Wisdom of the Mystics: Ramana Maharshi

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Hello and welcome to The Bearded Mystic Podcast.

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And I'm your host Rahul N Singh, thank you for joining today and for taking out the time to either watch or listen to this podcast episode.

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Today, we're going to be continuing on with the wisdom of the mystics series.

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If you remember last month we looked at Osho or also known as.

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Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

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And we looked into his teachings and some quotes and we explored them.

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Today we'd be looking at the great mystic Sage from Arunachala, named Shri Ramana Maharishi.

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Now Ramana Maharshi is an amazing mystic that has a lot of depth.

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And to be fair, his teachings are not easily understood, even though his expression is incredibly simple.

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But if you've been following this podcast for a while, this should be an interesting one for you because this is going to the heart of non-duality and it doesn't ask us for our preparation.

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It just requires our attention and our devotion to actually go forward with understanding this Ultimate Reality.

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We'll be looking at some of the teachings of Ramana Maharshi from the book'Be As You Are', that was written by David Godman.

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So as we explore these teachings, I really ask for Shri Ramana Maharshi to bless us with the understanding that we can truly truly honor his words today.

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And I'm really looking forward to this.

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I know it's the second episode, but really it doesn't matter who is number one, number two, number three, they all have a part to play in our spiritual journey.

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And they all have certain teachings that we need to explore and learn from.

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The first quote that we be looking at is there is no one who does not say 'I am.' the wrong knowledge of I am the body is the cause of all mischief, this wrong knowledge must go.

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That is realization.

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Realization is not acquisition of anything new, nor is it a new faculty.

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It is only removal of our camouflage.

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The ultimate truth is so simple.

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It is nothing more than being in the pristine state.

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This is all that needs to be said.

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Now, just look at the incredible simplicity here.

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What Shri Ramana is telling us is how to really live in the realization and discover that that is our natural, pristine state.

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It is not something that we have to attain or acquire or buy or purchase.

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It's none of those things.

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You don't have to do a course or go through some rituals to get there.

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This understanding can be simply attained by just understanding who we really are.

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Now in the very first line Shri Ramana there says that 'there is no one who does not say I am.' Now think about it whenever we do something, whenever we say something, we say.

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I am Rahul Singh.

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I am twent- 34 years old.

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Forgot my age.

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I am male.

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I am such and such.

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I am married.

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Now I'm just adding a label to I am.

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So what is really this I am and what Ramana Maharshi turns to us and says that, well, you're not this body.

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Think about it.

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If you're not the body, then you're not going to be the mind either because the mind is housed in the body.

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What Ramana really says simply is that when you think you are the body, that's where all ignorance begins from and really ignorance is just a veil that needs to be lifted.

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Understanding that we're not this body, we get rid of the wrong knowledge of what we are.

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We get rid of the wrong association of who we really are.

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Now Ramana makes very clear that realization is not the acquisition of something new.

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A lot of us think that 'oh enlightenment is a new happening occurring to us', but how can it be a new happening?

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When there is only Pure Consciousness when there's only the Ultimate Reality, then what new is being attained?

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Nothing new.

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In fact, we're getting rid of things.

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We're not acquiring anything.

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We getting rid of wrong understanding.

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We're not acquiring a new understanding.

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We're actually just discovering what we've always been and will always be.

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So this Ultimate Truth is really simple.

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There's nothing complicated about this to understand.

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If we can understand this, we can go far in our spiritual journey.

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But this is a problem, getting rid of the thought of 'I am the body' or the understanding of I am the body, the knowledge of I'm the body, the identification is difficult because we've always been told we are this body.

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We're reminded about this all the time.

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Whether we are in the family, whether we are out and about and we're buying things, why are we buying things?

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For the body.

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For example, when you go grocery shopping, now that's a necessity for the body.

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That is fine.

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But if we do, if we think that whatever food.

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I take, I become that.

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That's the wrong understanding.

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I know there's some gurus that turn around and say, your body is the accumulation of food, which if you look at the body, it's right, but that is still not who you are.

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You're more than that.

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And Shri Ramana says that this is not a new faculty.

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It's not like suddenly you get a new faculty of intellect or intelligence.

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None of that.

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You simply have all this already.

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You just have to be open to understanding this.

