God is absolutely impartial and if you have to attain salvation, you have to strive hard like everyone

else.
The Ordainer, prevailing everywhere, makes each one play his role in life according to his karma. That
which is not destined, will not happen despite every effort. What is destined to happen is bound to
happen. This is certain. Therefore, the best course is to remain silent.
To remain in silence is a positive step towards surrender. Surrendering in silence is the guiding force
that helps one begin the quest for the Self.
Jesus Christ said to his mother, “Mother, woman, what have I got to do with you? I have come to do
my Father‟s business.” Bhagavan, through his note and his action, seems to be similarly telling his
mother, “I have got this work of my Father, to spread his message that his true state is the silence
which is hidden in the Heart of everyone and that humanity has forgotten it. I have to remind them
that Arunachala is the unconditioned awareness of „I AM‟ in each one‟s Heart. The mind clouds it
now. Therefore, it has to be removed so that the Heart shines forth in all its splendour. This is my
Father‟s business. So, oh Azhagammal, my mother, you too accept it.
They are (wood cutters, untouchables) all Arunachala swaroopam, the forms of Arunachala.
When the soul merges with the Self and is completely annihilated, a soft ring like that of a bell can be
felt.
Innate tendencies and subtle memories of past experiences that lead to future possibilities became
very active during the death. Scene after scene will be rolled in the subtle consciousness mind. The
outer senses had already gone. The soul was passing through a series of experiences, thus avoiding
the need for rebirth and making possible the union of the mind with the Self or the Heart. The soul
was at last disrobed of all subtleties before it reached its final destination, the supreme peace of
liberation from which there is no return to ignorance.
The purpose of the outer guru is to give a push and that of the inner guru is to pull.
Sacredness means that we should go into silence. Wherever and whenever we are in silence, we are
in sacredness - and that sacredness is Arunachala. Arunachala is not a Hindu god. It is reality, space,
existence itself.
True renunciation is not only rejecting the notion of ownership, but also not feeling dependent on
anyone or anything.
In Hindu tradition, when the father is dying, the son must keep the father‟s head on his lap as his final
duty. According to the scriptures, if a father gets such an opportunity he goes to heaven.
I am Arunachala Ramanan, dwelling in the Heart of every being, beginning with Lord Hari to the so
called lowest being. If with devotion, you plunge into the cave of your Heart, your inner eye will be
opened and you will see this truth as the fullness of non-dual Awareness.

In 1908, Kavyakantha had asked Bhagavan, Is seeking the source of the I-thought sufficient for the
attainment of all my aims, or is mass incantation, mantra japa needed? Bhagavan replied seeking the
source of the I-thought will suffice. Though this was the initial advice Bhagavan gave him, Kavyakantha
pressed on with his argument, “What about my aims and ideals?” Bhagavan replied, it will be better
if you throw the entire burden on the Lord. He will carry them and you will be free. He will do his part.

Jiva was ruling unjustly in the town of Kayapuri (the body) with the karanas (the sense organs and the
organs of action) as his subjects and ahankara (the ego) as his minister. After some time, jiva took up
the sword of God‟s grace and cut off the head of his minister, ahankara. Having so cut off the
minister‟s head, jiva stood with God who was dancing all by himself in the cave called Daharalaya (the
Heart‟s abode).

By the incessant inward enquiry, „Who am I?‟ you will know yourself and thereby attain salvation.
The real „I‟ or Self is not the body, neither any of the five senses, nor the sense objects, nor the organs
of action, nor the prana (the breath or vital force), nor the mind, nor even the deep sleep state where
there is no cognizance of these.
After rejecting each of these and saying, „This, I am not‟, that which alone remains is the „I‟, and that
is consciousness.
It is sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss) in which there is not even the slightest trace of the „I‟
thought. This is also called mouna (silence) or atma (Self). That is the only thing that is. If the trinity of
world, ego and God are considered as separate entities they are mere illusions - like the appearance
of silver in mother-of-pearl. God, ego, and the world are really Siva swarupa (the form of Siva ) or atma
swarupa (the form of the Self).
When the things seen disappear, the true nature of the seer or subject appears.
When the mind which is the cause of all thoughts and activities vanishes, external objects will also
vanish.
The mind is only thoughts. It is a form of energy. It manifests itself as the world. When the mind sinks
into the Self, then the Self is realized; when the mind issues forth, the world appears and the Self is
not realized.
Whatever you do, do without egoism, that is without the feeling, „I am doing this‟. When a man
reaches that state, even his own wife will appear to him as the Universal Mother. True bhakti
(devotion) is surrender of the ego to the Self.
There is no other adequate method except Self Enquiry to realize self. If the mind is lulled by other
means it stays quiet for a little while and then springs up again and resumes its former activity.

