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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
M.: Mind - mind what is it? It is a mixture of Chit (intelligence) and
sankalpas (thoughts). Therefore it forms all these - the mirror, light,
darkness and the reflections.
D.: But I do not see it.
M.: Chidakasa (chit-ether) is Pure Knowledge only, It is the source
of mind. Just at the moment of rising up, the mind is only light;
only afterwards the thought “I am this” rises up; this ‘I-thought’
forms the jiva and the world.
The first light is the pure mind, the mind ether or Isvara. Its modes
manifest as objects. Because it contains all these objects within
itself it is called the mind-ether. Why ether? Like ether containing
objects it contains the thoughts, therefore it is the mind-ether.
Again, just as the physical ether though accommodating all the gross objects
(the whole universe) is itself the content of the mind-ether, so also the latter
is itself the content of Chit-ether. The last one is Chit Itself. There are no
things contained in it. It remains as Pure Knowledge only.
D.: Why call it ether? Physical ether is not sentient.
M.: Ether denotes not only the insentient physical ether but also Pure
Knowledge. Knowledge does not consist in knowing objects: this is
relative knowledge. But Knowledge in its purity remains all alone,
One, unique, transcendent Light!
D.: Well - should we be imagining it in our meditation?
M.: Why imagine? We can think of another only if we are independent
of it, whereas here we cannot remain independent of this Pure
Knowledge. Rather, only IT is! How can It be imagined to be so
and so or such and such?
D.: How are we to proceed?
M.: Only get rid of the non-self.
D.: It looks all right now; but later it is all forgotten.
M.: Your forgetfulness implies knowledge, for you know you forgot;
otherwise how can you speak of forgetting it? So forgetfulness also
is Chit-akasa (Chit-ether) only.
D.: How then is it not clear to me?
M.: Chit is knowledge pure and simple. The mind proceeds from it;
the mind is made up of thoughts. Darkness or ignorance interposing.
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