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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
Accordingly Namdev sought out the particular saint mentioned
by Vithoba. Namdev was not impressed with the holiness of the
man for he was nude, dirty and was lying on the floor with his feet
resting on a linga.
Namdev wondered how this could be a saint. The saint, on the
other hand, smiled on Namdev and asked, “Did Vithoba send you
here?” This was a great surprise to Namdev who was now more
inclined to believe the man to be great.
So Namdev asked him: “You are said to be a saint, why do you
desecrate the linga?” The saint replied. “Indeed I am too old and
weak to do the right thing. Please lift my feet and place them where
there is no linga.” Namdev accordingly lifted the saint’s feet and
placed them elsewhere. But there was again a linga below them.
Wherever the feet were placed then and there appeared a linga
underneath. Namdev finally placed the feet on himself and he turned
into a linga. Then Namdev understood that God was immanent and
learnt the truth and departed. He went home and did not go to the
temple for several days. Vithoba now sought him out in his home
and asked why Namdev would not go to the temple to see God.
Namdev said: “Is there a place where He is not?”
The moral of the story is clear. Visions of God have their place
below the plane of Self-Realisation.
Talk 390.
D.: When I read Sri Bhagavan’s works I find that investigation is said
to be the one method for Realisation.
M.: Yes, that is vichara.
D.: How is that to be done?
M.: The questioner must admit the existence of his self. “I AM” is the
Realisation. To pursue the clue till Realisation is vichara. Vichara
and Realisation are the same.
D.: It is elusive. What shall I meditate upon?
M.: Meditation requires an object to meditate upon, whereas there is
only the subject without the object in vichara. Meditation differs
from vichara in this way.
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