The more you withdraw into the Self, the more these tendencies wither and finally drop off.

If the mind is constantly directed to the Self by this enquiry, it is eventually dissolved and transformed
into the Self. When you feel any doubt, do not try to elucidate it; but try to know who it is to whom
the doubt occurs.

each time a thought rears its head crush it with this enquiry. To crush out all thoughts at their source
is called vairagya (dispassion). So, vichara (Self Enquiry) continues to be necessary until the Self is
realized. What is required is continuous and uninterrupted remembrance of the Self.

God has no purpose. He is not bound by any action. The world‟s activities cannot affect him.

Take the analogy of the sun. The sun rises without desire, purpose or effort, but as soon as it rises,
numerous activities take place on earth: the lens placed in its rays produces fire in its focus, the lotus
bud opens, water evaporates, and every living creature enters upon activity, maintains it, and finally
drops it. But, the sun is not affected by any such activity as it merely acts according to its nature, by
fixed laws, without any purpose, and is only a witness. So it is with God.

Or, take the analogy of space or ether. Earth, water, fire and air are all in it and have their modifications
in it, yet none of these affect ether or space. It is the same with God. God has no desire or purpose in
his acts of creation, maintenance, destruction, withdrawal and salvation to which beings are
subjected. As the beings reap the fruits of their actions in accordance with his laws, the responsibility
is theirs, not God‟s. God is not bound by any actions.

Self is bliss. Whenever the mind experiences happiness as in deep sleep, samadhi, or when a desired
object is obtained, it is due to the mind relinquishing its desire and being the bliss of the Self.
Attachment to the world or to its objects was to be relinquished from within - not displayed on the
outside.

Every one is the same, single Self only.

The Hindu scriptures describe three kinds of spiritual initiations. One of them is the way of the fish.
The fish is said to have the power of hatching its eggs by just looking at them. Therefore, the inner
meaning of the name Meenakshi is „the mother who blesses or initiates with her eyes. This the means
adopted in Dhuriam.

In Tamil, “Unnai vidaadhu iru,” which means, „remain without leaving your Self.

Doing penance in the five holy places dedicated to Lord Siva , representing the five elements - earth,
water, fire, air and ether.

One must visit each place in a particular order and arrive finally in the place dedicated to fire,
Arunachala, where the devotee‟s penance (tapas) is said to be rewarded.

Until you have a guru, you cannot achieve your goal

When one has learnt to love the company of sages - satsang - why follow all these rules of discipline?
When the cool, southern breeze is blowing, what need is there for a fan? When you are in satsang, no
ritualistic injunctions need to be followed.”

In Ramana Gita, one of Bhagavan‟s answers about women is most revealing. Nayana questions
Bhagavan, “Are not women equal to men?” Bhagavan answers, “What is woman or man? It is based
on the body. For the soul there is no difference.” Then Kavyakantha asks “Is it possible for women to
master the scriptures?” Bhagavan replied, “Without a doubt.” Nayana went on, “Can women get Self
realization? Do they become jnanis?” “Without a doubt,” the guru said. “For the soul which has to
achieve realization there is no difference.”

Abandoning the outer world, with mind and breath control to meditate on thee within, the yogi sees
the light, Oh Arunachala, and finds his delight in thee.

He who dedicates his mind to thee, and seeing thee always beholds the universe as thy figure, he who
at all times glorifies thee and loves thee as none other than the Self, he is the master without rival,
being one with thee, Arunachala, eternally in thy bliss.

Why are you so dejected? If you were really unfit to realize the Self in this life, you could not have
come to this place at all. Bhagavan continued, the power that drew you here will make you realize the
Self. If not today, then at some other time it is bound to fulfill its commitment.

Established in the Heart, there was no Hindu, Christian or Muslim; there was no male or female, just
pure being.

Do you think the Prophet is dead? Then, is the Buddha dead? Is Jesus Christ dead? Are they not guiding
hundreds of thousands of people even today? Are they not living in the Heart?
A living guru means the one living in one‟s Heart as a guru. A living guru does not mean somebody
living in a body at a given historical time and in a given geographical space.

