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

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
the Self should merge in the Supreme, is a part thereof, or remains
different from it. Let us not forestall the conclusion. Keep an open
mind, dive within and find out the Self. The truth will itself dawn
upon you. Why should you determine beforehand if the finality
is unity absolute or qualified, or duality? There is no meaning in
it. The ascertainment is now made by logic and by intellect. The
intellect derives light from the Self (the Higher Power). How can
the reflected and partial light of the intellect envisage the whole
and the original Light? The intellect cannot reach the Self and how
can it ascertain its nature?
Such is the significance of the reference.
D.: One of the stanzas says that the scriptures so scrupulously studied
in the earlier stages are ultimately of no use. At what stage do they
become useless?
M.: When their essence is realised. The scriptures are useful to indicate the
existence of the Higher Power (the Self) and the way to gain it. Their
essence is that much only. When that is assimilated the rest is useless.
But they are voluminous, adapted to the development of the seeker. As
one rising up in the scale finds the regions one has passed to be only steps
to the higher stage, and so on, the steps ascended become purvapaksha
successively until the goal is gained. When the goal is reached it
remains alone, and all the rest becomes useless. That is how the
sastras become useless. We read so much. Do we remember all that
we read? But have we forgotten the essentials? The essential soaks
in the mind and the rest is forgotten. So it is with the sastras.
The fact is that the man considers himself limited and there arises
the trouble. The idea is wrong. He can see it for himself. In sleep
there was no world, no ego (no limited self), and no trouble.
Something wakes up from that happy state and says ‘I’. To that
ego the world appears. Being a speck in the world he wants more
and gets into trouble.
How happy he was before the rising of the ego! Only the rise of the
ego is the cause of the present trouble. Let him trace the ego to its
source and he will reach that undifferentiated happy state which is
sleepless sleep. The Self remains ever the same, here and now. There
is nothing more to be gained. Because the limitations have wrongly
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