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Shri Ramana's message is very simple.

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How much of it we want to really attain or understand is really up to us and it's really down to us whether we want to.

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But it's very easy for us to remain in ignorance because like I said in other podcast episodes, we love to complicate things.

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We love to complicate matters of spirituality, but really spirituality is very easy.

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If you just follow this one quote from Ramana Maharshi, there is no reason why you cannot attain enlightenment.

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It really is for you.

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The second quote.

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At this level of the teaching, there is no question of effort or practice.

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All that is required is an understanding that the Self is not a goal to be attained.

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It is merely the awareness that prevails when all limiting ideas about the not self have been discarded.

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So the not self meaning the body, the mind, karmas, our conditioning, all of those things.

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Now, if you look at this quote very carefully, Ramana Maharshi's telling us about the teaching of the 'Self only is'.

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That's the ultimate teaching of Ramana Maharshi.

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The title of the book is'be as you are.' Why is that the name of the book?

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That is the central teaching of Shri Ramana Maharshi is 'be as you are!' Be who you really are.

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Now, everything that you're told that you are is merely something that has been imposed upon you.

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Your name, your gender, all these things that you identify with, your age, all of those things have been imposed upon you and they create the ego.

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Therefore, what is the ego?

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The wrong identification.

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The ego then believes that it is the body.

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It is the mind.

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It is all those things that you identify and label yourself with.

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Ramana Maharshi says you don't need to put any effort in, you don't have to practice anything to be your True Self, to be as you are! Brahman, Pure Consciousness.

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You just have to be.

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There's no question of effort.

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There's no need for practice.

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Now that does not mean that we are not to do any practice or we're not to put in any effort.

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What Ramana Maharshi's talking about is yes in the beginning, you may have to acquire to do some effort, but once you have realized who you really are, there shouldn't be any effort to go back or to be in that understanding.

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So it's really from that level that he's talking upon.

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Now, all that is required is an understanding that the Self is not a goal to be attained.

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If it was a goal to be attained, that means that it's something separate to you.

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Shri Ramana Maharshi gets rid of this false understanding that there is separation between us and Brahman or the Atman and Brahman.

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In fact, that's the only thing that remains is Pure Consciousness, this Ultimate Reality.

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As he mentions it is merely the awareness that prevails when all limiting ideas about the non-self have been discarded.

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So this is through the process of neti, neti, not this, not this.

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When we continuously remove those ideas of what we're not.

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Now, if we know that the Self is Pure Consciousness, then we have to get rid of everything that is before Pure Consciousness, that appears before Pure Consciousness or the objects that appear against Pure Consciousness.

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We have to discard all of those limiting ideas and beliefs and labels and get to Pure Consciousness.

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That is the journey that we need to take and that's all that Shri Ramana Maharshi is really talking about.

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So it's very simple thing.

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Just get rid of those ideas, discard those ideas, remove them from your life, practice 'That' first.

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And ultimately when you get to that Awareness, it will be unbreakable for you.

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You will always be in that state of understanding.

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Now, there's an interesting thing here when Shri Ramana says 'the Self is not a goal to be attained.' The other thing before that is, it's so we understand that we don't create another identity that we are the Self.

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The Self does not need to say 'I am the self.' Right.

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If there's only the Self, what is the Self going to be declaring Itself to?

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Nobody.

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There's no need to.

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This needs to be understood.

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Also it's not a goal to be attained because if you say we will attain when we become the Self, then that means that we are not the Self.

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You are the Self.

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You cannot become the Self.

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You have to understand that you are the Self.

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So this little nuance in language, we do need to really understand and really practice until we correct our language.

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With understanding, we will then correct our language too.

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The third quote.

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Brahm Gyana is not a knowledge to be acquired, so that acquiring it one may obtain happiness.

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It is one's ignorant outlook that one should give up.

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The Self you seek to know is truly yourself.

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So let's break this up.

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This is a very deep, yet simple teaching.

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Brahm Gyana is not a knowledge to be acquired.

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We know that Gyana means knowledge.

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We know Brahm means Brahman, this Ultimate Reality.

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The knowledge of this Ultimate Reality is not a knowledge to be acquired.

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You don't have to gain it.

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You don't have to go to Guru to get this knowledge.

