"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

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The Self is Arunachala

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Q. I have been reading the "Five Hymns". I find that the hymns are addresses to Arunachala by you. You are an advaitin. How do you then address God as a separate Being?
M. devotee, God and the hymns are all the Self.

But you are addressing God. You are specifying this Arunachala Hill as God.
You can identify the self with the body. Should not the devotee identify the Self with Arunachala?

If Arunachala be the Self why should it be specially picked out among so many other hills? God is everywhere. Why do you specify Him as Arunachala?
What has attracted you from Allahabad to this place? What has attracted all these people around?

Sri Bhagavan.
How was I attracted here? By Arunachala. The Power cannot be denied. Again Arunachala is within and not without. The Self is Arunachala.

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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