unaffected and always stays in the felicity of
non-dual bliss.
13. If you remain in the "don't want" state,
everything will come to you. That is why both likes
and dislikes are not wanted.
14. Does an ornament exist apart from the
gold of which it is made? Where is the body apart
from the Self? He who considers the body to be
himself is an ignorant man. He who regards himself
as the Self is the enlightened One who has realised
the Self.
15. The one Self, the sole Reality, alone
exists eternally. When even the ancient Teacher,
Dakshinamurti, revealed It through speechless
eloquence, who else could convey it by speech?
16. Since past and future have never been
without the present, to know the Eternal Now is to
know the Truth. The changeless, Infinite Self
transcends time and space, which are relative to
the body and the mind. The sage who has realised
the Self transcends both freewill and destiny, with
which only the ignorant are concerned. To the
ignorant, the "I" is the Self limited to the body;
to the wise, the "I" is the Infinite Self.
17. Though the non-dual knowledge
[Advaita jnana] is difficult to attain, it
becomes easy to attain when the true love for the
feet of the Lord becomes intense, since His Grace,
the revealing light which dispels ignorance, then
begins to flow.
18. If the agent, upon whom the karma
depends, namely the ego, which has come into
existence between the body and the Self, merges in
its Source and loses its form, how can the karma,
which depends upon it, survive? When there is no
"I" there is no karma.
19. Only when the Self is gained is
permanent, perfect, blissful peace attained. In
this Self-sovereignty, non-dual, heaven-like,
all-pervasive, no desire and no fear can exist.
20. Beyond the reach of words extends the
sage's greatness. None but he can know his state of
being, vaster than the sky and than the mountain
firmer. To experience it yourself, you should first
shed your own body-consciousness.
21. He who turns inward with an untroubled
mind to search where the consciousness "I" arises,
realises the Self, and rests in That, like a river
when it joins the ocean.
22. To all deep thinking minds, the enquiry
about the "I" and its nature has an irresistable
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 centre
without which there is nothing whatsoever.
23. Where can you find true consciousness?
Can you attain it outside yourself? You have to
find it internally. Therefore you are directed
inward. The Heart is the seat of consciousness. Or,
it is consciousness itself.
24. When the mind unceasingly investigates
its own nature, it transpires that there is no such
thing as mind. This is the direct path to Truth for
all.
25. The mind is merely thoughts. Of all
thoughts, the thought "I" is the root. Therefore
the mind is only the thought "I".
26. Whence does this "I" arise? Seek for it
within; it then vanishes. This is the pursuit of
wisdom.
27. Where the "I" vanishes, there appears
another "I-I" by itself. This is the Infinite
Self.
28. This is always the true import of the
term "I". For we do not cease to exist even in the
deepest sleep, where there is no waking "I".
29. The body, senses, mind, life-breath and
ignorance are all insentient and not the real. "I
am" is the real. This was Moses' realisation: "I am
that I am". These [sheaths] I am not.
30. As there is no second being to know that
which is, "that which is" is consciousness. We are
That.
31. He who is forgetful of the Self,
mistaking the physical body as being it, and goes
through innumerable births seeking his Self, is
like one who wanders all over the world in a dream.
Thus, realising the Self would only be like waking
up from the dream-wanderings.
32. Where can I go? I am here.
33. While in fact the body is in the Self,
he who thinks that the Self is within the
insentient body is like one who considers the cloth
of the screen, which supports the cinema picture,
to be contained within the picture.
34. Reality must be always real. It is not
with forms and names. That which underlies these is
the Reality. It underlies limitations, being itself
limitless. It is not bound. It underlies
unrealities, itself being real. Reality is that
which is. It is as it is. It transcends speech. It
is beyond the expressions "existence,
non-existence", etc...
35. Give up the notion, "I am impure." The
Self is ever pure. All this is the work of the
mind. If you get at the basis of the mind all these
wrong notions disappear.
36. You are the mind, or rather you think
that you are the mind. But the mind is nothing but
thoughts. Now behind every particular thought there
is a general thought which is the "I", that is
yourself. Let us call this "I" the first thought.
Stick to this "I"-thought and question it to find
out what it really is. When this question takes
strong hold on you, you cannot think of other
thoughts.
37. What happens when you make a serious
quest for the Self is that the "I"-thought as a
thought disappears; something else from the depths
takes hold of you and that is not the "I" which
commenced the quest. That is the real Self, the
import of I. It is not the ego nor the mind. It is
the Supreme Being Itself.
38. I do not say that you must go on
rejecting thoughts. If you cling to yourself, say
the "I"-thought, and when your interest keeps you
to that single idea, other thoughts get rejected;
automatically they vanish.
39. Rejection of thoughts may be necessary
for a time or for some. You fancy that there is no
end if one goes on rejecting every thought when it
rises. No. There is an end. If you are vigilant,
and make a stern effort to reject every thought
when it rises, you will soon find that you are
going deeper and deeper into your own inner Self,
where there is no need for your effort to reject
the thoughts.
40. It is impossible for you to make an
effort beyond a certain extent. Now, it is
impossible for you to be without effort. When you
go deeper, it is impossible for you to make any
effort.
41. The very fact that you are possessed of
the quest of the Self is a manifestation of the
Divine Grace. It is effulgent in the Heart, the
inner being, the real Self. It draws you from
within. You have to attempt to get in from without.
Your attempt is earnest quest, the deep inner
movement is Grace. That is why I say there is no
real vichara [enquiry] without Grace, nor
is there Grace active for him who is without
vichara. Both are necessary.
42. From the standpoint of the path of
knowledge it is the Supreme state of the Self,
which is the Sadguru. It is different from the
ego-self, which you call your self.
43. The ego-self is the jiva
[individual]. It is different from the Lord
of all [the Absolute]. When through
disinterested devotion the individual self
approaches the Lord, He graciously assumes name and
form and takes the self into Himself. Therefore,
they say the Guru is none other than the Lord. He
is a human embodiment of the Divine Grace. The real
Guru is God himself in human form. Who can doubt
this?
44. In the case of certain great souls God
reveals himself as the light of their light from
within.
45. Whatever I do or consider myself doing
is really the Lord's doing.
46. Nothing really belongs to me.
47. I am here for the service of the
Lord.
48. The spirit of surrender and service is
really Supreme devotion, and the true devotee sees
the Supreme Being as the Lord immanent in
everything. Worship of Him by name and form leads
one beyond all name and form. Complete devotion
culminates in Supreme knowledge.
49. Even when in the beginning devotion
[bhakti] is actuated by worldly desires, it
does not cease when the desires are fulfilled. It
increases by an unshakable faith growing perfectly
into a Supreme state of realisation.
50. Stripped of the ego he establishes
himself naturally in Supreme
Self-awareness.
51. Both
knowledge and devotion lead you to a state of
Supreme peace that passeth all understanding.
52. The quest for the self I speak of is a
direct method, indeed superior to the other
meditation; for, the moment you get into a movement
of quest for the self and go deeper and deeper, the
real Self is waiting there to take you in; and then
whatever is done is done by something else and you
have no hand in it. In this process, all doubts and
discussions are automatically given up just as one
who sleeps forgets, for the time being, all his
cares.