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All the Guru does is say, this is what You are.

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Yeah, this is the only thing that is.

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That's the only form of knowledge they give.

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A projection of knowledge that they give.

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But it's not something you gain.

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Yeah.

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Because it's to understand that you're already this, so it's not something you acquire.

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Again, the repetition of this is because we've fed always'you need to find enlightenment.

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You need to find God.' You know, there's a saying.

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I went searching for God and only found myself.

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This is literally what Shri Ramana's teaching is about.

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And then what Shri Ramana says here is even deeper.

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It says, okay, we established that it's not knowledge to be acquired.

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Then he says, 'so that acquiring it one may obtain happiness.' Because normally we think, oh yeah, if we attain Brahm Gyana, if we get Brahm Gyana, if we are able to approach a guru and get that knowledge, then we will get happiness.

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Shri Ramana says tha you can be happy now by knowing that you are the Self, by understanding that you've always been the Self.

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This is what we really need to understand here.

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And he makes sure that we understand even more when he says 'it is one's ignorant outlook that one should give up.' Why should you give up and what are you giving yourself up to?

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You can't give up.

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The reason for that is that ultimately, if you are the Self, no matter what you do in life, you would end up looking for that True Self.

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You'll be looking for Brahman.

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Even our desires.

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The reason why we go for desires is so we can exhaust them.

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Why?

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So we can go back to who we are.

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That's ultimately why we do things and why we desire things.

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Ultimately it comes back to this point.

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' The Self you seek to know is truly yourself.' You don't need to go anywhere and run away somewhere.

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You can understand this right here and now.

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It's very interesting because a lot of people when they listen to this teaching, that's why you have Neo-Advaita.

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And Neo-Advaita will tell you why there's no one here to practice.

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There's no story.

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There's no practice, there's no scripture.

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There's no Self.

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There's no 'This'.

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That's not what Shri Ramana message is all about.

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His true message really is, is to bring you back to that direct realization.

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To get you to that direct understanding.

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To allow you to understand that you've always had access to this.

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Shri Ramana is showing you that the door that you walk through every day is the door that you're looking for.

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So the Self you seek to know is truly yourself.

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So don't go through the wrong understanding that you need to know something separate to you.

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You ought to know your True Self.

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Your True Self is everything.

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Your True Self is Brahman.

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The fourth quote.

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The truth of oneself alone is worthy to be scrutinized and known.

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Taking it as a target of one's attention one should keenly know it in the heart.

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This knowledge of oneself will be revealed only to the consciousness, which is silent, clear, and free from the activity of the agitated and suffering mind.

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Know that the consciousness, which always shines in the heart as the formless Self'I', and which is known by one's being still without thinking about anything as existent or non-existent alone is the perfect reality.

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This is a deep quote.

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Again, like everything Shri Ramana talks about, it's always to the point and it's repeated why?

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Because we need to really understand it.

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We are so engrossed in wrong understanding that it's going to take so much repetition to get us back to who we really are.

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So in this quote, Shri Ramana says 'the Truth of Oneself alone is worthy to be scrutinized and known.' We need to have that practice.

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Now, it's the only practice worth going for.

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Now what's this thing that needs to be scrutinized and known - who we really are.

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How do we get there?

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How can we approach it?

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How can we get to that place?

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Those are the things that we need to do.

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This is the one thing that needs to be known.

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Everything else in life can happen accordingly, but we need to make sure that this practice is everything that we do.

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He continues to say 'taking it as a target of one's attention, once you keenly know it in the heart.' Now it seems here that Shri Ramana is telling us to practice something.

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But again, what's going to happen is once we realize what we are and we directly go towards it, we understand that actually, we don't need to practice it.

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We don't have to sit every day and try to get to the Self.

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We don't need to try to get there.

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We are already it.

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So what Ramana Maharshi has done is taken the Upanishads, taken the Bhagavad Gita, Ashtavakra Gita and made it known for us, made it a direct realization, a direct path for us and this is what he's done.

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A lot of people may turn around and say, Shri Ramana never gave the traditional teaching.

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And that there is ways where he has deviated away from the traditional teaching of Advaita Vedanta.

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I disagree.

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I think he went to the heart of Advaita Vedanta and the heart of Adi Shankara Ji's teachings and gave them to us and simplified it, so we can understand it in today's modern day and age.

