Instructions for Who AM I by Ramana Maharshi

"How will the mind become quiescent?"
Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"By the inquiry 'Who am I?'.
The thought 'Who am I?' will destroy all other thoughts,
and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre,
it will itself in the end get destroyed.
Then, there will arise Self-Realization."

The questioner asks: "What is the means for constantly holding on to the thought 'Who am I?'"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them,
but should inquire: 'To whom do they arise?'
It does not matter how many thoughts arise.
As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence,
'To whom has this thought arisen?'.
The answer that would emerge would be 'To me".
Thereupon if one inquires 'Who am I?',
the mind will go back to its source;
and the thought that arose will become quiescent.
With repeated practice in this manner,
the mind will develop skill to stay in its source."

The questioner asks:
"Are there no other means for making the mind quiescent?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"Other than inquiry, there are no adequate means.
If through other means it is sought
to control the mind, the mind will appear
to be controlled, but will again go forth."

The questioner asks:
"How long should inquiry be practised?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:

"As long as there are impressions of objects in the mind,
so long the inquiry 'Who am I?' is required.
As thoughts arise they should be destroyed
then and there in the very place of their origin,
through inquiry.
As long as there are enemies within the fortress,
they will continue to sally forth;
if they are destroyed as they emerge,
the fortress will fall into our hands."

The questioner asks:
"Is it not possible for God and the Guru
to effect the release of a soul?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"God and Guru will only show the way to release;
they will not by themselves take the soul to the state of release.
Each one should by his own effort pursue the path shown by
God or Guru and gain release."

The questioner asks:
"Is it any use reading books for those who long for release?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi answers:
"In order to quiet the mind one has only to
inquire within oneself what one's Self is;
how could this search be done in books?
The Self is within the five sheaths; but books are outside them.
Since the Self has to be inquired into by discarding the five sheaths,
it is futile to search for it in books."

The questioner asks:
"What is release?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi answers:
"Inquiring into the nature of one's self that is in bondage,
and realizing one's true nature is release."

The questioner asks:
"If 'I' also be an illusion, who then casts off the illusion?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"The 'I' casts off the illusion of 'I' and yet remains as 'I'.
Such is the paradox of Self-Realization.
The realized do not see any contradiction in it.
You give up this and that of 'my' possessions.
If you give up 'I' and 'Mine' instead,
all are given up at a stroke.
The very seed of possession is lost.
Thus the evil is nipped in the bud or crushed in the germ itself.
Dispassion (vairagya) must be very strong to do this.
Eagerness to do it must be equal to that of
a man kept under water trying to rise to the surface for his life."

The questioner asked:
"Cannot this trouble and difficulty be lessened with the aid of a Master or God chosen for worship? (Ishta Devata)
Cannot they give the power to see our Self as it is to change us into themselves and take us to Self-Realization?"

Sri Ramana Maharshi replies:
"Ishta Devata and Guru are aids very powerful aids on this path.
But an aid to be effective requires your effort also.
Your effort is sine qua non (an indispensable or essential condition, element, or factor).
It is you who should see the sun. Can spectacles and the sun see for you?
You yourself have to see your true nature.

When mind is quiet, all is Self.
When mind moves the world arises,
so be still, throw away everything, and be free.
Then, when mind is pure, you will see Self
in all beings.
Give up seeing with the outer eye
and the Divine eye will open.

- Papaji

Doubts arise because of the absence of surrender.
Ramana Maharshi

My Master, Ramana Maharishi, said to me,
"God is not an object to be seen, He is the subject.
He cannot be seen, He is the Seer, find this Seer."
My Heart was opened.
"Find the Seer." This is the Teaching.

- Papaji

Be aware of being conscious and seek the
source of consciousness. That is all. Very
little can be conveyed in words. It is the
doing as I tell you that will bring light, not
my telling you. The means do not matter much;
it is the desire, the urge, the earnestness that
counts.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj

A man who is advancing (spiritually) will begin to enjoy the deeper beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude.

