"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Form or Formless

Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Q: Has God a form?
M: Who says so?
Q: Well, if God has no form is it proper to worship idols?
M: Leave God alone because He is unknown. What about you? Have you a form?
Q: Yes. I am this and so and so.
M: So then, you are a man with limbs, about 3 1/2 cubits high, with beard etc. Is it so?
Q: Certainly.
M: Then do you find yourself so in deep sleep?
D: After waking I perceive that I was asleep. Therefore by inference I remained thus in deep sleep also.
M: If you are the body why do they bury the corpse after death? The body must refuse to be buried.
Q: No, I am the subtle jiva within the gross body.
M: So you see that you are really formless; but you are at present identifying yourself with the body. So long as you are formful why should you not worship the formless God as being formful?

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सर्वभूताधिवासं यद्भूतेषु च वसत्यपि।
सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad