Sri Ramana Maharshi
Dr. Pande of Indore is on a visit here. He asked leave of Bhagavan to ask questions so that his doubts might be cleared. He wanted to be shown a practical way to realise the Self.
M.: A man was blindfolded and left in the woods. He then enquired of the way to Gandhara from each one he met on the way until he finally reached it. So also all the ways lead to Self-Realisation.
They are aids to the common goal.
D.: Dhyana will be easy if there is a pratikam (symbol). But the enquiry into the Self does not show any pratikam.
M.: You admit the existence of the Self. Do you point to the pratikam (symbol) and say that it is the Self? Maybe you think the body is the Self. But consider your deep sleep. You do exist then. What is the pratikam there? So the Self can be realised without pratikam.
D.: Quite true. I see the force of the words. But yet are not mantras, etc., helpful?
M.: They are helpful. What is mantra? You are thinking of the simple sounds of the mantra. Repetition of the same excludes all other thoughts. The single thought of the mantra japa remains. That too drops away giving place to the Infinite Self, which is the mantra itself. Mantra, dhyana, bhakti, etc., are all aids and finally lead to Swarupa, the Self, which is they themselves.
Dr. Pande of Indore is on a visit here. He asked leave of Bhagavan to ask questions so that his doubts might be cleared. He wanted to be shown a practical way to realise the Self.
M.: A man was blindfolded and left in the woods. He then enquired of the way to Gandhara from each one he met on the way until he finally reached it. So also all the ways lead to Self-Realisation.
They are aids to the common goal.
D.: Dhyana will be easy if there is a pratikam (symbol). But the enquiry into the Self does not show any pratikam.
M.: You admit the existence of the Self. Do you point to the pratikam (symbol) and say that it is the Self? Maybe you think the body is the Self. But consider your deep sleep. You do exist then. What is the pratikam there? So the Self can be realised without pratikam.
D.: Quite true. I see the force of the words. But yet are not mantras, etc., helpful?
M.: They are helpful. What is mantra? You are thinking of the simple sounds of the mantra. Repetition of the same excludes all other thoughts. The single thought of the mantra japa remains. That too drops away giving place to the Infinite Self, which is the mantra itself. Mantra, dhyana, bhakti, etc., are all aids and finally lead to Swarupa, the Self, which is they themselves.
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