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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
Some say that those who after death pass into the path of light
are not reborn, whereas those who after death take the path of
darkness are reborn after they have enjoyed the fruits of karma
in their subtle bodies.
If one’s merits and demerits are equal, they are directly reborn here.
Merits outweighing demerits, the subtle bodies go to heavens and
are then reborn here; demerits outweighing merits, they go to hells
and are afterwards reborn here.
A yogabrashta is said to fare in the same manner. All these are
described in the sastras. But in fact, there is neither birth nor death.
One remains only as what one really is. This is the only Truth.
Talk 574.
D.: What are asanas (postures or seats)? Are they necessary?
M.: Many asanas with their effects are mentioned in the Yoga sastras.
The seats are the tiger-skin, grass, etc.; the postures are the ‘lotus
posture’, the ‘easy posture’ and so on.
Why all these - only to know oneself? “I am the body; the body
requires a seat; it is the earth,” thinking thus, he seeks seats. But in
sleep did he think of the support or the bed: the bed on the cot and the
cot on the earth? Did he not exist in sleep too? How was he then?
The truth is - Being the Self, the ego rising up, confusing himself
with the body, mistaking the world to be real, differentiating the
objects, covered by the ignorance of the ‘I’-conceit, he thinks wildly
and also looks for seats. He does not understand that he himself is
the Centre of all and thus forms the basis for all.
If questioned he talks of the effects of seats and footwear in terms
of gravitation, magnetism and so on. Without them he imagines
that the power of his austerities will dwindle away.
Wherefrom do they all derive their power? He looks to the effects,
seeks their causes and imagines them to be the power of seats and of
footwear. A stone thrown up falls back to the ground. Why? Owing to
the gravitation, says he. Well - are all these different from his thoughts?
Think and say if the stone, the earth and gravity are different from his
thoughts. They are all in his mind only. He is the Power and the wielder
of it. He is the Centre of all and their support. He is also the Seat.
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