Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi Complete ... - BrahminVoice.org

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
M.: The sastras are not meant for the wise because they do not need
them; the ignorant do not want them. Only the mumukshus look up
to the sastras. That means that the sastras are neither for wisdom
nor for ignorance.
D.: Vasishta is said to be a jivanmukta whereas Janaka was a
videhamukta.
M.: Why speak of Vasishta or Janaka? What about oneself?
There were many new visitors this day. Two of them were speaking
of Ganapati Muni in Sri Bhagavan’s presence. Sri Bhagavan put
in a few words in their talk:
(1) Some say that jnana and upasana are the two wings with which
to fly to mukti. What is jnana? What is upasana? Jnana is ever
present. That is the ultimate goal also. When an effort is made the
effort is called upasana; when it is effortless it is jnana, which is
the same as mukti.
(2) After some discussion among themselves, a visitor said: Some
Superior Power must help us to shake off the externalities.
Sri Bhagavan said: Who sees the externalities? Or do they say that
they exist? If so let the world say that it exists.
Again, if the world is a projection from the interior it must be
recognised that it is projected simultaneously with the ‘I-thought’.
Either way the ‘I’ is the fundamental basis knowing which all else
is known.
(3) Another said that Ganapati Muni used to say that he could even
go to Indra-loka and say what Indra was doing but he could not go
within and find the ‘I’.
Sri Bhagavan added that Ganapati Muni used to say that it was easy
to move forward but impossible to move backward.
Then Sri Bhagavan remarked: However far one goes there he is.
Where is moving backward? The same truth is contained in the
mantra in Isa-Upanishad.
(4) In reply to a query how Ganapati Muni became an asu kavi
(inspired poet), Sri Bhagavan said; It is said that while he was
making tapasya Siva appeared and gave him milk or honey to
drink, after which he became asu kavi.
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