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And that's ultimately what a Sage does is bring the teaching to today's time.

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There's no need to talk about something from thousands of years ago or hundreds of years ago when it will not be applicable to today.

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And Shri Ramana really does that.

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What he's saying now is taking it as a target of one's attention, seems like a practice, but really it's bringing us back directly in touch with who we really are.

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So we need to bring it to one's attention - what the True Self is.

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That needs to be everything we need to do.

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So whatever is not our Self, we need to scrutinize it and then know that it is not our True Self.

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It is not consciousness.

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'One needs to keenly know it in the heart.' What he means there, that knowledge needs to be centered within us.

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It needs to be understood.

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It needs to be totally our own presence.

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It needs to be totally owned by us because it is us.

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Yeah.

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We need to know it completely.

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This is what Shri Ramana means by 'keenly know in the heart.' Basically the mind should not have an iota or speck of doubt that it is something else.

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'This knowledge of oneself will be revealed only to the consciousness, which is silent, clear, and free from the activity of the agitated and suffering mind.' How do we calm down this agitated and suffering mind?

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By bringing ourselves back to that direct understanding of who we really are.

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Scrutinizing that false knowledge that we have about who we think we are.

00:18:36.817 --> 00:18:44.268
So this knowledge is only revealed to us by ourselves when we are silent, clear, and free.

00:18:44.617 --> 00:18:47.228
So for that, we need to calm our minds down.

00:18:47.334 --> 00:18:50.284
And that is by concentrating on who we are.

00:18:50.634 --> 00:18:51.653
That's what we need to do.

00:18:51.776 --> 00:19:12.054
'Know that the consciousness, which always shines in the heart as the Formless Self'I' and which is known by one's being still without thinking about anything as existent or non-existent alone is the perfect reality.' So know that this formless self is the perfect reality, the ultimate reality, and that it's always shining in the heart.

00:19:12.398 --> 00:19:13.364
It's always there.

00:19:13.713 --> 00:19:15.384
It doesn't disappear with time.

00:19:15.611 --> 00:19:17.441
It doesn't disappear in space.

00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:21.300
It's always there and it's not existent nor non-existent.

00:19:21.651 --> 00:19:23.570
It's beyond these definitions.

00:19:23.921 --> 00:19:26.260
So this is how we can understand.

00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:28.574
So we need to know this and become it.

00:19:28.798 --> 00:19:29.878
Quote number five.

00:19:30.229 --> 00:19:32.269
'To see God is to be God.

00:19:32.618 --> 00:19:40.810
There is no all apart from God for him to pervade.' I'm going to go through each line probably a bit carefully now, because this is a long quote.

00:19:41.161 --> 00:19:47.124
'To see God is to be God, there is no all apart from God, for him to pervade, he alone is.

00:19:47.473 --> 00:19:54.397
God is required for Sadhana.' What we need to understand is in order for us to see God, we have to be God.

00:19:54.715 --> 00:19:56.500
There should not be a separation.

00:19:56.500 --> 00:20:00.871
There should not be a duality attitude between God and me, you and God.

00:20:01.236 --> 00:20:02.661
There can only be God.

00:20:03.010 --> 00:20:06.728
And then Shri Ramana very carefully look at the thought here.

00:20:07.077 --> 00:20:12.137
'There is no all apart from God for him to pervade.' Think about this.

00:20:12.137 --> 00:20:14.438
There is no all apart from God.

00:20:14.701 --> 00:20:20.121
The manifestations that we see this infinite manifestations that we perceive through our senses.

00:20:20.471 --> 00:20:25.451
This is nothing but Consciousness, all that is just a projection upon Consciousness.

00:20:25.800 --> 00:20:33.780
We often think during neti, neti, we get rid of everything, but we keep the subtle element of space Akash.

00:20:34.131 --> 00:20:36.320
And we think that this pervades everywhere.

00:20:36.671 --> 00:20:40.390
What Shri Ramana is doing is bringing this everywhere in to...

00:20:40.809 --> 00:20:41.559
in here.

00:20:41.910 --> 00:20:43.049
This is what he's doing.

00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:47.509
So you directly go to it rather than spread out to it.

