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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
A Swami asked: I feel toothache. Is it only a thought?
M.: Yes.
D.: Why can I not think that there is no toothache and thus cure
myself?
M.: When engrossed in other thoughts one does not feel the toothache.
When one sleeps toothache is not felt.
D.: But toothache remains all the same.
M.: Such is the firm conviction of the reality of the world that it is
not easily shaken off. The world does not become, for that reason,
any more real than the individual himself.
D.: Now there is the Sino-Japanese war. If it is only in imagination,
can or will Sri Bhagavan imagine the contrary and put an end to
the war?
M.: The Bhagavan of the questioner is as much a thought as the Sino-
Japanese war. (Laughter.)
7th February, 1938
Talk 452.
Mr. Dhar, I. C. S., a high Officer and his wife, both young, highly
cultured and intelligent, are on a visit here. But they fell ill since
they arrived here. She desired to know how meditation could become
steady.
M.: What is meditation? It consists in expulsion of thoughts. All the
present troubles are due to thoughts and are themselves thoughts.
Give up thoughts. That is happiness and also meditation.
D.: How are thoughts given up?
M.: The thoughts are for the thinker. Remain as the Self of the thinker
and there is an end of thoughts.
Mr. Dhar asked Sri Bhagavan why Brahma, who is Perfection, creates
and puts us to ordeals for regaining Him.
M.: Where is the individual who asks this question? He is in the
universe and included in the creation. How does he raise the
question when he is bound in the creation? He must go beyond it
and see if any question arises then.
443