Divine Sight is Self Luminosity

Sri Ramana Maharshi

D.: Some upadesh will probably help me. 

M.: If I say “Do - Rama, Rama” to one who has not struggled through books like you, he will do it and stick to it. If I say so to one like you who have read much and are investigating matters, you will not do it for long, because you will think, “Why should I do it? Above all, who am I that should be repeating the mantra? Let me find who I am before I proceed further”; and so you will stop japa and begin investigation. 

D.: It is said: The senses are out-going (paranchikhani); inward turned (is) sight (avrittachakshuh). What is avrittachakshuh (inwardturned sight)? 

M.: It does not mean replacement of the eyeball in the opposite direction. What is chakshuh? 

D.: The eye. 

M.: Does the eye see or is it someone behind the eye that sees? If the eye could see, then does a corpse see? The one who is behind the eye sees through the eye. He is meant by the word chakshuh. 

D.: Divya chakshuh is necessary to see the glory of God. This physical eye is the ordinary chakshuh. 

M.: Oh! I see. You want to see million-sun-splendour and the rest of it! 

D.: Can we not see the glory as million-sun-splendour? 

M.: Can you see the single sun? Why do you ask for millions of suns? 

D.: It must be possible to do so by divine sight. “Where the sun shines not, etc. That is My Supreme abode”. Therefore there is a state where this sun is powerless. That state is that of God. 

M.: All right. Find Krishna and the problem is solved. 

D.: Krishna is not alive. 

M.: Is that what you have learnt from the Gita? Does He not say that He is eternal? Of what are you thinking, His body? 

D.: He taught others while alive. Those around Him must have realised. I seek a similar living Guru. 

M.: Is Gita then useless after He withdrew His body? Did He speak of His body as Krishna? Natwewaham jatu nasam ... (Never I was not....) 

D.: But I want a living Guru who can say the truth first hand. 

M.: The fate of the Guru will be similar to the fate of Krishna. 

The questioner retired. 

Later, Sri Bhagavan said: Divine sight means Self-luminosity. The world divya shows it. The full word means the Self. Who is to bestow a divine eye? And who is to see? Again, people read in the books, “hearing, reflection and one-pointedness are necessary”. They think that they must pass through savikalpa samadhi and nirvikalpa samadhi before attaining Realisation. Hence all these questions. Why should they wander in that maze? What do they gain at the end? It is only cessation of the trouble of seeking. They find that the Self is eternal and self-evident. Why should they not get that repose even this moment? A simple man, not learned, is satisfied with japa or worship. A jnani is of course satisfied. The whole trouble is for the book-worms. Well, well. They will also get on.