00:20:47.859 --> 00:20:52.035
Instead, Shri Ramana's saying don't spread out, enter in.

00:20:52.430 --> 00:20:53.450
This is what he's doing.

00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:58.809
When it's centered within you, remember from the previous quote, this is why he's talking about.

00:20:59.056 --> 00:21:06.259
'But the end of the sadhana, even in bhakti marg, the path of devotion is attained only after complete surrender.

00:21:06.609 --> 00:21:07.660
What does it mean?

00:21:08.049 --> 00:21:20.536
Except that effacement of the ego results in Self remaining as it has always been?' So what that means here is that at the end of the practice, the Sadhana, even in devotion.

00:21:20.566 --> 00:21:26.486
In devotion, we are told to surrender to God, but the only way to do that is to surrender.

00:21:26.695 --> 00:21:31.145
Surrender to that wisdom, surrender to yourself with Your Self.

00:21:31.546 --> 00:21:32.685
That's what you need to do.

00:21:33.036 --> 00:21:42.542
And it's only done when we get rid of the ego, we have to surrender the ego, bring ego to the forefront and say that the Ultimate Reality only is.

00:21:42.893 --> 00:21:46.843
Let the ego discover that it does not exist.

00:21:47.192 --> 00:21:50.093
It's just a projection against consciousness.

00:21:50.498 --> 00:21:53.053
It's needed to live in the day-to-day reality.

00:21:53.113 --> 00:21:57.452
We need the ego, but it is not one's identity.

00:21:57.803 --> 00:21:58.913
That's the difference.

00:21:59.272 --> 00:22:01.042
We don't identify with the ego.

00:22:01.222 --> 00:22:04.032
We now identify with Brahman, the True Self.

00:22:04.316 --> 00:22:08.226
'Whatever path one may choose, the 'I' is inescapable.

00:22:08.476 --> 00:22:18.788
The 'I' that does the nishkam karma, the motiveless acts.' Nishkam meaning without any motive, without any selfishness, without any element of doership.

00:22:19.038 --> 00:22:22.768
So whatever path one chooses this 'I' is inescapable.

00:22:23.157 --> 00:22:24.738
'I' meaning Brahman.

00:22:24.857 --> 00:22:32.171
The true understanding of what 'I' is, when we get rid of, I am the body, I'm the mind when we understand we are not these things.

00:22:32.171 --> 00:22:33.161
I am not space.

00:22:33.191 --> 00:22:34.181
I am not the planets.

00:22:34.181 --> 00:22:35.141
I am not the earth.

00:22:35.621 --> 00:22:37.060
What remains is 'I'.

00:22:37.411 --> 00:22:39.240
Even 'am' disappears.

00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:39.570
Why?

00:22:39.780 --> 00:22:43.777
Because 'I am', will need some thing to follow as a label.

00:22:44.126 --> 00:22:45.727
But 'I' does not need 'am'.

00:22:45.964 --> 00:22:49.855
'I' can be as it is because 'I' is the Self.

00:22:50.204 --> 00:22:57.422
Everything that the 'I' says it is, is just a content of 'I', but it is not 'I', the capital 'I'.

00:22:57.646 --> 00:23:00.156
See the 'I' as the Self, the Formless Self.

00:23:00.450 --> 00:23:05.547
'The 'I' that pines for joining the Lord, from whom it feels it has been separated.

00:23:05.997 --> 00:23:20.749
The 'I' that feels it has slipped from its real nature and so on.' So Shri Ramana Maharshi's telling us that when we think we are separate from this 'I', when this 'I' thinks it is something else and is separate from God, from the Lord.

00:23:21.130 --> 00:23:27.490
And pines to join, to have union with this One, that person has slipped from their true nature.

00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:31.606
Once this 'I' has united with the Lord, only the Lord will remain.

00:23:31.867 --> 00:23:36.891
The ego will understand it has no light that shines forth from it.

00:23:36.984 --> 00:23:41.019
The Light was always from the Lord, from Brahman.

00:23:41.375 --> 00:23:46.134
'So the source of this 'I' must be found out, then all questions will be solved.

00:23:46.278 --> 00:23:49.188
To really get rid of our questions and doubts.

00:23:49.458 --> 00:23:53.718
We have to go to the source of what this 'I' is.

