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Ramana Maharshi on Self Experience
Question : Is Self-experience possible for the mind,
whose nature is constant change?
Ramana Maharshi : Since sattva-guna (the constituent of prakriti which
makes for purity, intelligence, etc.) is the nature of mind, and since
the mind is pure and undefiled like ether, what is called mind is, in
truth, of the nature of knowledge. When it stays in that natural (i.e.
pure) state, it has not even the name ‘mind’.
It is only the erroneous knowledge which mistakes one for another that
is called mind. What was (originally) the pure sattva mind, of the
nature of pure knowledge, forgets its knowledge-nature on account of
nescience, gets transformed into the world under the influence of
tamo-guna (i.e. the constituent of prakriti which makes for dullness,
inertness, etc.), being under the influence of rajoguna (i.e. the
constituent of prakriti which makes for activity, passions, etc.),
imagines “I am the body, etc.; the world is real”, it acquires the
consequent merit and demerit through attachment, aversion, etc., and,
through the residual impressions (vasanas) thereof, attains birth and
death. But the mind, which has got rid of its defilement (sin) through
action without attachment performed in many past lives, listens to the
teaching of scripture from a true guru, reflects on its meaning, and
meditates in order to gain the natural state of the mental mode of the
form of the Self, i.e. of the form ‘I am Brahman’ which is the result of
the continued contemplation of Brahman.
Thus will be removed the mind’s transformation into the world in the
aspect of tamo-guna, and its roving therein in the aspect of rajo-guna.
When this removal takes place the mind becomes subtle and unmoving. It
is only by the mind that is impure and is under the influence of rajas
and tamas that Reality (i.e. the Self) which is very subtle and
unchanging cannot be experienced; just as a piece of fine silk cloth
cannot be stitched with a heavy crowbar, or as the details of subtle
objects cannot be distinguished by the light of a lamp flame that
flickers in the wind.
But in the pure mind that has been rendered subtle and unmoving by the
meditation described above, the Self-bliss (i.e. Brahman) will become
manifest. As without mind there cannot be experience, it is possible for
the purified mind endowed with the extremely subtle mode (vritti) to
experience the Self-bliss, by remaining in that form (i.e. in the form
of Brahman). Then, that one’s self is of the nature of Brahman will be
clearly experienced.
Related Ramana Maharshi Talks:
Ramana Maharshi Biography
Ramana Maharshi on
Meditation Experiences
Why do I never
remember that I am the Self
Ramana Maharshi Self Inquiry
Meditation method
Ramana Maharshi
"Who am I" Meditation Method
Ramana Maharshi taught through
Silence - Mauna
Ramana Maharshi on Searching the Source
of 'I' Thought
Ramana Maharshi on
Realization while doing Worldly Duties
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