The guru lives eternally in your Heart. Heart is Allah, Heart is Jesus Christ, Heart is Buddha and Heart
is Bhagavan. Live in the Heart as the Heart by diving into the Heart.

The guru is always timeless. To talk of the guru in time, you bring in death, birth, living, all this. There
is only the guru principle which is the Heart of every one of us.

The living master is always in the Heart as awareness.

Fix the mind in your Heart. If you keep your attention on the source from where all thoughts arise, the
mind will subside there at the source and reality will shine forth.

God alone decides. We have the liberty only to make effort, the result is always in the hands of God
and it is always for our good.

A jnani, a person of wisdom, is a repository. All his actions reflect the myriad aspects of this
unconditional love.

What is friendship? It is a deep facet of love. And what is love? Love is wisdom, jnana, and Bhagavan
was the king of jnana.
Spiritual perfection changes even the body. Spiritual perfection changes everything.
Another time, as a friend, he took the liberty to ask the guru, “Bhagavan, why does your head shake
all the time and why do you need a walking stick?” Bhagavan confided in his friend, “Ranga, this is not
because of old age.
When I came to Tiruvannamalai after the death experience and took shelter at the foot of Arunachala,
this head started shaking.” “Why?” Rangan enquired, looking puzzled. Bhagavan replied, “Can you
imagine a violent, wild, mad elephant entering a small thatched shed? What would happen to the hut
is what has happened to this body. It will go to pieces.” This is how the immensity of Bhagavan‟s
spiritual experience had affected his body.

Once when I was here alone, a person gave me poison and asked me to swallow it. I did so. It did not
kill me, but it destroyed my gums and my teeth.” Bhagavan was given poison three times. Strangely,
this has happened to many sages.
For instance, Yogi Ramsuratkumar too was given poison twice.

Throw your thoughts out. You will enjoy freedom only in a state where there are no thoughts.

How many times will I be born again before I get jnana? Bhagavan gave a beautiful answer: In reality,
there are no factors like time and distance. In one hour, we dream that many days and years have
passed by.
In a movie, don‟t you see mere shadows being transformed into vast seas, mountains and buildings?
The world is not outside you - all happens within you; like in the movie show. The small world that is
in the mind appears as the big world outside.

In reality, you are where you always were, that is, in the same place - with me. Being with me you are
in a state of jubilation, but when you reach the state of the Self by your own effort, you will realize
that there is nothing special in me. You will recognize that you too are that Self.

Atma is always everywhere, the Self is always everywhere. But, due to ignorance, we spend all our
time searching for it.

How else can the ego be destroyed? It has to come out of the individual. Therefore, this is only a
cleansing process, not a growing process.

Many holy people and yogis live even now in its caves. Arunachala is God, it is Siva , it is Self, that Self
which is your Heart.

On clear, summer nights, the stars shine brightly like diamonds strewn all over the sky. Look up, see
the smallest star there in our universe. The sun is a large star, and compared to it, our earth is very
small. However, compared to that small star there, our sun is very small. So, when compared to that
star, if even the sun is so small, how small is the earth?” “It is very small. When compared to that star,
how big is Asia?” “It is even smaller. When compared to that star, what is India like? It is like a tiny
dot. When compared to that star, how small is Arunachala? It is a very tiny dot. When compared to
that star, what are you? All the time people think about their problem, the tiniest problem.

When a sage attracts a devotee to himself, in many cases, he attracts the devotee‟s entire family with
his love and wisdom.
The moment the grace of the guru falls on you, everything is done „through‟ you and not „by‟ you.
That is the difference - and it is a colossal one. „By‟ you is by the ego, and „through‟ you is through
grace.

God‟s creation is alike. God is the same; the apparent differences in gods are created by men.

To experience this ecstasy, shift your attention from unreality to reality. Unreality is the body-mind
complex and the world.” Let us shift our attention from the unreality of thoughts to the reality of living
in the immortal presence of these glorious devotees.

Upaguru, the one who points us to the guru. The upaguru may be a book, a tree, or a friend; it does
not matter. The upaguru and the guru are to be looked upon with equal regard and reverence. We are
as indebted to the upaguru as we are to the guru.