-Ramana Maharshi

There is an oft quoted but, it seems, seldom read passage, in Ramana Maharshi's "Who Am I?" (available from Sri Ramanasramam, translated by T. M. P. Mahadevan and available online at http://ramana-maharshi.org)

Everything you need to know about the practice of Self-enquiry is contained in the following few lines.

11. What is the means for constantly holding on to the thought ‘Who am I?’

When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them, but should inquire: ‘To whom do they arise?’ It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence, “To whom has this thought arisen?”. The answer that would emerge would be “To me”. Thereupon if one inquires “Who am I?”, the mind will go back to its source; and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the skill to stay in its source. When the mind that is subtle goes out through the brain and the senseorgans, the gross names and forms appear; when it stays in the heart, the names and forms disappear. Not letting the mind go out, but retaining it in the Heart is what is called “inwardness” (antarmukha). Letting the mind go out of the Heart is known as “externalisation” (bahir-mukha). Thus, when the mind stays in the Heart, the ‘I’ which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self which ever exists will shine. Whatever one does, one should do without the egoity “I”. If one acts in that way, all will appear as of the nature of Siva (God).

12. Are there no other means for making the mind quiescent?

Other than inquiry, there are no adequate means. If through other means it is sought to control the mind, the mind will appear to be controlled, but will again go forth.

Regarding this, there is a question which is often asked - "what happens after I've asked the question "who am I?" - The answer is there, in the passage above. There is no need to go off here, there and everywhere asking what to do next. "It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should enquire with diligence. "To whom has this thought arisen?"" This re-asserts vichara mode.

Ramana Maharshi's simple instruction coupled with his statement "it does not matter how many thoughts arise," negates any need to go looking for further instruction. The very thought - "now what happens" - needs vichara attention. The thought - "OK, I've done that" - needs vichara attention. The idea - "I'm still waiting!" - as soon as one registers it, needs vichara attention. If the mind drifts and the drift does not register, do not worry, re-commence vichara when one becomes aware of any obtrusive thought. If one becomes angry, who is angry? If one registers sadness, who is sad? If one registers a semblance of happiness, who is happy?...etc.

From Talk 454 - Ramana Maharshi advises:

There is confusion between the means and the end (i.e., sadhana and sadhya). Who is the enquirer? The aspirant and not the siddha. Enquiry signifies that the enquirer considers himself separate from enquiry.

So long as this duality lasts the enquiry must be continued, i.e., until the individuality disappears and the Self is realised to be only the eternal Be-ing (including enquiry and enquirer).

The Truth is that Self is constant and unintermittent Awareness. The object of enquiry is to find the true nature of the Self as Awareness. Let one practise enquiry so long as separateness is perceived.

If once realisation arises there is no further need for enquiry. The question will also not arise. Can awareness ever think of questioning who is aware? Awareness remains pure and simple.

The enquirer is aware of his own individuality. Enquiry does not stand in the way of his individual awareness; nor does external work interfere with such awareness. If work, seemingly external, does not obstruct the individual awareness, will the work, realised to be not separate from the Self, obstruct the uninterrupted Awareness of the Self, which is One without a second and which is not an individual separate from work?
(Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, S. India and online)

om vacadbhuve namah

To each person that way is the best which
appears easiest or appeals most. All the ways
are equally good, as they lead to the same goal,
which is the merging of the ego in the Self.
What the bhakta [devotee] calls surrender, the
man who does vichara calls jnana. Both are trying
only to take the ego back to the source from which
it sprang and make it merge there.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi

Who is a master? He is the Self after all. According
to the stages of development of the mind the Self
manifests as the master externally. The famous
ancient saint Dattatreya said that he had more than
twenty-four masters. The master is one from who
one learns anything. The Guru may be sometimes
inanimate also, as in the case of Dattatreya. God,
Guru and the Self are identical.

A spiritually-minded man thinks that God is all-
pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God
brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the
man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man
is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self
is the master.

- Sri Ramana Maharshi