Neti Neti

Sri Ramana Maharshi

A visitor asked how to overcome the identity of the Self with the body.

M.: What about sleep? 

D.: There is ignorance prevailing. 

M.: How do you know your ignorance in sleep? Did you exist in sleep, or not? 

D.: I do not know. 

M.: Do you deny your existence in sleep? 

D.: I must admit it by my reasoning. 

M.: How do you infer your existence? 

D.: By reasoning and experience. 

M.: Is reasoning necessary for experience? (Laughter) 

D.: Is meditation analytical or synthetic? 

M.: Analysis or synthesis are in the region of intellect. The Self transcends the intellect.

Before leaving at 3-30 p.m., Mrs. Dodwell raised a second question, asking what is meant by neti-neti.

M.: There is now wrong identification of the Self with the body, senses, etc. You proceed to discard these, and this is neti. This can be done only by holding to the one which cannot be discarded. That is iti alone.