The only process by which the spiritual Heart opens up is like a lotus bud in which the petals have to
be opened. Only when the petals open, can you have spiritual experiences.

Reading scriptures or practicing spiritual disciplines cannot open these petals.

No yoga can open it.

Only the look, the proximity and the blessings of holy people who have already trodden the path
works; just by one look they can make one petal open in the heart.

Enquire „Who am I?‟ This investigation alone will remove and uproot the doubter mind and thus
establish one in the Self, the transcendental state.

The Self alone is to be realized. Kundalini shakti, visions of God, occult powers and their spell binding
displays are all in the Self. Those who speak of these and indulge in these have not realized the Self.
Self is in the Heart and is the Heart itself. All other forms of manifestations are in the brain. The brain
itself gets its power from the Heart. Remaining in the Heart is realizing the Self. Instead of doing that,
to be attracted by brain oriented forms of disciplines and methods is a sheer waste of time. Is it not
foolish to hold on to so many efforts and so many disciplines that are said to be necessary for
eradicating the non-existent ignorance?

In the relationship between the teacher and the taught, it is the guru who helps channelize the grace
to be imbibed by the disciple.

Siddha purushas living in Tiruvannamalai, India, and elsewhere in the world, all come to Arunachala
to go around the hill. Sometimes, they come in the form of light.

If one has true devotion, one can see the light.

In Dakshinamoorthy Ashtothram.” (Ashtothram means one hundred and eight names) the fifth verse.
given to Dakshinamoorthy is „Yoga Pattabiramaya Namaha‟, which means Dakshinamoorthy is Rama.
It is said that Rama‟s capital city, Ayodhya, has eight corners and nine gates. Tiruvannamalai has eight
corners and nine gates; Tiruvannamalai is Ayodhya and Rama is Arunachala (Dakshinamoorthy).
A person who has mastered Prashna does not need the horoscope; instead, he mentally draws the
birth chart based on mathematical calculations using the time of questioning, the name, the direction
in which the questioner is facing, the place from where he hails, his father‟s name, his mother‟s name,
the first letter of the sentence of the question, the first word of the question, etc. He then taps into
his well of higher intuitive knowledge and waits for an answer. The predictions come from within.
Needless to say, they are accurate because they come from the intuition, inner understanding.

The science of the Self is superior to all other sciences.

The ultimate truth is smaller than the atom and bigger than all the cosmos put together.

Our opinion about others is based upon our own shortcomings.

Do not get involved in any of these poojas and other activities. They will not take you anywhere. Do
only Self Enquiry. The Self is not lost, it is only forgotten.

The mind was only a shadow, a shadow of the Self. The ego, the mind, is only a shadow of the Self -
an unwanted accretion, a state of ignorance.

Nothing will be lost by its destruction. This falseness has to be and can certainly be dissolved by steady
enquiry into one‟s Self. Such enquiry itself is the grace of the satguru. All other efforts are definitely a
waste of time.

Always keep your mind clean.

If one enquires into and comes to see the individual self and thus transcends it to its substratum, the
eternal Self, he becomes the substratum, the Self itself. Remaining always as the Self, there will be no
more births and deaths.” “How can I know my Self?” Kunju Swami asked. “First recognize who you
are,” the guru answered. Kunju Swami inquired, “How can I recognize who I am?

See from where thoughts arise,” Bhagavan said. “But how is this to be done?” Kunju Swami pressed.
Bhagavan replied, “Turn your mind inward and be the Heart.

The experience of the Self as a glimpse can occur in the presence of the guru but it may not last.
Doubts will rise again and again. In order to clear them the disciple should continue to study,
contemplate and practice. Studying or listening is sravana, contemplation is manana, and then
practicing it is nidhidyasana. Sravana, manana and nidhidyasana should be done until the distinction
between the known, the knower and the knowing no longer rises. There should be no difference, no
other at all.

Narayana Guru wrote five verses in Sanskrit called Nirvritti Panchakam extolling the state of the sahaja
nishta and wrote another five verses called Municharya Panchakam. Narayana Guru is purna purusha,
a fully blossomed one.

There are two means of influencing the mind: by blowing a conch and by ringing a bell. The conch
brings out the subdued mind. This can even be tried on people with insanity - to bring their minds back
to a state of normalcy. The ringing of a bell turns the mind inwards. This is why temples and churches
have bells; it is not merely a ritual but a method to calm and turn the mind inwards.
What is the difference between animals, birds and us? Birds wear the bird body, animals wear the
animal body and we wear the human body. We all wear different bodies like different shirts, but in
reality we are all the same being.