00:23:54.067 --> 00:23:54.938
That is the key.

00:23:55.113 --> 00:23:56.222
Quote six.

00:23:56.573 --> 00:23:58.012
'Guru is the Self.

00:23:58.089 --> 00:24:03.819
Sometimes in his life, a man becomes dissatisfied and not content with what he has.

00:24:04.170 --> 00:24:08.079
He seeks to satisfaction of his desires through prayer to God.

00:24:08.252 --> 00:24:16.673
His mind is gradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain his grace and to satisfy his worldly desires.

00:24:17.022 --> 00:24:19.363
Then God's grace begins to manifest.

00:24:19.712 --> 00:24:25.823
God takes a form of a guru and appears to the devotee, teaching him the Truth.

00:24:26.173 --> 00:24:30.073
And moreover purifies his mind by association.

00:24:30.423 --> 00:24:34.962
The devotee's mind gains strength and is then able to turn inward.

00:24:35.313 --> 00:24:44.009
By meditation, it is further purified and it remains still, without the least ripple, that calm expanse is The Self.

00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:47.569
The guru is both external and internal.

00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:52.150
From the exterior, he gives a push to the mind to turn inwards.

00:24:52.500 --> 00:24:59.823
From the interior, he pulls the mind towards the Self and helps in the quietening of the mind.

00:25:00.173 --> 00:25:02.002
That is Guru's Grace.

00:25:02.353 --> 00:25:08.313
There is no difference between God, Guru and the Self.' So let me put it in another way.

00:25:08.663 --> 00:25:11.952
There is no difference between Pure Consciousness.

00:25:12.303 --> 00:25:16.323
There's no difference between the guru that shows you what Pure Consciousness is.

00:25:16.667 --> 00:25:20.009
And also YOU, you are also Pure Consciousness.

00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:26.032
So I read the quote fully, and to be honest, I don't think I need to elaborate much more on the quote.

00:25:26.482 --> 00:25:33.792
But what Shri Ramana Maharshi's talking about is people like us, who may be beginning on our journey, we want to know more.

00:25:34.143 --> 00:25:37.742
We are not satisfied with worldly desires anymore.

00:25:38.093 --> 00:25:40.252
We don't constantly need things anymore.

00:25:40.597 --> 00:25:43.383
Our wants we know aren't going to fulfill us.

00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:45.319
So we want to know who we really are.

00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:48.769
We feel there's a hankering within to know who we really are.

00:25:48.913 --> 00:25:53.792
We don't feel fulfilled with life and what life is offering to us.

00:25:54.143 --> 00:25:55.673
We know there's something more.

00:25:56.022 --> 00:26:05.972
So then, because of that, you could say Pure Consciousness Itself looks for ways in which we can approach our own Self.

00:26:06.163 --> 00:26:15.192
Pure consciousness creates that journey in which we turn inwards towards our own Self, which is this Pure Consciousness.

00:26:15.542 --> 00:26:19.853
And the guru is not someone that you meet and then that's it.

00:26:19.942 --> 00:26:21.373
You get the knowledge and you go.

00:26:21.613 --> 00:26:23.772
The guru is also within you.

00:26:24.073 --> 00:26:39.313
Once you met the guru once and you sincerely got the knowledge that you need, that Brahm Gyana that we've been talking about in the previous quotes, once you've received that, then the Guru should be within.

00:26:39.663 --> 00:26:41.712
Then you don't need to keep seeking the Guru.

00:26:42.083 --> 00:26:47.323
In fact, the guru will even refuse to be your master at that point.

00:26:47.673 --> 00:26:51.053
The guru will make you, his friend or her friend.

00:26:51.403 --> 00:26:51.883
Why?

00:26:52.232 --> 00:26:57.012
Because it's in friendship, that one truly understands the other.

00:26:57.210 --> 00:26:59.460
Then all separation dissolves away.

00:26:59.809 --> 00:27:07.269
And when there is a complete union, then only the outer appearance looks like friendship, but within there is a oneness.

00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:09.796
So see the inner guru.

00:27:10.161 --> 00:27:19.669
and let that inner Guru, that Gyana, that wisdom bring your mind to quieten down and allow the Self to illuminate.

00:27:20.019 --> 00:27:21.338
As it always has been.