53. When one is a sufficiently developed
soul he becomes naturally convinced.
54. Really, no theory is necessary for the
man who seriously desires to approach God or to
realise his own true being.
55. To anniihilate recurrent vasanas and
bring to being knowledge free from dread, delusion
and desire, know that the true mantra is but
devotion to the Guru's feet.
56. To stick to a position unassailed by
thoughts is meditation or concentration; you are
watchful. But the condition grows more intense and
deeper when your effort and all responsibilities
are taken away from you; that is the state of focus
of attention.
57. The ego's phenomenal existence is
transcended when you dive into the Source wherefrom
arises the limited feeling of "I"-ness
[aham-vritti].
58. The jnani appreciates all distinctions,
but he always perceives and experiences the one
Reality in all of them. That is why he has no
preferences. Whether he moves about, or talks or
acts, it is all the one Reality in which he acts or
moves or talks. He has or sees nothing apart from
the one Supreme Truth.
59. The transcendental Awareness I speak of
is the natural state [sahaja samadhi]. For,
here you are naturally poised, you remain calm and
composed even while you are active; you realise
that you are moved by the deeper real Self within.
You have no worries, no anxieties, no cares. Here
you realise there is nothing belonging to you, the
ego, everything is done by Something with which you
get into conscious union.
60. Natural being or natural abidance itself
is without concepts. For, in this state the mind is
free from doubts. It has no need to swing between
alternatives of possibilities and probabilities. It
has no active predispositions [vikalpas] of
any kind. It is sure of the Truth. It feels the
presence of the real. Even when it is active, it
knows it is active in the Reality, the Self, the
Supreme Being.
61. The Self makes itself felt in the pure
mind so that even when you are in the midst of
thoughts you feel the Presence, you realise the
Truth that you are one with the deeper Self and
that the thought-waves are there only on the
surface.
62. The mind gets clear of impurities and
becomes pure enough to reflect the Truth, the real
Self. This is impossible when the ego is active and
assertive.
63. What you call your self now is not the
real Self which is neither born nor dies.
64. The body is matter, insentient; it never
knows, it is always the known.
65. The moment the ego-self tries to know
itself, it changes its character; it begins to
partake less and less of the insentient, in which
it is absorbed, and more and more of the
consciousness of the Self.
66. The ego-self, when it feels the
necessity to know its own origin or feels impelled
to rise above itself, takes the suggestion and goes
deeper; and there discovers the true Source and
Reality of itself. So the ego-self, beginning to
know itself, ends in perceiving the Self, its true
Self.
67. The Heart is the one Supreme centre of
the Self. You need have no doubt about it. The real
Self is there in the Heart behind the ego-self.
68. Self cannot be known with your mind. You
cannot realise it by imagination, when I tell you
here is the centre [pointing to the right side
of the chest]. The only direct way to realise
it is to cease to fancy and try to just be
yourself. Then you realise, or you automatically
feel that the centre is there. This is the centre,
the Heart of being, spoken of in the scriptures as
the cavity of the Heart.
69. It is perhaps more proper to say that
the Self is the Heart itself than to say that it is
in the Heart. Really, the Self is the centre
itself. It is everywhere, aware of itself as
"Heart", the Self-awareness. Hence I have said,
"Heart is Thy name."
70. The liberated or Self-realised man 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
which he realised in the Heart as his own Self, the
real.
71. The ordinary man sees things as outside
himself. He is separate from the world, from his
own deeper Truth, from the Truth that supports both
him and what he sees. The man who has realised the
Supreme Truth of his own existence realises 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.
72. When you go deeper within yourself you
lose yourself, as it were, in the abysmal depths,
then the Reality which is the Atman, the true 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 "aham sphurti"
[Self-manifestation].
73. The real form or nature of realisation
is existence-consciousness.
74. In direct knowing, you can feel yourself
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
centre and then not even that; for you become a
mere consciousness. There are no thoughts or cares
any longer, they were shattered at the threshold.
It is an inundation. You are a mere straw, you are
swallowed alive, but it is very delightful. For you
become the very thing that swallows you. This is
the union of the individual with the Absolute, self
with Reality, the loss of ego in the real Self, the
destruction of falsehood, the attainment of
Truth.
75. That in which all these worlds seem to
exist steadily, that of which all these worlds are
a possession, that from which all these worlds
rise, that for which all these exist, that by which
all these worlds come into existence and that which
is indeed all these – that alone is the
existing reality. Let us cherish that Self, which
is the Reality, in the Heart.
76. If you are destined or chosen to do a
particular thing, it will be done.
77. The Lord of the universe carries the
whole burden. You imagine you do. You can hand all
your burden to his care. Whatever you have to do,
you will be made an instrument for doing it at the
right time. Don't think that you cannot do it
unless you have the desire to do it. Desire does
not give you the strength to do. The strength is
the Lord's.
78. You are a limb of society. Society is
the body, individuals are its members, its limbs.
Just as the various limbs help and cooperate with
one another, and thus are happy, so each must unite
with others in being helpful to all, in thought,
speech and action.
79. Real equality and fraternity form the
true goal, for then Supreme peace may reign on
earth, and the earth herself can be a single
household.
80. I have often said that Self-attainment
is the greatest good to society.
81. Conscious death is the purpose of
evolution and conscious immortality whilst in the
flesh. If you do not make Atma Vichara,
[Self-enquiry] then Loka Vichara
[deliberation about worldly affairs] will
creep in.
82. Maharshi does not criticise any of the
extant methods. All are good for the purification
of the mind. The purified mind alone is capable of
grasping his method and sticking to it in
practice.
83. Does sleep lead to liberation? It is
wrong to suppose that simple inactivity leads one
to liberation. Absence of mental operations is
solitude. Mind control is not one's birth right.
The successful owe their success to
perseverance.
84. The more one does not forget the Self,
the more do elevating qualities become ours.
Through Self-enquiry the blooming of Self-knowledge
is immediate and quick.
85. If you seek God with your whole heart,
then you may be assured that the Grace of God is
also seeking you. Mind is intangible. The surest
way of control is to seek it.
86. There is a class of people who want to
know all about their future and past births. They
ignore the present. The load of the past is the
present misery. Why recall the past? It is a waste
of time.
87. Forgetfulness of your real nature is the
real death; remembrance of it is true birth. It
puts an end to successive births. Yours is then
Eternal life. The intellect always seeks to have
external knowledge, leaving knowledge of its own
origin.
88. The ego-ridden mind has its strength
sapped and is too weak to resist torturing
thoughts. The egoless mind is happy. As a matter of
fact the majority of people are asleep, because
they are not awake to the Self.
89. God is the same for those who say that
the world is real and their opponents. Their
outlooks are different. You need not enmesh
yourself in such disputations The goal is one and
the same. Look to it.
90. The Self is a powerful hidden magnet. It
draws us gradually to itself.
91. The mind resting in the Self is in its
natural state, but instead of that our minds are
resting in outward objects.
92. The wrong identification with the body
arises because we have lost our moorings and
swerved from our original state.
