Desirelessness is Bliss

 Sri Ramana Maharshi

Q: Please tell us a method to destroy the mind.

M: Find out who has the mind. If the mind is still there after you succeed, you may then look for a method to destroy it.

Q: I have a mind.

M: Who are you? Are you this body? Why do you not raise questions like this while you are asleep? Do you agree that the mind and the prana (the life force which animates the body) are not yourself?

Q: No.

M: You are the Self. If there is anything separate from you, you can think about doing good or bad things to it. But if you yourself are the only thing that exists, how can there be any likes or dislikes? Desireless is absolute bliss.

Q: We are asking you again because of our ignorance. We pray to Sri Bhagavan to forgive us and give us a reply. It is said that one must do spiritual exercise (abhyasa) to get rid of the mind. How should this be done?

M: Enquiring with the mind, 'Whose is the mind that ought to be destroyed?' is the abhyasa to get ride of the mind.

Q: Who am I? I do not know.

M: Without even knowing who we are we want to attain something else. That which we want to attain is that which we already are. The experience of any state or heavenly world that comes to us will eventually go away again. That which comes and goes is not the Self. That which is always within the experience of everyone, that alone is our real Self. That is moksha.

Q: What benefit can the Guru give to the disciple?

M: Guru and God can only indicate the path by saying, 'You are That'. Nothing else can be done. Walking along the path is the work of the disciple.

Q: I want to know myself. You must tell me the way.

M: Do you agree that you have two I's?

Q: That is what I do not know anything about. What should I do to make the mind calm down?

M: It is sufficient to go on observing the place from where the mind arises.

-Taken from 'Diary Extracts' of Sri Annamalai Swami