00:27:21.733 --> 00:27:29.199
Discover the illumination that is continuously there, continuously here, the guru shows this.

00:27:29.548 --> 00:27:33.689
I can say this for my own self, that my guru has done that for me.

00:27:34.011 --> 00:27:45.321
My guru showed me how to be aware of this one, how to be aware of this Formless and then my Guru from within allow that knowledge to take its place.

00:27:45.686 --> 00:27:52.067
Then the inner guru gets rid of all that separation, like a square drawn on a piece of paper.

00:27:52.416 --> 00:27:55.707
The guru gets rid of that square.

00:27:55.833 --> 00:27:58.935
So that pure white paper is seen.

00:27:59.050 --> 00:28:04.263
You get rid of the boundary, you get rid of the edge and that's what the guru does.

00:28:04.614 --> 00:28:07.644
The guru is the eraser of everything that you're not.

00:28:07.993 --> 00:28:14.723
The Guru erases it all, the Guru is the wisdom, utilize that wisdom within and that will take you there.

00:28:15.237 --> 00:28:16.136
Quote number seven.

00:28:16.280 --> 00:28:19.851
'A man might've performed many karmas in his previous births.

00:28:20.201 --> 00:28:26.441
A few of these alone will be chosen for this birth and he will have to enjoy their fruits in this birth.

00:28:26.790 --> 00:28:33.753
It is something like a slide show where the projectionist picks a few slides to be exhibited at a performance.

00:28:34.023 --> 00:28:42.054
The remaining slides being reserved for another performance or this karma can be destroyed by acquiring knowledge of the Self.

00:28:42.403 --> 00:28:47.433
The different karmas are the slides, karmas being the results of past experiences.

00:28:47.580 --> 00:28:49.201
And the mind is a projector.

00:28:49.550 --> 00:28:57.800
The projector must be destroyed so that there would be no further reflection and no further births and deaths.' The mind, meaning the ego.

00:28:58.151 --> 00:29:01.017
But you can see this as a series of films.

00:29:01.366 --> 00:29:03.586
For example, you have The Lord Of The Rings.

00:29:04.404 --> 00:29:14.904
There were three movies, three parts to it, but you can choose to either watch the three movies on three different days, or you can watch the three movies in one day.

00:29:15.198 --> 00:29:24.377
Likewise with all your karmas, you can leave them either in this life or be, can spread them out for another time for another lifetime.

00:29:24.728 --> 00:29:36.173
But once we understand what this ego is that it's only projecting the results of our karmas and that is all just a projection, then we can understand what our True Self is.

00:29:36.523 --> 00:29:38.084
When we get rid of that projection.

00:29:38.433 --> 00:29:43.513
Then once you understand the Formless Self, then how can that acquire any karma?

00:29:43.894 --> 00:29:46.884
How can any karma be performed onto it?

00:29:47.233 --> 00:29:52.894
The Formless Self will acquire no karma nor really be effected by any of your previous karmas.

00:29:53.012 --> 00:29:54.363
The body may go through it.

00:29:54.712 --> 00:30:03.623
The mind may have to face it, but the self that you are will not that Awareness, that Pure consciousness will not be affected.

00:30:03.972 --> 00:30:06.752
That is the key to understanding this quote.

00:30:07.103 --> 00:30:10.153
So enjoy the fruit of this action right now.

00:30:10.182 --> 00:30:10.992
Think about it.

00:30:11.343 --> 00:30:13.022
The fact that you're listening to this.

00:30:13.269 --> 00:30:20.169
The fact that I'm looking and recording this podcast, talking about Shri Ramana Maharshi's great words of wisdom.

00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:27.148
That's a beautiful fruit, beautiful karma, whether you're listening, whether I'm speaking, understanding it.

00:30:27.463 --> 00:30:35.093
It's all karma, it's all the fruits, but just remember the one that is not touched by the fruits.

00:30:35.442 --> 00:30:36.702
That is who we really are.

00:30:37.053 --> 00:30:38.673
Quote number eight, the final one.

00:30:39.022 --> 00:30:47.292
And this is sometimes, you know, I'm asked this question that what is Ganesh ji, what is Hanuman ji, why do you have many gods and goddesses in Hinduism?

