All That Exists Is Brahman

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Q: No separate meditation is necessary?

M: Meditation is your true nature. You call it meditation because there are other thoughts distracting you. When these thoughts are dispelled, you remain alone, i.e., in the state of meditation free from thoughts; and that is your real nature which you are now attempting to gain by keeping away from other thoughts. Such keeping away of other thoughts is now called meditation. When the practice becomes firm, the real nature shows itself as the true meditation. Other thoughts arise more forcibly when you attempt meditation. 

(There was immediately a chory of questions by a few others.)

Yes, all kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. It is but right. What lies hidden in you is brought out. Unless they rise up how can they be destroyed? They rise up spontaneously in order to be extinguished in due course, thus to strengthen the mind.

Q: All are said to be brahman.

M: Yes, they are. But as long as you think that they are apart they are to be avoided. If on the other hand, they are found to be Self there is no need to say 'all'. For all that exists is only brahman. There is nothing besides brahman.

Q: Ribhu gita speaks of so many objects as unreal, adding at the end that they are all brahman and thus real.

M: Yes. When you see them as so many they are asat (unreal). Whereas when you see them as brahman they are real, deriving their reality from their substratum, brahman.

Q: Why then does upadesha saram speak of the body etc., as jada (insentient)?

M: Inasmuch as you say that they are body etc., apart from the Self. But when the Self is found this body etc. are also found to be in it. Afterwards no one will ask the question and no one will say that they are insentient.

Q: Viveka is said to be discrimination between the Self and the non-self. What is the non-self?

M: There is no non-self, in fact. The non-self also exists in the Self. It is the Self which speaks of the non-self because it has forgotten itself. Having lost hold of itself, it conceives something as non-self, which is after all nothing but itself.

(Then the discussion between the protagonists of various theories became warm.)