Nothing Apart From God

Sri Ramana Maharshi

20-4-1946 Afternoon

A Muslim visitor put some questions and got the following answers:

Q: This body dies. But there is another imperishable body. What is it?

M: Imperishable body is a contradiction in terms. The term 'sariram' means that which will perish. Of course  there is something imperishable, something which exists even afte the body dies.

Q: It is said the Lord's light resides in the eye.

M: The eye does not see. That which gives light to it is the reality, whether we call it Lord's light or anything else.

Q: The Lord has created all this, has He not? What was created first? It is said light or sound was created first.

M: All these things, which you say have been created have to be seen by you before you say they exist. There must be a seer. If you find out who that seer is then you will know about creation and which was created first. Of course various theories as to what came into existence first from God are given out. Most, including scientists, agree that all has come from light and sound.

Q: Can we call anything created, like this piece of wood, for example, God? It is said it is very wrong to do so.

M: Even this piece of wood, does it exist apart from God? Can we confine God to any time or place, since He is everywhere and in everything? We should not see anything as apart from God. That is all.