Gems From Maharshi

Sri Ramana Maharshi

• While in fact the body is in the Self, he who thinks that the Self is within the insentient body is like one who considers the cloth of the screen which supports the picture to be contained within the picture.
• Grace is within you. If it is external, it is useless. Grace is the Self. It is not something to be acquired from others. All that is necessary is to know its existence in you. You are never out of its operation. Grace is ever there. It is not manifest because of ignorance prevailing. With shraddha, it will become manifest. Shraddha, Grace, Light, Spirit are all synonymous with the Self.
• Meditation requires an object to meditate upon, whereas in vichara or introspection, there is only the subject without the object. Meditation differs from vichara in this way. Vichara is the process and goal too. I AM is the goal and the final reality. To hold on to this Pure Being with effort is vichara. When it is spontaneous and natural, it is realization.