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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
D.: The ego.
M.: Yes. The body and the ego rise up together and sink together. There
is an occasion when you are not associated with the ego in deep sleep.
Now you are associated with the ego. Of these two states which is
your real state? You are present in sleep and the same “You” is present
now too. Why should the doubt arise now and not then? You are
right in saying that it is for the ego. You are not the ego. The ego is
intermediate between the Self and the body. You are the Self. Find
out the origin of the ego and see if the doubt persists.
Sri Bhagavan added after a few minutes: The answer, according to
sastras, will be that the body is due to karma. The question will be
how did karma arise? We must say “from a previous body” and so on
without end. The direct method of attack is not to depend on invisible
hypotheses but to ask “Whose Karma is it? Or whose body?” Hence
I answered in this manner. This is more purposeful.
14th August, 1938
Talk 502.
Sjt. Rajendra Prasad and Sjt. Jamnalal Bajaj with others are on a visit
to Sri Maharshi.
16th August - Sjt. J. B. asked questions:
D.: How is the mind to be steadily kept right?
M.: All living beings are aware of their surroundings and therefore
intellect must be surmised in all of them. At the same time, there is
a difference between the intellect of man and that of other animals,
because man not only sees the world as it is and acts accordingly,
but also seeks fulfilment of desires and is not satisfied with the
existing state of affairs. In his attempt to fulfil his desires he extends
his vision far and wide and yet he turns away dissatisfied. He now
begins to think and reason.
The desire for permanency of happiness and of peace bespeaks
such permanency in his own nature. Therefore he seeks to find and
regain his own nature, i.e., his Self. That found, all is found.
Such inward seeking is the path to be gained by man’s intellect. The
intellect itself realises after continuous practice that it is enabled by
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