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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
it permanent? The method must be simple. Please make it clear
without logic, learned discussions or mystifying words.
(No answer.)
Another visitor asked: Please tell me which is the most efficacious of
all the methods, e.g., prayer to God, Guru anugraha, i.e., master’s
grace, concentration of mind, etc.
M.: The one is the consequence of the other. Each of them leads to
the next stage. They form a continuous whole. God, Guru, and the
Self are not different. They are one and the same. Therefore the
methods offer no choice.
Talk 441.
Mr. Pannalal, I. C. S., a high Government official from Allahabad,
with his wife, a highly cultured lady, and Mr. Brijnarayan, a retired
judge, were on a visit for a week. The night previous to their departure
they wanted to have their doubt cleared. Their doubt was:
We had a great sage for our Guru. He advised us to “take the
name of Hari,” saying that it is all in all; no effort is necessary for
concentrating the mind. Concentration will come of itself if Harinam
is persisted in. So we are doing it. The Guru passed away. We felt
like a rudderless ship in mid-ocean. In our anxiety to find a safe
guide we read and heard of you and so desired to come here. Our
desire has been fulfilled after two years’ longing. On coming here
and hearing Sri Bhagavan we understand that the Master teaches
Atma-vichara (self-quest). This is the method of knowledge (jnana
marga), whereas the other master taught us bhakti marga (method
of devotion).
What shall we do now? Are we to give up the other method and
take to this new method? If once we change shall we not change
many times more according to the masters we meet? What progress
can be made by such frequent changes? Pray remove this doubt
and bless us.
The Master referred the gentleman to an article in the September
number of Vision, a monthly journal issued by the Anandasram.
Kanhangad.
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