93. From whatever directions the pilgrims
foregather, they must enter the Kaaba [a
cuboid-shaped building in Mecca] only by one
passage.
94. For the worthy disciple the work is
within himself and not without.
95. The difficulty is that a man thinks he
is the doer; it is a mistake. It is the higher
power which does everything and man is only a tool.
If he accepts that position he is free from
trouble. Otherwise he courts it.
96. I have said that equality is the true
sign of realisation. The very term 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 realisation, you
can see that these differences are very formal,
they are not at all substantial or permanent, and
what is essential in all these appearances is the
one Truth, the real. This, I call unity.
97. For
those who are open and ready to silently receive
the Truth in the Heart, it is easily "heard",
quietly radiating from the Supreme silence and
stillness.
98. Realisation is nothing to be gained
afresh, it is already there. All that is necessary
is to get rid of the thought, "I have not
realised".
99. Stillness or peace is realisation. There
is no moment when the Self is not. So long as there
is doubt or the feeling of non-realisation, the
attempt should be made to rid oneself of these
thoughts. They are due to the identification of the
Self with the not-Self. When the not-Self
disappears, the Self alone remains.
100. There is no reaching the Self. If Self
were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is
not here and now but that it is yet to be obtained.
What is got afresh will also be lost. So it will be
impermanent. What is not permanent is not worth
striving for. So I say the Self is not reached. You
are the Self; you are already That.
101. The mind turned inwards is the Self;
turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the
world. Cotton made into various clothes we call by
various names. Gold made into various ornaments, we
call by various names. But all the clothes are
cotton and all the ornaments gold. The One is real,
the many are mere names and forms.
102. This complete Wholeness pervades all
creation within and without like formless
space.
103. True knowledge [jnana] is given
neither from outside nor from another person. It
can be realised by each and everyone in his own
Heart. The jnana Guru of everyone is only the
Supreme Self that is always revealing its own Truth
in every Heart through the being-conciousness "I
am, I am." The granting of true knowledge by him is
initiation into jnana. The Grace of the Guru is
only that Self-awareness that is one's own true
nature. It is the inner conciousness by which he is
unceasingly revealing his existence. This divine
upadesa is always going on naturally in
everyone.
104. True knowledge essentially consists in
possessing an eye of equality for all.
105. The mind is nothing but the thought
"I". Thoughts rise because of the thinker. The
thinker is the ego which if sought will
automatically vanish.
106. This world is not other than the mind
and the mind is not other than the Heart.
107. You are where you have always been.
108. When the wrong identification of
oneself with the body ceases, the master will be
found as none other than the Self.
109. A fledgling is protected by the parent
birds only till such a time it grows wings. It is
not protected forever. Similarly with devotees. I
have shown the way. You must now be able to follow
it up and find peace wherever you are.
110. If objects had an independent
existence, then it would be possible for you to go
away from them. But they do not exist apart from
you, they owe their existence to you, to your
thoughts. So where can you go to escape them?
111. Effort is meant as a way not to allow
oneself to be distracted by thoughts. Having once
experienced the bliss of peace, one will not engage
oneself otherwise.
112. Truly there is no cause for you to be
miserable and unhappy. You yourself impose
limitations on your true nature of Infinite Being,
and then weep that you are but a finite creature.
Then you take up this or that spiritual practice
[sadhana] to transcend the non-existent
limitations. But if your sadhana itself assumes the
existence of such limitations, how can it help you
to transcend them? Hence, I say, know that you are
really Infinite, pure Being – the Self
Absolute. The only way to be rid of your grief is
to know and be the Self. How can this be
unattainable?
113. Since you identify yourself with the
physical body, you speak of this world as being
physical and the other world as spiritual. Whereas,
that which is, is only spiritual. The realised
being does not see the world as different from
himself. When you are the Self, the world appears
as Reality.
114. Reality exists by Itself, reveals
Itself by Itself and is Eternal and unchanging. Of
yourself you can say "I exist". That is, yours is
not mere existence, it is existence of which you
are conscious. The world neither exists by itself,
nor is conscious of its existence. Was the world
ever seen without the aid of the mind?
115. There could be no world without the
Self. If the world be taken as consciousness, it is
always real.
116. The only useful purpose of the present
birth is to turn within and realise the Self. All
that is required is to be still. There is nothing
else to do.
117. "I-I" is the Self. "I am this" is the
ego. When the "I" is kept up as the "I" only, it is
the Self. When it flies off on a tangent and says
"I am this or that", it is ego. I am forever
here.
118. One may be in the thick of the world
and yet maintain perfect serenity of mind; such a
person is always in solitude. Another may stay in
the forest, but still be unable to control his
mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude.
119. Solitude amounts to making the mind
still. Where is the forest and where is the way
unless they are in you? The screen does not move
when the picture moves. Similarly, you do not move
from where you are even when the body leaves home
and mixes in society. Your body, society, the
forest and the ways are all in you. If you remain
as pure Self, the body and its movements will not
affect you. The mind must be overcome whether at
home or in the forest. If you can do it in the
forest, why not at home?
120. If you really want liberation, cast
away the pleasures of sense objects as though they
were poison.
121. Our real nature is to be without a
body. What is death but giving up the body?
Deathlessness is our real nature.
122. There is neither past nor future. There
is only the present.
123. Man is guilty of theft, in thinking
himself to be a being separate from that pure
indivisible consciousness, which is the true nature
of the Supreme.
124. Every man is divine and strong in his
real nature. What are weak and evil are his habits,
his desires and thoughts, but not himself.
125. If you keep to the thought of the Self,
and intently watch for It, then even that one
thought which is used as a focus in concentration
will disappear and you will simply BE, with no "I"
or ego.
126. Because you are accustomed to
identifying yourself with the body, and sight with
the eyes, you say you do not see anything. What is
there to be seen? Who is there to see? How do you
see? There is only one consciousness, which
manifests as the "I"-thought, identifies itself
with the body, projects itself through the eyes and
sees the objects around. The individual is limited
in the waking state and expects to see something
different. The evidence of his senses will be the
seal of authority. But he will not admit that the
seer, the seen and the sight are all manifestations
of the same consciousness.
127. Giving one's self up to God means
remaining constantly in the Self without giving
room for the rise of any thought other than the
Self.
128. Find out who is subject to free will or
predestination and abide in that state. Then both
are transcended. Discover That and be at peace.
129. Happiness is your nature. It is not
wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it
outside when it is inside.
130. The sense of body is a thought; the
thought is of the mind, the mind rises after the
"I"-thought. If that is held, the other thoughts
will disappear. There will then be no body, no
mind, not even the ego.
131. Have compassionate love for others but
keep it secret; do not make a display of it or talk
about it. If your desires are fulfilled, do not be
elated, and if you are frustrated do not be
disappointed. The elation may be deceptive; it
should be checked, for initial joy may end in final
grief. After all, whatever happens, you remain
unaffected, just as you are.
132. Activity of the mind is weakness and
consequently miserable; passivity is strength and
therefore blissful.
133. The flow of the river stops, once it
reaches the ocean and becomes one with the ocean.
Likewise, if one's mind is always meditating on the
Self, eventually it becomes Atmamayam [the same
nature as the Self].
