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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
existence? They are mere conceptions. When and where will such
conceptions end?
Consider the following: A man sleeps. He says on waking that he
slept. The question is asked: ‘Why does he not say in his sleep
that he is sleeping?’ The answer is given that he is sunk in the Self
and cannot speak, like a man who has dived in water to bring out
something from the bottom. The diver cannot speak under water;
when he has actually recovered the articles he comes out and
speaks. Well, what is the explanation?
Being in water, water will flow into his mouth if he were to open
the mouth for speaking. Is it not simple? But the philosopher is not
content with this simple fact. He explains, saying that fire is the
deity presiding over speech; that it is inimical to water and therefore
cannot function! This is called philosophy and the learners are
struggling to learn all this! Is it not a sheer waste of time? Again the
Gods are said to preside over the limbs and senses of the individual
(vyashti). They are the limbs and senses of Virat (samashti). So
they go on explaining Hiranyagarbha, etc. Why should confusion
be created and then explained away? Ah! Fortunate is the man who
does not involve himself in this maze!
I was indeed fortunate that I never took to it. Had I taken to it,
I would probably be nowhere - always in confusion. My purva
vasanas (former tendencies) directly took me to the enquiry “Who
am I?” It was indeed fortunate!
11th April, 1937
Talk 393.
D.: There is a short account of the spiritual experiences of St. Theresa,
in the March number of the Prabuddha Bharata. She was devoted
to a figure of the Madonna which became animated to her sight,
and she was in bliss. Is it the same as Saktipata?
M.: The animated figure indicates depth of meditation (dhyana bala).
Saktipata prepares the mind for introversion. There is a process of
concentration of mind on one’s own shadow which in due course
becomes animated and answers questions put to it. That is due to
strength of mind or depth of meditation. Whatever is external is also
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