If you learn to remain in the Heart as „I AM‟, the answers to any questions that are put to you will
emerge like an echo from within and they will be the correct answers. Learn to remain within your
Heart as „I AM‟

The best service to the guru is engaging in Self Enquiry, meditation and other spiritual practices with
purity of body, speech and mind.

The highest return the disciple can render to the guru is to remain fixed in the Self without being
disturbed by obstacles and outward distractions.

It is enough if the mind is kept one pointed in vichara, dhyana, japa and parayana.” (Vichara is enquiry,
dhyana is meditation, japa is chanting a mantra and parayana is repeatedly singing the works of the
master without aspiring for anything else.

If you tire of meditation, take to japa, if you tire of japa, take to Self Enquiry, if you tire of that, do the
chanting of verses. Do not have a gap between them. Do not allow the mind to sway from your task.
Practice this faithfully, and in the end you will be established in Self Enquiry and find culmination in
Self realization.

When you have surrendered to the master, that is to the truth, do not try to exert yourself by even
making a prayer. He knows everything. It will happen in its own time.

Before you go to sleep, meditate and go into the Self. Then when you fall asleep, your whole sleep will
be a meditation of staying in the Self. The moment you wake up in the morning, again go into
meditation for a few minutes and remain as the Self. Throughout the waking state, the undercurrent
of remaining in the Self will be there even though you are working, arguing or quarreling. This
substratum will always keep you in the Self.

For spiritual fulfillment, one should possess a heart that is soft as a rose petal and as hard and
impenetrable as a piece of iron. The seeker should use the „iron heart‟ while dealing with the world.
Worldly activities should be performed with non-attachment and with the clear determination that
any work one undertakes - either on a daily or long term basis - should be completed irrespective of
any problem that may arise.

I doubted that Sai Baba could guide me as he was now dead. This was my mind coming into play. All
my efforts to be with the living saints, in due course, deeply disappointed me. Finally, it was at Shirdi
that Sai Baba revealed himself as my guru, took me into his fold and blessed me with his grace.

Today, you have risen in my Heart as a sun destroying all forms of darkness. I am swimming in ecstasy.

The kingdom of God is within your infinite Self. Repose in the Heart. That is the truth.
Do not make the error focused on the glory of writing hundreds of books, building an ashram and
chasing fame. Don‟t do that. Stand by Bhagavan and obey him always. Remain at Arunachala as dust
at Bhagavan‟s holy feet.

The Gayatri japa and pranayama and some of the breathing exercises may upset the health. Stop
everything. Always have advaita drishti, a non-dual outlook.

While doing arduous sadhana, one should give up the idea of doership in every activity and abide as
the Self. Then you are always at home, in the Heart, in the state of „I AM‟.

You can remember the name and repeat it,” Bhagavan advised. “Name is superior to form and in due
course even the importance of the name will disappear. Continue your spiritual pursuit and then the
pure „I-I‟ alone will throb resplendently in your Heart of its own accord.

A realized sage is beyond the mind; he is in the spiritual state. That perfect spiritual state may include
the apparitions of body and the mind, not vice-versa.

A jnani is like a mirror. Whatever is placed before it will be reflected exactly as it is.

There are two ways to realize the truth. Ask, „Who am I?‟ and trace the „I‟, the ego, to its source, the
Self, and allow it to dissolve. The second way is to surrender the „me‟ that is the ego to the Supreme
which is the state of „I AM‟ within you.

The devotee’s effort and the guru’s grace are synonymous and simultaneous. There is no time lag
there. When one makes an effort, simultaneously, grace is activated. The seeker’s effort and God’s
grace are synonymous.

God is always within you; turn your mind inward and meditate on awareness. That is sufficient.

You have every right to pray to your God or guru - but without any condition attached. It may be
fulfilled, it may not be fulfilled. Your mind should not agitate either happily when it is fulfilled, or
unhappily when it is not fulfilled.” Bhagavan once told him, “Your duty is to surrender, and then just
be. Whether I fulfill it or not is not your concern.

It is very important for spiritual strengthening to continue to have contact with the truth, whether it
is a person, a teaching, an institution, a temple, or a church. This continuum, without a gap is
imperative.