134. Become angry with anger. Desire is the
root of anger. Desirelessness is Absolute
happiness.
135. When you give up thinking of outward
objects and prevent your mind from going outwards
and turn it inward and fix it in the Self, the Self
alone will remain.
136. He is a real man who does not let go
his hold on the Self state while he is attending to
whatever problems come of their own accord and
without his desire.
137. He who thinks "I am the body" is
committing the sin of suicide. He who thinks "I am
the Self" is a person of very great fortune. A
moment of meditation on "I am the Self" will
destroy all accumulated past actions just as the
sun destroys darkness. How can karma remain
undestroyed in the one who constantly meditates
like this?
138. When sleep comes, be awake. Sleep when
you are awake. This is to sleep without sleeping.
To be free from worries is to sleep without
sleeping.
139. There is no other way to succeed than
to draw the mind back every time it turns outwards
and fix it in the Self.
140. The man who loves the all-supporting
God with the understanding that nothing can be
achieved by his own actions, and who expects
instead that all actions will be performed by God
alone, that man is led every minute by God along
the path of Truth.
141. Everyone is seeing himself everywhere.
One is in the same state that God and the world are
in.
142. Natural devotion is to know one's Self
and to remain permanently in that state without
forgetting it.
143. God is tinier than the atom and larger
than the cosmos. All are forms of God. Because of
our sense of difference we think that we are an
individual person. There is no mistake greater than
this in the world.
144. One
can only think of spoiling others after one has
spoiled oneself.
145. No one succeeds without effort. Those
who succeed owe their success to perseverance.
146. Perfect bliss is Reality
[Brahman]. Perfect peace is of the Self.
That alone exists and is consciousness. That which
is called happiness is only the nature of Self;
Self is not other than perfect happiness. That
which is called happiness alone exists. Knowing
that fact and abiding in the state of Self, enjoy
bliss eternally.
147. If a man thinks that his happiness is
due to external causes and his possessions, it is
reasonable to conclude that his happiness must
increase with the increase of possessions and
diminish in proportion to their diminution.
Therefore if he is devoid of possessions, his
happiness should be nil. What is the real
experience of man? Does it conform to this
view?
148. In deep sleep man is devoid of
possessions, including his own body. Instead of
being unhappy he is quite happy. Everyone desires
to sleep soundly. The conclusion is that happiness
is inherent in man and is not due to external
causes. One must realise the Self in order to open
the store of unalloyed happiness.
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149. Every
place is your place.
150. What is this? Who knows?
151. Desire is illusion. Desirelessness is
God.
152. The natural name of every person is
"mukti" [liberation].
153. The more you get fixed in the Self, the
more other thoughts will drop off by
themselves.
154. There is nothing to be seen in the
Real.
155. Do not even for a moment lose sight of
the Self.
156. We are in our Self. We are not in the
world.
157. There is no greater mystery than this:
being Reality ourselves, we seek to gain Reality.
Our real nature is liberation. But we imagine we
are bound. We thus make strenuous efforts to become
free while all the while, we are free. We will be
surprised that we were frantically trying to attain
something which we have always been and are.
158. To be the Self that you really are is
the only means to realise the bliss that is ever
yours. The Self you seek to know is verily
yourself. Bliss is not added to your nature, it is
merely revealed as your true and natural state.
Bliss of the Self is always with you. And you will
find it for yourself, if you seek it earnestly.
159. You will know in due course that your
glory lies where you cease to exist. The ego is
like a very powerful elephant which cannot be
brought under control by anything less powerful
than a lion, which, in this instance, is no other
than the Guru, whose very look makes the
elephant-like ego tremble and die. Then the master
sees that you are in a fit state to receive
guidance, and He guides you.
160. The master is both "within" and
"without". He gives a push from "without" and
exerts a pull from "within", so that you may be
fixed at the Centre.
161. The master is within. But as long as
you think you are separate or that you are the
body, so long is the master from "without"
necessary. When the wrong identification of oneself
with the body ceases, the master will be found as
none other than the Self.
162. Does the Guru hold you by the hand and
whisper in your ear? Because you think you are a
body, you think he also has a body, to do something
tangible with you. But his work lies within, in the
spiritual realm. Leave it all to the master.
Surrender to Him without reserve.
163. One of two things must be done: either
surrender yourself, because you realise your
inability and need a higher power to help you. Or
investigate the cause of misery; go into the
Source, and so merge in the Self. Either way, you
will be free from misery.
164. God or Guru never forsakes the devotee
who surrenders. God takes the form of a Guru and
appears to the devotee, teaches him the Truth, and
purifies his mind by association. His presence is
like a pure, transparent mirror. It reflects our
image exactly as we are.
165. The disciple takes refuge in the Guru
as enjoined by the scriptures. He waits upon the
Guru, unable to bear the burning winds of samsara.
The teacher, that is, the knower of Reality, castes
upon him his gracious glance and touches his soul
inwardly, giving him assurance of protection: "My
learned disciple, have no fear. No harm shall come
to you hereafter. I will give you a single mighty
means by which you can cross the terrible,
fathomless ocean of samsara and thus obtain Supreme
bliss."
166. Just as the big banyan tree sprouts
from a tiny seed, so do jivas and the whole
universe with name and form sprout up from the
subtle samskaras.
167. The ego is insentient, united with the
light of the Self. But the ego and the light cannot
be seen as distinct from each other; they are
always untied. Just as a river does not continue
its flow after its discharge into the ocean, so
also a person loses all movements after he merges
in the Self. Unbroken "I-I" is the ocean Infinite;
the ego remains only a bubble on it. The bubble too
is water; when it bursts, it only mixes with the
ocean. But even when it remains a bubble, it is
still a part of the ocean.
168. The ocean, being the store of all
waters, evaporates; clouds are formed and rain
falls, giving rise to rivers which, as soon as
formed, become restless, course along as if to find
their origin, and repose only after being
discharged into the ocean. Similarly, the
individual emanating from the Heart is restless and
becomes eager to find his own Source. The way is
the trail of the ego into the Heart.
169. Heart is another name for Reality. It
is neither inside nor outside the body. There can
be no in and out for it, since It alone is. This
world is not other than the mind, the mind is not
other than the Heart. The Heart rejoices at the
feet of the Lord, who is the Self, shining
within.
170. 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,
Heart means the very core of one's being, the
Centre, without which there is nothing
whatever.
171. Illumination arises from the heart and
reaches the brain, which is the seat of the mind.
If the mind is turned inward towards the Source of
illumination, objective knowledge ceases, and the
Self alone shines in the Heart.
172. In the centre of the cavity of the
Heart, the sole Reality [Brahman] shines as
Self [Atman]. That which is the Source of
all, That in which all live, and That into which
all finally merge, is the Heart. Concentrating on
the Heart is the same as concentrating on the Self.
Heart is another name for the Self.
173. The realised being sees only the Self.
If objects had an independent existence, then it
would be possible for you to go away from them. But
they do not exist apart from you, they owe their
existence to you, to your thoughts. So where can
you go to escape them? Where can you go, fleeing
the world and objects?
