Probe Into The "I", the "I" Disappears!

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Q: Can I get knowledge of the Self, i.e., can I experience direct realization of the Self?

M: Why? Who is there without a knowledge of the Self? Everyone has experience of the Self.

But I do not realize it.

The fact is that all the while you know the Self. How can the self not know the Self? Only you, the self, have got into the habit of thinking that you are this, you are that and you are the other. It is the wrong notion that produces or constitutes viparita bhavana of the Self at present, and that is why you say you do not know the Self. What is to be done is to get rid of that wrong notion of the Self. That then clears up the Self-knowledge or Self-realization.

How can I get rid of that viparita bhavana? Can ordinary man get rid of it? If so, how?

Yes. That is possible and is being done. There are many ways - bhakti, jnana, karma, yoga etc. are being adopted - all for the removal of this viparita bhavana. But the main way is simple.

But I am ignorant of the method and of the Self.

Who is ignorant of what? Ask the question and pursue the enquiry as to who is it that is said to be ignorant. Once you put the question, trying to probe into the "I", the "I" disappears. Then what survives is Self-knowledge or Self-realization.

But how to get at that? Isn't a Guru's help needed? Isn't God's help needed?

Why? In practice all this is adopted. But on ultimate enquiry, i.e., after reaching the goal, the method and means adopted are found to be themselves the goal. The Guru turns out ultimately to be God and God turns out to be your own real Self.