Bhagavan never expressed strong views on ethical or worldly matters, save two exceptions. One was
his total disapproval of non-vegetarian food and the other was his dislike for external renunciation:
donning the ochre robe, shaving the head, taking on another name and taking sanyas.

“Belief is a thought - „I believe in Christianity, though I am a Hindu.‟ Faith is complete; there is no

question of accepting or rejecting.

Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and other eastern religions generally believe in destiny. You are now a
woman because you were destined to be a woman, not because you have chosen it. That is destiny.
Whether you are wealthy or poor is destiny. But if everything is destined, then why should we do any
spiritual sadhana at all? This was a dialogue between Mudaliar and Bhagavan one day: “I can
understand, Bhagavan, that the external factors in a man‟s life such as his nationality, family,
profession, marriage, death etc., are all predestined according to his karma. But, can it be that his
entire life down to the minutest detail is already predetermined? Now, for instance, Bhagavan, I have
put this fan in my hand down on the floor. Is this also already predestined?” Bhagavan replied very
firmly, “Certainly. Whatever this body is to do and whatever experiences it has to pass through is
already determined when it comes into existence.

The only freedom man has, is to strive for and acquire jnana, wisdom, which will enable him not to
identify himself with the body. Man is free to free himself from body identification and that is the only
freedom he has. Identified with the body, man has no freedom from destiny at all. The body will go
through all actions already enjoined to it to be done.

Going around the hill is very good for everybody. It does not even matter whether one has faith in this
pradakshina or not. Just as the fire will burn all who touch it, whether they believe it or not, likewise,
the hill will do only good to those who go around it.

Ordain that residence within three yojanas (thirty miles) of the hill is, by itself, suffice to burn off all
defects and even render union with the Supreme in the absence of any form of initiation. Anyone or
anything (criminals, non-believers, animals, birds, trees and stones) that is found in, on and around
Arunachala, automatically gets liberated without need for any form of religious or spiritual practices.
It is the decision declared by the Privy Council of Lord Siva.

If incapable of progressing spiritually, it is necessary both for you to strive and for the guru to help. It
is essential to hold on tightly to the guru like a baby monkey and the guru will take care of us like a
mother cat.

Spiritual surrender means we not only surrender by word. The „me‟ has to surrender to the silent
state of „I AM.

Be light. Never feel heavy hearted at any time. Jesus Christ said, „Be a light unto yourself.‟ That‟s it.
Do not involve yourself in complications. Do not make anything an issue. Remembering the past
creates issues. Likewise, worrying about and projecting the future creates issues. Refrain as far as
possible from brooding over the past and the future. Remain in the now.

God is within you. Who looks through your eyes when you look through your eyes? Who hears? Who
eats? Who digests? Who makes you go to sleep? This inner power, the higher power, is God. This inner
power is truly who you really are. Abide in silence, abide in the simple „I AM‟. Be happy, always.

Bhagavan is the truth. Do not try to define the truth, for the mind cannot. Nobody has ever done it. If
you surrender your „me‟ to the „I AM‟, the truth will reveal itself in your Heart. You will recognize it
intuitively, spiritually. I bless you.

When one associates oneself with the company of a sage, there is no need for religious and spiritual
practices, just as there is no need for a fan when the cool, southern breeze blows.

It is by awakening a power higher and mightier than the senses and the mind that these can be
subdued. If you awaken and nurture the growth of that higher power within you, everything else will
unfold mystically. One should sustain the current of meditation uninterruptedly. Moderation in food,
and similar restraints taken up studiously and judiciously, will be helpful in maintaining inner poise.

One who lives the truth, lives in and as the eternal now. To such a one, time doesn‟t matter because
time is an illusion.

The body is affected, perhaps the mind also. But, the spirit, the Heart, is unaffected, and the Heart is
speaking through me. Though there is so much of confusion, turbulence and misery in manifestation,
all of that belongs to the realm of the mind only - the ignorant mind split as object and subject. All
experiences of life are relative, related to the experiencer who is nothing but a shadow having no
intrinsic reality of his own. The reality in every person is the ultimate, pure existence which is the pure
state of „I AM‟, the awareness-absolute, which does not split into subject and object. It is the only
thing that matters. If the ego and all its experiences are dismissed as passing shadows, the ever
present, ultimate reality alone will be self evident. If one even intellectually is convinced of this truth,
one will gain detachment and mental peace.