174. Even while you were dreaming, if you
felt thirsty, the illusory drinking of illusory
water did quench your illusory thirst. But all this
was real so long as you did not know that the dream
is illusory. Similarily, the waking world and the
sensations you now have are co-ordinated to give
you the impression that the world is real.
175. But for whom is the illusion? There
must be one who is deluded. Illusion is ignorance.
Maya is "what is not". What is left over is the
true Self.
176. The "I" casts off the illusion of "I"
and yet remains as "I". Such is the paradox of
Self-realisation. Take the case of
[devotion] bhakti. I approach the Lord
[Ishwara] and pray to be absorbed in Him. I
then surrender myself in faith. What remains
afterwards? In place of the original "I", perfect
self-surrender leaves a residuum of God in which
the "I" is lost. This is the highest form of
devotion and surrender.
177. Thus there is a state beyond effort and
effortlessness. Until it is realised, effort is
necessary. After tasting such bliss, even once, one
will repeatedly try to regain it.
178. Effort is meant as a way not to allow
oneself to be distracted by thoughts. Having once
experienced the bliss of Peace, one will not egage
oneself otherwise. It is as difficult for a jnani
to engage in thoughts as it is for an ajnani to be
free from thought.
179. Nearly all mankind is more or less
unhappy because nearly all do not know the true
Self. Real happiness abides in Self-knowledge
alone. All else is fleeting. To know one's Self is
to be blissful always.
180. Bliss is not something to be got. On
the other hand you are always bliss. This desire
[for bliss] is born of the sense of
incompleteness. To whom is this sense of
incompleteness? Enquire. In deep sleep you were
blissful. Now you are not so. What has interposed
between that bliss and this non-bliss? It is the
ego. Seek its Source and find you are bliss.
181. What will not happen will never happen,
whatever effort one may put forth. And what will
happen will not fail to happen, however much one
may seek to prevent it. This is certain. The part
of wisdom therefore is to stay quiet.
182. Your own Self-realisation is the
greatest service you can render the world.
183. You need not aspire for or get any new
state. Get rid of your present thoughts, that is
all.
184. Realisation is our true nature. It is
nothing new to be gained. What is new cannot be
Eternal. Therefore there is no need to be doubting
whether we would gain or lose the self.
185. Mind is consciousness, which has
limitations. We are originally unlimited and
perfect. Later on we take on limitations and become
the mind.
186. The mind is only a bundle of thoughts.
The thoughts have their root in the "I"-thought.
Whoever investigates the true "I" enjoys the
stillness of bliss.
187. Pleasure or pain are only aspects of
the mind. Our essential nature is happiness.
188. To become aware of anything is to
disconnect the mind from the Self and that is
unhappiness.
189. Turn the mind inward and cease thinking
of yourself as the body; thereby you will come to
know that the Self is ever happy. Neither grief nor
misery is experienced in this state.
190. When we turn the mind inwards, God
manifests as the inner consciousness.
191. Wanting to reform the world without
discovering one's true Self is like trying to cover
the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking
on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear
shoes.
192. Have faith in God and in your Self;
that will cure all. Hope for the best, expect the
best, toil for the best and everything will come
right for you in the end
193. Know that the eradication of the
identification with the body is charity, spiritual
austerity and ritual sacrifice; it is virtue,
divine union and devotion; it is heaven, wealth,
peace and Truth; it is Grace; it is the state of
divine silence; it is the deathless death; it is
jnana, renunciation, final liberation and
bliss.
194. Aim high, aim at the Highest, and all
lower aims are thereby achieved. It is looking
below on the stormy sea of differences that makes
you sink. Look up, beyond these and see the One
Glorious Real, and you are saved.
195. There is neither creation nor
destruction, neither destiny nor free will, neither
path nor achievement. This is the final Truth.
196. If the mind falls asleep, awaken it.
Then if it starts wandering, make it quiet. If you
reach the state where there is neither sleep nor
movement of mind, stay still in That, the natural
real state.
197. What is illusion? To whom is the
illusion? Find it out. Then illusion will vanish.
Generally people want to know about illusion and do
not examine to whom it is. It is foolish. Illusion
is outside and unknown. But the seeker is
considered to be known and is inside. Find out what
is immediate, intimate, instead of trying to find
out what is distant and unknown.
198. The pure mind is itself Brahman; it
therefore follows that Brahman is not other than
the mind of the sage.
199. All are Gurus to us, the wicked by
their evil deeds say, "Do not come near me." The
good are always good, therefore all are like Gurus
to us.
200. All bad qualities centre round the ego.
When the ego is gone, realisation results by
itself. There are neither good nor bad qualities in
the Self. The Self is free from all qualities.
Qualities pertain to the mind only.
201. If there is anything besides the Self
there is reason to fear. Who sees the second?
First, the ego arises and sees objects as external.
If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and
there is no second.
202. We loosely talk of Self-realisation,
for lack of a better term. But how can one realise
or make real That which alone is real? All we need
to do is to give up our habit of regarding as real
that which is unreal. All religious practices are
meant solely to help us do this. When we stop
regarding the unreal as real, then Reality alone
will remain, and we will be That.
203. Nobody doubts that he exists, though he
may doubt the existence of God. If he finds out the
truth about himself and discovers his own Source,
this is all that is required.
204. Remain still, with the conviction that
the Self shines as everything yet nothing, within,
without, and everywhere.
205. Every living being longs always to be
happy, untainted by sorrow; and everyone has the
greatest love for himself, which is solely due to
the fact that happiness is his real nature. Hence,
in order to realise that inherent and untainted
happiness, which indeed he daily experiences when
the mind is subdued in deep sleep, it is essential
that he should know himself. For obtaining such
knowledge the enquiry "Who am I?" in quest of the
Self is the best means.
206. Reality is simply the loss of ego.
Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because
the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish
and Reality will shine forth by Itself.
207. God dwells in you, as you, and you
don't have to "do" anything to be God-realised or
Self-realised, It is already your true and natural
state. Just drop all seeking, turn your attention
inward, and sacrifice your mind to the one Self
radiating in the Heart of your very being. For this
to be your own presently lived experience,
Self-enquiry is the one direct and immediate
way.
208. It is false to speak of realisation.
What is there to realise? The Real is as It is
always. We are not creating anything new or
achieving something which we did not have before.
The illustration given in books is this. We dig a
well and create a huge pit. The space in the pit or
well has not been created by us. We have just
removed the earth which was filling the space
there. The space was there then and is also there
now. Similarly we have simply to throw out all the
age-long innate tendencies [samskaras]
which are inside us. When all of them have been
given up, the Self will shine alone.
209. There is no greater mystery than this,
that we keep seeking Reality though in fact we are
Reality. We think that there is something hiding
Reality and that this must be destroyed before
Reality is gained. How ridiculous! A day will dawn
when you will laugh at all your past efforts. That
which will be the day you laugh is also here and
now.
210. Relative knowledge pertains to the mind
and not to the Self. It is therefore illusory and
not permanent. Take a scientist, for instance. He
formulates a theory that the earth is round and
goes on to prove it on an incontrovertible basis.
