Whatever kind of thought arises, have the same reaction: 'Not me; not my business.' It can be a good thought or a bad thought. Treat them all the same way. To whom are these thoughts arising? To you. That means you are not the thought.

You are the Self. Remain as the Self, and don't latch onto anything that is not the Self.

~ Annamalai Swami, Final Talks

every tiny detail, permeated by our Beloved Ramana

The life, the light, which pours forth from Bhagavan Ramana's vibrant eyes infuses meaning and fulfillment, life in our lives. His serene presence draws us in silence, envelops and permeates every tiny detail of our daily existence. His loving grace and gentle smile solve all problems, answer every question and wipe confusion clear away. His presence, ever available to all, is the source of perennial joy.

~ Kumari Sarada, The Ramana Way, In Search of Self

not believing the rising thoughts

Every night during sleep you let go of your attachment to both the body and the mind, and the result is silence, peace, and an absence of duality. You can have this silence, this peace, and this absence of duality in the waking state by not believing the rising thoughts that create duality for you. Resist limiting thoughts. Replace them with thoughts such as "All is myself. Everybody is myself. All animals, all things are myself."

~ Annamalai Swami, Final Talks, edited by David Godman

One hundred and eleven years ago ...

On August 29, 1896, Venkataraman set out from Madurai for Arunachala ...


"THERE is no time to waste. I must reach the lap of Arunagireeswara. How to do so? Won't He show the way?", thought Venkataraman and got up at once.

His brother asked him where he was off to. "I have a special class on Electricity at twelve. I have to attend it," replied Venkataraman. The brother said, "Very well, there are five rupees in the box downstairs. Take the keys from aunt and pay my college fees. After all, the college is close to your school." The brother was not at all aware that he was facilitating the journey of Venkataraman who must have thought that his Father was coming to his help. It also confirmed his feeling that his departure was at the command of his Father.

Venkataraman went down, hurriedly ate the meal served by his aunt and took the amount as directed by his brother.

How was he to know the way? He did not feel like asking anyone nor could anyone have guessed his plan. Years later, Bhagavan's class fellow Ranga Iyer had his darshan, prostrated before him and asked, "How is it that you did not even tell me that you were leaving home?"

The reply was, "I myself did not know till I actually left the house."

~ from Sri Ramana Leela
please see http://ramanaleela.blogspot.com/2007/06/9-farewell.html

Who is God?

Who is God? He is grace. What is Grace? Awareness without the fragmentary ego. How can one know that there is such a state? Only if one realizes it. The Vedas laud such a one as having realized God and become one with Him. Therefore the greatest good that one can derive from the world and the greatest good which one can render unto it, is to realize this state. In fact, there are no states besides this. They appear in the state of ignorance. For him who knows, there is one state only. You are that.

~ Ellam Ondre


(Ellam Ondre, was originally written by an unknown 19th Century author in Tamil. First translated into English in 1951, this carefully revised edition was one of the favorite small Advaitic Tamil texts often recommended by Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Annamalai Swami has said that the Maharshi "laid particular stress on Ellam Ondre, telling me, 'If you want moksha, write, read and practice the instructions in Ellam Ondre.'")

Your firm conviction brought you here ...

The extraordinary, more than mother-like compassion of Ramana is there. Why doubt it? As long as the source of the "I" is not discovered the mind does not give up so easily and keeps doubting. One may refer to the conversation which Cohen had with Ramana. Cohen had resigned his job in Bombay and built himself a cottage next to the ashram. However, on the day of the housewarming he prayed to Ramana that he should ensure his reaching the goal. Ramana gazed silently on the calm waters of the pond nearby and replied, "Your firm conviction brought you here, where is the room for doubt?" What an assurance to him and to all disciples and devotees!

~ A. R. Natarajan, Timeless in Time

his alone

"What is the problem for you? Just be!' Speaking in this way Padam ensured that there is not even a single activity for me.

'When I have taken on your responsibilities, what is lacking for you?' Speaking in this way, Padam embraces me in the Heart in eternal rejoicing.

Padam is the consciousness, the supreme, in which I have no responsibilities to think about since every responsibility is his alone.

Even as I suffered through the delusion of regarding myself as the actor, true Padam caused me to shine as the enduring stage.

Padam destroyed my sense of doership so that, through the peace of jnana, a life free from evil flourished within the Heart.

~ Padamalai, Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi recorded by Muruganar

[No post tomorrow, dear readers ... back on Sunday :-)]

Unless Reality exists, can thought of it arise? Since,
devoid of thought, Reality exists within as Heart, how to know
the Reality we term the Heart? To know That is merely to be
That in the Heart.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, first verse of the invocation, Ulladu Narpadu

what benefit?

What benefit have you gained by associating with an ego, which is just a thought that attaches itself to you?

~ Padamalai, Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi Recorded by Muruganar

our Beloved Bhagavan draws us into this ...

Two birds, one of them mortal, the other immortal,
live in the same tree. The first one pecks at the fruit,
sweet or bitter; the second looks on without eating.
Thus the personal self pecks at the fruit of this world,
bewildered by suffering, always hungry for more.
But when he meets the True Self, the resplendent God,
the source of creation, all his cravings are stilled.
Perceiving Self in all creatures, he forgets himself
in the service of all; good and evil both vanish;
delighting in Self, playing like a child with Self,
he does whatever is called for, whatever the result.

Self is everywhere, shining forth from all beings,
vaster than the vast, subtler than the most subtle,
unreachable, yet nearer than breath, than heartbeat.
Eye cannot see it, ear cannot hear it nor tongue
utter it; only in deep absorption can the mind,
grown pure and silent, merge with the formless truth.
He who finds it is free; he has found himself;
he has solved the great riddle; his heart forever is at peace.
Whole, he enters the Whole. His personal self
returns to its radiant, intimate, deathless source.
As rivers lose name and form when they disappear
into the sea, the sage leaves behind all traces
when he disappears into the light. Perceiving the truth,
he becomes the truth; he passes beyond all suffering,
beyond death; all knots of his heart are loosed.

~ Mundaka Upanishad, III.1.1-2.9

Through constant contact with the Sage
Who has with Siva become one
Attention centres in the Heart,
Enquiry dawns, one stands established
In the Self as pure Awareness,
And the malady of birth elusive
Flies away.

~ Sri Muruganar, The Garland of Guru's Sayings

Seeing is being

You are the Self. You exist always. Nothing more can be predicated of the Self than it exists. Seeing God or the Self is only being God or your Self. Seeing is being.

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day with Bhagavan