Prostrations to one who dwells ever in the Self of pure awareness! Prostrations to one who is self-
luminous like the sun, dispelling the darkness of ignorance! Prostrations to one who is the
embodiment of unbroken awareness! Prostrations to one who is the light of awareness! Prostrations
to one whose birth is for the purpose of spiritual awakening! Prostrations to one whose advent is for
giving salvation to the whole world, to enable every being to recognize itself as the eternal „I AM‟!

The jnani is like a mirror - the way he responds to you reflects the way you approach him. If you
surrender totally, the blessing is total.

Each of us creates our own destiny. And our individual destinies can be washed out only by each one
of us. Nobody else can do it for us, however sympathetic he or she might be. Destroying our destiny
is very important because our destiny carries with it the vasanas which influence us.

You are not the body, you are not the mind; you are the Self.

Give up the thought that this frail body is you; pursue the Self within which is eternal bliss. This body
which you think you are, is not true, is not you. The real you is within you as the truth. Pursue it. Do
Self Enquiry and find it.

The rituals and poojas themselves are not that important for Self realization.

Discovering one’s own true nature is the paramount duty.

The yoga in which one sees the Self and which Lord Siva declares is „me‟, the one immaculate, eternal
bliss, is considered to be mahayoga pertaining to the supreme Lord.

When through Self Enquiry one gives up the notion, „I am the body‟ and seeks the Self, one becomes
fully aware of one‟s true nature and thus is firmly established in the Heart, where the Supreme Being
shines as one‟s true Self.

The quest of the Self alone is the direct path to right awareness of the Self. Meditation is only a
preliminary aid to this quest by way of making one transcend the hurdle that one is the body.
There is no contradiction between the work and wisdom.

If you have done a lot of japa using the mantra, the fruit of the mantra has brought you to God or God
will come and bless you.
The mind is focused on one thing - either on the japa or on the Self. Mantra, japa, dhyana and vichara
- all are different names only but the same. As long as they require some kind of effort, we give them
these names. When the goal is realized, they go on effortlessly. What was formerly the means now
becomes the goal.

Whatever form of sadhana you are following, whenever you are in pain, think of the name of the
master.

The moment a jnani looks at anything, the divine force comes into action automatically. We only have
to pray and hope that the master‟s glance falls on an object so that divine intervention takes place
automatically. Think of Ramana, think of Arunachala and at once divine intervention occurs.

When a person enquires, „For whom is this Self realization?‟ the individuality goes and the delusion
that the Self is yet to be realized disappears. This alone is the grace of the guru. The guru can only
dispel the delusion that the Self has not been realized. Granting Self realization is impossible not only
for the guru, but for God himself. Praying to the guru to let you have Self realization is like asking,
„Give myself to me.‟ We identify the body with ourselves because we have the delusion, „I am an
individual.‟ This creates another delusion that the guru is also an individual and is therefore other
than myself. The guru is actually not someone different from you.

Do not worry. Be at peace. Everything will be well. To be is our nature. Coming and going is the trick
of the mind. Our commitment is to be pivoted to the silence and the peace within us.

Between the state of sleep and waking, there is a moment of twilight. The waking consciousness
begins with the thought of „I‟. Just before the upsurge of this thought, there is a fraction of a second
of undifferentiated pure consciousness. So, first there is unconsciousness, followed by pure
consciousness and then creeps in the thought of „I‟. It is during this state that we become conscious
of the world around us. We can sense pure consciousness only if we are alert and watchful for the
state.

When the mind remains unmoved, then it has no other choice but to dissolve itself in the Self, in Self
awareness, in other words, that which is called „unmoved‟.

If you want the truth you have to keep the moving mind immobile.

The bird has no path; where the bird flies is the path. The fish has no path in water; wherever it swims
is the path.‟ Similarly, you have to dive within and find your path. None of the scriptures can help you;
none of the theoretical knowledge that you have will help you. You can achieve it by having complete
faith in yourself. How beautifully the bird flies! Does it worry about the path? Does the fish hesitate?
Then why do we hesitate? Plunge within! My master Ramana always said, „Dive within, plunge within
and go inwards.‟ Dive within with full faith in Bhagavan and you are sure to find the inner guru waiting
for you with open arms.
Deham-Naham-Koham-Soham

Spiritual wisdom couched in words has always been available through the Vedas, the Upanishads, the
Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Zend Avesta, the Bhagavad Gita and scriptures of other spiritual
traditions.