00:30:47.522 --> 00:30:49.512
Shri Ramana answers this question.

00:30:49.788 --> 00:30:55.363
'Shiva, Ganapati and other deities like Brahma (the Creative Principle) exists from a human standpoint.

00:30:55.416 --> 00:31:01.297
That is to say, if you consider your personal self as real, then they also exist.

00:31:01.646 --> 00:31:06.916
Just as a government has its high executive officers to carry on the government.

00:31:06.987 --> 00:31:08.396
So has the creator.

00:31:08.513 --> 00:31:11.874
But from the standpoint of the Self, all these gods are.

00:31:12.076 --> 00:31:16.588
Illusory and must themselves merge into the one reality.

00:31:16.939 --> 00:31:20.338
So this is the understanding of Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman.

00:31:20.679 --> 00:31:26.358
Saguna Brahman is the Formless, the Ultimate Reality with attributes.

00:31:26.598 --> 00:31:31.788
Nirguna Brahman is the one without attributes, the Ultimate Reality without any attributes.

00:31:32.138 --> 00:31:38.476
So all these things exists from a human standpoint, we feel there's a creator, we feel this is sustainer.

00:31:38.655 --> 00:31:47.635
We feel there's someone that gives us good luck, we feel there's someone that gives us strength, all these things we may say they exist on that point.

00:31:48.056 --> 00:31:51.050
But here Shri Ramana Maharshi makes it very simple.

00:31:51.401 --> 00:31:56.931
That from the standpoint of the Self, these don't exist because only the Self is.

00:31:57.151 --> 00:32:02.800
But if you believe in these things, it's because you believe you're a human being and you believe there's something more.

00:32:03.151 --> 00:32:06.631
But there isn't something more nor is there something less.

00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:08.911
There is only is-ness.

00:32:09.260 --> 00:32:15.030
There is only what simply is, and that's the Truth and we must merge into that One Reality.

00:32:15.421 --> 00:32:19.020
These devis and devtas will also merge into the One Reality.

00:32:19.371 --> 00:32:30.391
In fact, it is said that these devis and devtas that enjoy heaven, these beings that enjoy heaven, they have to come back onto the earth to attain mukti, to attain moksha.

00:32:30.695 --> 00:32:36.249
They all seek and they all desire to merge into Brahman, to understand that they are Brahman.

00:32:36.598 --> 00:32:42.019
And this is only available via the human birth according to what the scripture say.

00:32:42.334 --> 00:32:44.798
And Shri Ramana is making that very clear.

00:32:45.173 --> 00:32:47.788
So I hope you've enjoyed this episode.

00:32:47.969 --> 00:32:51.169
There's been so much to grasp and understand.

00:32:51.344 --> 00:32:53.391
There's so much to contemplate upon.

00:32:53.617 --> 00:32:55.807
And you need to think about these things.

00:32:55.993 --> 00:32:57.943
You may have questions after this.

00:32:58.169 --> 00:33:01.009
You can explore those questions within.

00:33:01.358 --> 00:33:02.378
So think about them.

00:33:02.378 --> 00:33:06.702
Think about these quotes and try to understand who you really are.

00:33:07.053 --> 00:33:13.932
Then you're living the message that's been given by Shri Ramana Maharshi, the great Sage.

00:33:14.125 --> 00:33:22.965
The Sage that has really influenced a lot of the Non-Dual circles in the west and we owe him our gratitude.

00:33:23.191 --> 00:33:29.260
I pray onto Shri Ramana that we understand his teachings and Be As You Are.

00:33:29.435 --> 00:33:33.185
Just to remind you a new episode is uploaded every Sunday.

00:33:33.429 --> 00:33:40.519
And you can follow me on social media to keep getting updates on new episodes on The Bearded Mystic reacts.

00:33:40.909 --> 00:33:44.778
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00:33:45.169 --> 00:33:50.219
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00:33:50.219 --> 00:33:53.159
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00:34:03.749 --> 00:34:11.202
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00:34:11.376 --> 00:34:13.297
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00:34:13.646 --> 00:34:15.146
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00:34:15.362 --> 00:34:23.715
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00:34:24.106 --> 00:34:25.815
Thank you very much for listening.

00:34:26.161 --> 00:34:32.543
Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Aum Peace, Peace, peace.