See Who You Are

Sri Ramana Maharshi

D.: I think that the soul is the light within. If after death it becomes one with Brahman how can there be transmigration of soul?

M.: Within whom? Who dies?

D.: I shall then frame my question in a different way.

M.: Dialectics are not wanted. Consider the answer and see.

D.: How?

M.: Now that you identify yourself with the body you say that the soul is the light within. You mean that there is light within the body. Think a little and say if the body can raise any questions. It is insentient and cannot say ‘I’. Something else says ‘I’. What is it? Can it be the Self? The Self is pure and is not aware of any other so as to be able to say ‘I’. Who then says ‘I’? It is the link between the pure Chit (the Self) and the jada (the body). That is the ego.

Who are you now? What is it that is born? The Self is eternal and cannot be born. The body appears and disappears and your identity with it makes you speak of birth and death. See if the true significance of ‘I’ can ever take birth. For whom is transmigration?

D.: Sir, we are here to have our doubts cleared.

M.: Certainly.

D.: Our doubts can be cleared only when we ask questions.

M.: Yes. No one objects to questions being asked.

D.: It is said pariprasnena sevaya (by questioning again and again and by service). So we should ask questions and the Master should kindly remove our doubts.

M.: Continue your quotation upadekshyanti tattvam (They give instructions in Truth).

D.: Yes. But our doubts must be cleared.

M.: So it was with Arjuna. For he says in the end nashato mohah smritirlabdha (lost is my ignorance; memory restored).

D.: It was in the end. Before then he asked so many questions.

M.: The Truth was revealed even at the start. For the very first sloka of Sri Krishna’s upadesa starts: “No birth and no death, no change, etc.”

D.: Sri Krishna also says, “We have had many rebirths. I am aware of them; but you are not.”

M.: That was only because the question arose how Sri Krishna could claim to have taught the eternal Truth to Aditya. The Truth was stated even at the start. Arjuna did not understand it. The jnani’s state was later described and also the means of attainment.

Incidentally Sri Krishna said that the Truth was eternal and that He had originally taught the same to Aditya. Arjuna was all along identifying himself with the body and therefore thought that Sri Krishna also was the body in front of him. He therefore asked, “How can it be? You (Sri Krishna) were born of Devaki some years before. Aditya was among those who started creation. How could you have taught this Truth to Aditya?”

Sri Krishna continues to answer Arjuna’s questions in that strain: “Many rebirths we have had. I know them all; but you do not,” and so on.

D.: We must also know the Truth.

M.: You are taught the Truth. Instructions have been given. See who you are. That is the whole instruction.