When he falls asleep the whole idea vanishes; his
mind is left a blank. What does it matter whether
the world remains round or flat when he is asleep?
So you see the futility of all such relative
knowledge. One should go beyond relative knowledge
and abide in the Self. Real knowledge is such
experience, and not apprehension by the mind.
211. "I exist" is the only permanent
self-evident experience of everyone. Nothing else
is so self-evident as "I am". What people call
self-evident, that is, the experience they get
through the senses, is far from self-evident. The
Self alone is That [Reality]. So to do
Self-enquiry and be that "I am" is the only thing
to do. "I am" is Reality. I am this or that is
unreal. "I am" is Truth, another name for Self.
212. "Heart" is merely another name for the
Supreme Spirit, because He is in all hearts. The
entire universe is condensed in the body, and the
entire body in the Heart. Thus the Heart is the
nucleus of the whole universe.
213. You and I are the same. What I have
done is surely possible for all. You are the Self
now and can never be anything else. Throw your
worries to the wind, turn within and find
peace.
214. Vichara [the inner quest]
begins when you cling to your Self and are already
off the mental movement, the thought-waves.
215. Where the "I" merges, another entity
emerges as "I-I" of its own accord. That is the
perfect Self.
216. Enquiring into the nature of one's self
that is in bondage and realising one's true nature
is release.
217. Though the "I" is always experienced,
yet one's attention has to be drawn to it. Then
only knowledge dawns. If the ego is, everything
else also is. If the ego is not, nothing else is.
Indeed, the ego is all. Therefore the enquiry as to
what this ego is is the only way of giving up
everything.
218. Experiences such as "I went; I came; I
was; I did" come naturally to everyone. From these
experiences, does it not appear that the
consciousness "I" is the subject of those various
acts? Enquiry into the true nature of that
consciousness, and remaining as oneself is the way
to understand one's true nature.
219. To attain natural happiness one must
know one's Self. For that Self-enquiry – "Who
am I?" – is the chief means. There can be
satisfaction only when you reach the Source;
otherwise there will be restlessness. The aim is to
reach the root of the "I"-sense.
220. That in which all these worlds seem to
exist steadily, That of which all these worlds are
a possession, That from which all these worlds
rise, That for which all these exist, That by which
all these worlds come into existence and That which
is indeed all these – That alone is the
existing Reality. Let us cherish that Self, which
is the Reality, in the Heart.
221. To see God but not the Self that sees
is only to see a projection of the mind. God is
seen by him who sees the Self. But one who has lost
the ego and seen the Self is none other than
God.
222. When scriptures speak of "seeing the
Self" and "seeing God", what is the truth they have
in mind? How does one see the Self? How does one
see God? To see Him is to be consumed by Him.
223. God is always the first person, the I,
ever standing before you. Because you give
precedence to worldly things, God appears to have
receded to the background. If you give up all else
and seek Him alone, He will remain as the I, the
Self.
224. You cannot by any means escape the
Self. You want to see God in all, but not in
yourself? If all is God, are you not included in
that "all"? To see God is to be God. There is no
"all" apart from God for Him to pervade. He alone
is.
225. The Eternal, unbroken, natural state of
abiding in the Self is jnana. To abide in the Self,
you must love the Self. Since God is verily the
Self, love of the Self is love of God; and that is
bhakti. Jnana and bhakti are thus one and the
same.
226. Whether you meditate on God or on the
Self is immaterial; the goal is the same. All kinds
of thoughts arise in meditation. They rise up
spontaneously in order to be extinguished in due
course. Thoughts are vasanas accumulated in
innumerable previous births. Their annihilation is
the aim. Atman, the Self, is realised with mryita
manas, i.e. mind devoid of thoughts and turned
inward. Then the mind sees its own Source and
becomes That.
227. But he who thinks, raises troubles. The
real "I" is silent. Thoughts are the enemy.
Thoughts amount to the creation of the universe. In
their absence there is neither world nor God the
creator. Give up thoughts and you need not give up
anything else.
228. Thoughts alone make up the mind. Of all
thoughts, the "I"-thought is the root. What is
called "mind" is but the notion "I". When one turns
within and searches whence this "I"-thought arises,
the "I" vanishes and wisdom's quest begins.
229. Because of the emergence of thoughts,
we surmise something from which they start. That we
term "mind". But what is mind? The mind is only a
bundle of thoughts. Thoughts arise because there is
a thinker. The thinker is the ego, the root-thought
from which all other thoughts arise. If sought, it
will vanish automatically.
230. Destroy the power of the mind by
seeking it. When the mind is examined, its
activities cease.
231. But if you go the way of your thoughts,
you will be carried away by them and you will find
yourself in an endless maze. As thoughts arise they
should be destroyed then and there in the very
place of their origin, through enquiry.
232. "Who am I?" will destroy all other
thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the
burning pyre, will itself be destroyed in the end.
As long as there are impressions of objects in the
mind, so long is the enquiry "Who am I?" required.
As long as there are enemies within the fortress,
they will continue to sally forth; but if they are
destroyed as they emerge, the fortress will fall
into our hands.
233. But Self-enquiry is not the mind's
inspection of its own content. It is tracing the
mind's first mode, the "I"-thought, to its Source
which is the Self.
234. Of all the thoughts that arise in the
mind, the "I"-thought is the first. It is only
after the arising of this thought that others
arise.
235. When other thoughts arise, one should
not pursue them, but should enquire: "To whom do
they arise?" It does not matter how many thoughts
arise. As each thought arises, one should enquire
with diligence, "To whom has this thought
arisen?"
236. Thereupon, the mind will go back to its
Source, and the thought that arose will become
quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner,
the mind will develop the skill to stay in its
Source. Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the
"I" which is the source of all thoughts will go,
and the Self which ever exists will shine.
237. Self-enquiry is the one, infallible
means to realise the unconditioned Absolute Being
that you really are. The very purpose of
Self-enquiry is to focus the entire mind at its
Source. Every kind of sadhana except Self-enquiry
[Atma-vichara] presupposes the retention of
the mind. While the ego may take different forms,
it is itself never destroyed. The attempt to
destroy the ego through sadhanas other than
Self-enquiry is like the thief assuming the guise
of a policeman to catch the thief that is
himself.
238. Atma-vichara alone can reveal the truth
that neither the ego nor the mind really exists,
and enable one to realise the pure,
undifferentiated Being of the Self. Having realised
the Self, nothing remains to be known.
239. All the texts say that one should
render the mind quiescent; once this has been
understood, there is no need for endless reading.
In order to quieten the mind, one has only to
enquire 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.
240. Thus there will come a time when one
will have to forget all that one has learned.
241. You need not cease thinking. Only think
of the root of thought; seek It and find It. The
Self shines by Itself. When That is found, thoughts
cease of their own accord. That is freedom from
bondage. Let go the passing thoughts and hold on to
the unchanging Self. No external remedy need be
sought for release [moksha]. It is within
your competence to think and thus be bound, or
cease thinking and thus be free.
242. To identify oneself with the body and
yet seek happiness is lie attempting to cross a
river on the back of an alligator. In such an
endless tangle, there will be no peace. The body is
a necessary adjunct of the ego. If the ego is
killed, the Eternal Self is revealed in all its
glory.
