Birth, Death, God and Mind

Sri Ramana Maharshi

M: The sense of body is a thought; the thought is of the mind, the mind rises after the 'I-thought', the 'I-thought' is the root thought. If that is held, the other thoughts will disappear. There will then be no body, no mind, not even the ego.

V: What will remain then?

M: The Self in its purity.

V: How can the mind be made to vanish?

M: No attempt is made to destroy it. To think or wish it is itself a thought. If the thinker is sought, the thoughts will disappear.

V: It looks so difficult.

M: They will disappear because they are unreal. The idea of difficulty is itself an obstacle to realization. It must be overcome. To remain as the Self is not difficult.

V: It looks easy to think of God in the external world, whereas it looks difficult to remain without thoughts.

M: That is absurd; to look at other things is easy and to look within is difficult! It must be contrariwise. 

V: But I do not understand. It is difficult.

M: This thought of difficulty is the chief obstacle. A little practice will make you think differently.

V: What is the practice?

M: To find out the source of 'I'.

V: That was the state before one's birth.

M: Why should one think of birth and death? Are you really born? The rising of the mind is called birth. After mind the body-thought arises and the body is seen; then the thought of birth, the state before birth, death, the state after death - all these are only of the mind. Whose is the birth?

V: Am I not now born?

M: So long as the body is considered, birth is real. But the body is not 'I'. The Self is not born nor does it die. There is nothing new. The Sages see everything in and of the Self. There is no diversity in it. Therefore there is neither birth nor death.