"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

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Today: Ever-Present

Sri Ramana Maharshi
3-1-1946 Afternoon

When I entered the hall Bhagavan was already answering a question which, I gathered, was to the effect "Is the theory of evolution true?" B said, "The trouble with all of us is that we want to know the past, what we were, and also what we will be in the future. We know nothing about the past or the future. We do know the present and that we exist now. Both yesterday and tomorrow are only with reference to today. Yesterday was called today in its time and tomorrow will be called today by us tomorrow. Today is ever present. What is ever present is pure existence. It has no past or future. Why not try and find out the real nature of the present and ever-present existence?"

Another visitor asked, "The present is said to be due to past karma. Can we transcend the past karma by our free will now?"

B: See what the present is, as I told you. Then you will understand what is affected by or has a past or a future and also what is ever present and always free, unaffected by the past or future or by any past karma.

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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