243. Since you identify yourself with the
physical body, you speak of this world as being
physical and the other world as spiritual. Whereas,
that which is, is only spiritual. The realised
being does not see the world as different from
himself.
244. For a realised being, the Self alone is
the Reality. If you consider yourself the body, the
world appears to be external. But when you are the
Self, the world appears as Brahman.
245. That world which you say is real is
mocking you for seeking to prove its reality while
of your own Reality you remain ignorant. What is
the standard of Reality? That alone is Real which
exists by Itself, which reveals Itself by Itself
and which is Eternal and unchanging. Does the world
exist by itself? Was it ever seen without the aid
of the mind? Of course you can say, "I exist". That
is, yours is not mere existence, it is Existence of
which you are conscious. The world neither exists
by itself, nor is it conscious of its
existence.
246. The Self alone is Reality. There could
be no world without the Self. Vedanta says that
there is no diversity [nana], meaning that
all is the same Reality. If the world be taken as
consciousness [chit], it is always Real.
There is only one thing Real! Let your standpoint
become that of wisdom, then the world will be found
to be God.
247. In what does all this universe exist?
What is all this, from what does it arise? For what
and by what does it all appear? It is the Self
alone that is the cause.
248. That inner Self, primeval Spirit,
Eternal, ever effulgent, full and Infinite bliss,
single, indivisible, Whole and living, shines in
everyone as the witnessing Awareness. That Self in
its splendour, shining in the cavity of the Heart
as the subtle, pervasive, yet unmanifest ether,
illumines this universe like the sun.
249. This Self is neither born nor dies, it
neither grows nor decays, nor does it suffer any
change. When a pot is broken, the space inside it
is not; similarly, when the body dies, the Self in
it remains Eternal.
250. All that appear outside are in reality
inside. What is called the Heart is no other than
Brahman. The distinction between inner and outer is
only with reference to the body. In truth, there is
neither inner nor outer.
251. For whom is there inside or outside?
They can be only so long as there are the subject
and the object. For whom are these two again? Both
resolve into the subject. See who is in the
subject. Investigation leads you to pure
consciousness beyond [it].
252. The body is within the Self. Yet one
imagines one is inside the inner body, like the
viewer who imagines the screen on which the picture
is shown is within the picture. Consciousness is
the csreen on which all the pictures come and
go.
253. Pure consciousness is indivisible. It
has no form and no shape, no "within" and
"without". Nothing is outside or apart from It.
Consciousness can have no particular place assigned
to it in the physical body. What is the reason? The
body is itself a mere projection of the mind, and
the mind is but a poor reflection of the radiant
Heart. How can That, in which everything is
contained, be Itself confined to a tiny part of the
physical body?
254. But people do not understand this. You
say "I have come to this ashram all the way from my
country beyond the Himalayas." But that is not the
Truth. Where is "coming" or "going" or any movement
whatever for the one, all-pervading Spirit which
you really are? You are where you have always been.
This is the simple Truth. But to a person who
considers himself a subject living in an objective
world, it appears as something altogether
visionary!
255. So you see it is wrong to suppose that
awareness has passing phases. The Self is always
aware. Subjects and objects are creations in pure
consciousness. Consciousness is the same as the
Self. Get rid of subject and object and pure
consciousness will alone remain.
256. As a lamp banishes all darkness with
its light, so the effulgence of the Self, which is
pure consciousness, annihilates the veiling
darkness arising from ignorance. It shines of
itself.
257. But when the sun has risen, there is no
need for a lamp. So it is with the mind and the
Heart. When the mind is turned inwards, the Source
of illumination shines forth by itself. Can there
be darkness before the sun? Can there be ignorance
before the self-luminous Self?
258. To see a light, no other light is
needed. So also, the Self, being self-luminous,
needs no other means of knowledge. The white light
of the Self transcends both light and darkness.
From the Self proceeds the light of pure mind,
which gives room for the existence of all the film
of the world.
259. You are surrounded by sunlight. Still,
if you would know the sun, you must turn your eyes
in its direction. See the sun, and there is no
darkess. See the Self, and ignorance will be found
not to exist.
260. The sun illumines the universe, whereas
the Sun of Arunachala is so dazzling that the
universe is obscured and an unbroken brilliance
remains. The ordinary lotus blossoms in the light
of the visible sun, whereas the subtle Heart
blossoms only before the Sun of suns. May
Arunachala make my Heart blossom so that His
unbroken brilliance may shine all alone!
261. The Lord [Ishwara] said, "Since
this linga rose up as a Hill of Fire, It shall be
known as Arunachala. When a fight arose between
Brahma and Vishnu, I manifested myself in the form
of light in order to remove heir delusion. Thus I
became the unmoving linga named Arunachala."
262. For the human eye, it is only a form of
earth and stone. But its real form is Jyoti. When
Brahma and Vishnu saw it, it appeared as a pillar
of light enveloping the whole universe. It was only
later that it appeared as a mountain. This is
Ishwara's gross body. Jyoti itself is the subtle
body, illumination which fills the whole universe.
That which is beyond these is Reality.
263. A-ru-na means sat-chit-ananda, the
identity of the individual self and the Supreme
Self. Arunachala means Hill of Wisdom.
264. Inside the hill, there is a cave which
is brilliance itself, gloroius with light. If one
enquires, "Who am I?", if one enquires whence this
"I" springs – and realises it – then,
within one's heart, the omnipresent Lord Arunachala
will shine as "I".
265. The finality of the universe is the
Lord Arunachala. Meditating on Him, there is a
mental vibration "I" to which all are reduced. The
seat of realisation is within. The seeker cannot
find it as an object outside himself. Hence it is
called the Heart. The only useful purpose of the
present birth is to turn within and realise it.
There is nothing else to do.
266. Arunachala is within and not without.
The Self is Arunachala. How does one realise the
Self? All that is required to realise the Self is
to be still.
267. If you hold this feeling of "I" long
enough and strongly enough, the false "I" will
vanish leaving only the unbroken awareness of the
real, immanent "I", consciousness itself.
268. Whatever is destined not to happen will
not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to
happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it.
This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to
remain silent.
269. One might be in the thick of the world
and yet maintain perfect serenity of mind; such a
person is always in solitude. Another may stay in
the forest, but still be unable to control his
mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude.
270. Solitude amounts to making the mind
still. Where is the forest and where is the way
unless they are in you? The screen does not move
when the picture moves. Similarly you do not move
from where you are even when the body leaves home
and mixes with society. Your body, society, the
forest and the ways are all in you. If you remain
as pure Self, the body and its movements will not
affect you. The mind must be overcome whether at
home or in the forest. If you can do it in the
forest, why not at home?
271. Time is only an idea. There is one
Reality. Whatever you think It is, It looks like
that. If you call It time, It is time. If you call
It existence, It is existence, and so on. After
calling It time, you divide It into days and
nights, months, years, hours, minutes, etc... Time
is immaterial for the path of true knowledge.
272. Remaining quiet is what is called
"wisdom-insight". To remain quiet is to resolve the
mind in the Self.