My own final illumination is as follow. There was this bomb like explosion of consciousness. It came
of itself and I realized that the divine had always been with me and in me. The word „I‟ was
pronounced in me. I saw that it was the only reality. „I AM‟ is the foundation of truth and reality of
the whole existence. Although I had descended deep into my being and experienced timelessness, I
was still able to live in my surface being and experience time. The two experiences went on side by
side and I saw my body as a mere shell and all the other people‟s bodies as shells. I felt like a bird free
from all desires and really detached from everything. I was not the body and felt so free of it that I
knew I could not die. And that in the real „I‟, I would always be able to live for „I AM‟ is God. Deep
down within my heart, I lived in an everlasting now.” What a glorious summary of one‟s inner
realization.

If you surrender to the higher power which is the „I AM‟ within each one of us, within each one‟s
Heart, that higher power will lead us through. He adhered to that and followed the instructions so
arduously that he was led to a state of perfection.

The kingdom of God is within you.” Through his powerful words, he was able to communicate that
when each one of us turns within, the inner light is available to us, not in the future but right now.

Happiness lies within and not without.

Pursue the enquiry „Who am I?‟ relentlessly. Analyze the entire personality. Strive to find out from
where the „I‟-thought arises. Continue your constant meditation. Keep turning your attention within.
One day, the wheel of thoughts will slow down and intuition will mysteriously arise. Follow the
intuition and let your thinking stop and it will eventually lead you to the goal of unwavering and
perpetual Self awareness.

Things are done through you. Alter the attitude „done by me‟ to „done through me‟

All these sages, saints and messiahs were channels for the higher power to pass through. You and I
are also the same. There will be no difference between work and wisdom, if like the sages we too
allow ourselves to be the channel for the higher power to pass through.” The moment you have the
attitude that things are happening „through you‟, you will see everything becomes light. Jesus Christ
said, “Be a light unto yourself.” What is the heaviness in you? It is the sense of doership, thoughts and
memories of the past and the future. Give up that and accept and surrender to the higher power. You
will be surprised at how light you feel.

“The death of the master‟s body had not ended our relationship or barred our communication. He
still existed in my heart as a veritable force, an entity bereft of flesh, but clearly present.” He adored
the Maharshi as a pure channel for the higher power.

Many seekers, as their meditation progresses, experience an intense and inexplicable fear. The fear is
not for you. The fear is created by the ego and the ego has to face this fear.
The prime duty of a guru is to establish the certainty of his existence in the hearts of his disciples and
having done that, he is free to leave.

The key to Self realisation is practice, practice and practice only.

No one can give Self realisation to another. In all these, providence will guide.

We call it providence or coincidence when we have such experiences, but it is only the guru‟s grace.
In a seekers‟s life nothing happens as coincidence.

To remain unmoved in Brahman is brahmacharya. The very word brahmacharya indicates that you
should not move away from Brahman. So, staying unmoved in the „I AM‟ is very essential for seekers.

At the right time Self realization surges up from within by a free impulse, like the budding and
blossoming of a flower.

The final realization is a sudden and instant event. But it should not be forgotten that before that there
must be a maturing which is a slow process like the ripening of a fruit on a tree.

A person can change his guru certainly. One can change his guru.

The guru is pleased with one who gives himself up entirely and abandons his ego forever. Such a man
is taken care of wherever he may be. He need not pray. God looks after him unasked.

O Lord! You are the reality, the truth, remaining as my very innermost Self, ruling me during all my
countless births. Glory to you, who have taken a human form to redeem me through your teaching
and grant me this perfect state of inner felicity. I do not see how I can repay your grace for helping to
liberate me. Glory, glory, more glory, to your holy feet.

No matter how much we read - whether it is about the teachings of Jesus Christ, or the Buddha or
Ramana Maharshi - we always maintain a distance from the teachings because we think that it is not
possible for us to follow the teachings. This is the intellectual limitation of human beings.

Total surrender to the higher power is the only panacea for all spiritual illnesses. If wisdom is
compared to pure milk or nectar, surrender is the vessel which holds it, preserves it and makes it one‟s
own. Surrender helps one plunge into one‟s inner being.

Prayers and praises will not take one far. It is the merciful look of the guru that bestows true wisdom.