273. Thus there is a state when words cease
and silence prevails. Silence is the ocean into
which all the rivers of all the religions discharge
themselves. It is the speech of the Self. What one
fails to know by conversation extending several
years can be known in a trice in silence. That
which is, is silence.
274. From silence came thought, from
thought, the ego, and from ego, speech. So if
speech is effective, how much more so must be its
Source? If of yore, the first of teachers revealed
it through unbroken silence, who can reveal it in
spoken words?
275. Such is Dakshinamurti. What did he do?
He was silent. Truth is beyond words. It does not
admit of explanation. All that is possible to do is
to indicate It.
276. The Guru's silence is more vast and
emphatic than all the sastras [scriptures]
put together. His silence is the highest expression
of the realised non-duality which is after all the
true content of the Vedas. Though he
instructs his disciples, he does not pose as a
teacher, in the full conviction that the teacher
and disciple are mere conventions born of illusion.
And so he continues to utter words.
277. If he mutters words incoherently like a
lunatic, it is because his experience is
inexpressible like the words of lovers in embrace.
If his words are many and fluent like those of an
orator, they represent the recollection of his
experience, since he is the unmoving non-dual One
without any desire.
278. The jnani weeps with the weeping,
laughs with the laughing, plays with the playful,
sings with those who sing, keeping time with the
song. What does he lose? His presence is like a
pure, transparent mirror.
279. If you really want liberation, cast
away the pleasures of sense objects as though they
were poison. This body is finally consumed, whether
by earth, fire, beast, or birds. He who mistakes
this body for the Self gets attached to it. Only he
who overcomes this infatuation attains
liberation.
280. What prevents you from being your own
Self? The Self is always here. It is you. Why do
you worry about life after death? Whatever is born
is bound to die. What is birth and what is death?
Death is another name for us.
281. It says in the Upanishads that
the jnani looks forward to the time when he can
throw off the body just as a labourer carrying a
heavy load looks forward to laying it down. Our
real nature is to be without the body. What is
death but giving up the body?
282. But when the body is dead, am I dead?
This body, is it I? The fact is, their is neither
birth nor death. Deathlessness is our real
nature.
283. This complete Wholeness pervades all
creation within and without like formless space.
What is all this? It is the Self alone. That is the
real Truth. This treasure safely guard within your
Heart.
284. People think freedom is somewhere
yonder and should be sought outside. They are
wrong. Freedom is only knowing the Self within
yourself. Concentrate, and you will get it.
285. Knowledge of the Self, which knows all,
is knowledge in perfection.
286. Let what comes come, let what goes go.
Why do you worry?
287. If one’s mind has peace, the whole
world will appear peaceful.
288. When the mind becomes extinguished, the
Supreme state, in which this world once and for all
ceases to appear as real, is won.
289. Whatever form your enquiry may take,
you must finally come to the one I, the Self.
290. If you go on working with the light
available, you will meet your master, as He Himself
will be seeking you.
291. Real happiness abides in Self-knowledge
alone. All else is fleeting. To know one's Self is
to be blissful always.
292. No long process is necessary to know
the Self. Is it to be pointed out by another? Does
not everyone know that he exists? Even in utter
darkness when he cannot see his hand, he answers a
call and says "I am here".
293. All mistake the "mind-consciousness"
for "Self-consciousness". There is no "mind" in
deep sleep; but no one denies his being in sleep.
Even a child says on waking, "I slept well," and
does not deny its existence. The "I" rises up, the
"mind" turns outward through the five senses and
perceives objects, this they call "direct
perception".
294. Asked, if "I" is not directly
perceived, they get confused, because "I" does not
announce itself as an object in front and only the
perception with the senses can be recognised by
them as "knowledge"; this habit is so strong with
them.
295. A stanza in Thevaram says : "O
sages, eager to get over all misery, worry not
about inferences and examples ! Our light is ever
shining forth from within ! With mind clear, live
in God!"
296. This is direct perception. Will the
common people admit it? They want God to appear in
front of them as a bright Being, mounted on a bull.
Such a vision once originated must also end. It is
therefore transient. Thevaram speaks of the
Eternal and ever-experienced Being. This
Thevaram takes one directly to the
Reality.
297. The nature of the ego is similar to that
of an elf, being very enthusiastic, rising in many
wicked ways by means of innumerable imaginations,
being erratic in behaviour, and knowing only things
other than itself. But the nature of Self is mere
existence-consciousness.
298. Even though the reality of the Self has
been explained in many ways, the Truth of It
remains unspoken because It can only be known by
directly experiencing It. Those who seek liberation
are prevented from having this direct experience by
their minds which hold onto the deeply-rooted
conviction "I am the body-mind".
299. From the Self proceeds a reflected
light, the light of pure mind [manas], and
it is this light which gives room for the existence
of all the film of the world, which is seen neither
in total light nor in total darkness, but only in
the subdued or reflected light.
300. Surrender itself is a mighty
prayer.
301. Guru and God can only indicate the path
by saying, "You are That". Nothing else can be
done. Walking along the path is the work of the
disciple.
302. You speak of the world and happenings
in it. They are mere ideas in you. The ideas are in
the mind. The mind is within you. And so the world
is within you.
303. Every being in the world yearns to be
happy. Yet, due to ignorance of the real nature of
their own being, which is happiness itself, people
flounder in the vast ocean of material
existence.
304. Pure consciousness, which is the Heart,
includes all, and nothing is outside or apart from
It. That is the ultimate Truth.
305. The purpose of worshipping the
impersonal Supreme Being is the incessant
remembrance of the Truth that you are Reality
[Brahman].
306. Abiding in this state of Self, having
attained Supreme bliss, which is devoid of bondage
and liberation amounts to abiding in God. When one
enjoys the bliss which is not of this world, he is
as divine as God and in such a state there are no
differences like individual soul and God.
307. To individuals [jivas] who are
deluded into taking the false to be true, the Guru,
who is Self, the Light to all the gross lights of
the universe, exposes the falseness of their
truth.
308. A master is one who has meditated
solely on God, has flung his whole personality into
the sea of God and drowned and forgotten it there,
till he becomes only the instrument of God; and
when his mouth opens it speaks God’s words
without effort or forethought; and when he raises a
hand, God flows again through that, to work a
miracle.
309. No matter how many thoughts thus occur
to you, if you would with acute vigilance enquire
immediately as and when each individual thought
arises to whom it has occurred, you would find it
is to "me". If then you enquire "Who am I?" the
mind gets introverted and the rising thought also
subsides.
310. In order to realise that inherent and
untainted happiness, which indeed one daily
experiences when the mind is subdued in deep sleep,
it is essential that one should know one's Self.
For obtaining such knowledge, the enquiry, "Who am
I?" in quest of the Self is the best means.
311. The life of action need not be
renounced. If you meditate for an hour or two every
day, you can then carry on with your duties.
312. By incessantly pursuing within yourself
the enquiry "Who am I?", you will know your true
Self and thereby attain salvation.
313. All that is required to realise the
Self is to "Be still". What can be easier than
that?
314. Peace is the inner nature of humankind.
Finding it within yourself, you will find it is
everywhere.
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